Environmental Protection Agency Implementation of OMB Guidance on Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing a new regulation on nonprocurement debarment and suspension in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as the final step of a four step process in streamlining the government-wide nonprocurement suspension and debarment rules. The purpose of this government-wide initiative is to make the rule on nonprocurement suspension and debarment easier to find and use by the regulated community. The first step in this process was the update to the nonprocurement suspension and debarment common rule published in the Federal Register on November 26, 2003. The second step was the establishment of Title 2 in the Code of Federal Regulations on May 11, 2004. The third step was the publication of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) guidance on nonprocurement suspension and debarment as adoptable guidance of the new 2 CFR on August 31, 2005. This rule adopts OMB guidance on nonprocurement debarment and suspension. The EPA is also removing a regulation containing the existing EPA implementation of the government-wide common rule on nonprocurement debarment and suspension. This regulatory action makes no substantive change in EPA policy or procedures for nonprocurement debarment and suspension.