There is established in the General Services Administration a board of contract appeals to be known as the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (in this section referred to as the “Civilian Board”).
(A) The Civilian Board shall consist of members appointed by the Administrator of General Services (in consultation with the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy) from a register of applicants maintained by the Administrator of General Services, in accordance with rules issued by the Administrator of General Services (in consultation with the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy) for establishing and maintaining a register of eligible applicants and selecting Civilian Board members. The Administrator of General Services shall appoint a member without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of the professional qualifications required to perform the duties and responsibilities of a Civilian Board member.
(B) The members of the Civilian Board shall be selected and appointed to serve in the same manner as administrative law judges appointed pursuant to section 3105 of title 5, with an additional requirement that such members shall have had not fewer than five years of experience in public contract law.
(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (B) and subject to paragraph (2), the following persons shall serve as Civilian Board members: any full-time member of any agency board of contract appeals other than the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals, and the board of contract appeals of the Tennessee Valley Authority serving as such on the day before the effective date of this section.
Members of the Civilian Board shall be subject to removal in the same manner as administrative law judges, as provided in section 7521 of title 5.
Compensation for members of the Civilian Board shall be determined under section 5372a of title 5.
The Civilian Board shall have jurisdiction as provided by section 607(d) of this title.
The Civilian Board may, with the concurrence of the Federal agency or agencies affected—
(A) assume jurisdiction over any additional category of laws or disputes over which an agency board of contract appeals established pursuant to section 607 of this title exercised jurisdiction before the effective date of this section; and
(B) assume any other functions performed by such a board before such effective date on behalf of such agencies.
(Pub. L. 93–400, §42, as added Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title VIII, §847(a), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3391.)
For the effective date of this section, referred to in subsecs. (b)(1)(C) and (c)(2), see Effective Date note below.
Section 607 of this title, referred to in subsec. (c)(2)(A), was in the original “section 8 of the Contract Disputes Act”, and was translated as reading “section 8 of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
References to an agency board of contract appeals other than the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the board of contract appeals of the Tennessee Valley Authority, or the Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals, deemed to refer to the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, see section 847(e) of Pub. L. 109–163, set out as a note under section 607 of this title.
Section effective 1 year after Jan. 6, 2006, see section 847(g) of Pub. L. 109–163, set out as an Effective Date of 2006 Amendment note under section 5372a of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
For transfer of personnel, property, etc. of agency boards of contract appeals to the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, with certain exceptions, see section 847(b) of Pub. L. 109–163, set out as a note under section 607 of this title.