{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-2-354.01a","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 2-354.01a","heading":"Prohibited contacts during source selection.","body":"(a)\nExcept for members of a technical advisory group, no District employee or official shall contact any contracting officer or contracting staff in an attempt to influence source selection outside of the processes established in this subchapter.\n\n(b)\nBefore the commencement of a restricted period, the CPO, or the lead contracting official of an agency with procurement authority independent of the CPO, shall designate a person or persons to be the designated contact for offerors or bidders on a given contract during the restricted period.\n\n(c)\n(1)\nDuring the restricted period, no bidder or offeror shall contact any District employee or official with respect to source selection, except as provided for under subsection (d) of this section.\n(2)\nFor the purposes of this section, the term \"contact\" means any oral, written, or electronic communication.\n\n(d)\n(1)\nDuring the restricted period, an offeror or bidder may make permissible contact with respect to source selection.\n(2)\nFor the purposes of this section, the term \"permissible contact\" means that the offeror or bidder shall contact only the individual designated under subsection (b) of this section for a given contract; provided, that the following contacts are exempted from this subsection and do not need to be directed to the individual designated under subsection (b) of this section:\n(A)\nThe submission of written proposals in response to any method for soliciting a response from offerors or bidders intended to result in a contract;\n(B)\nThe submission of written questions through a process set forth in a solicitation, request for proposals, invitation for bids, or any other method of soliciting a response from offerors or bidders intended to result in a contract, so long as the written questions and responses are to be disseminated to all offerors or bidders who have expressed an interest in the proposed contract;\n(C)\nParticipation in any demonstration, conference, or other means of exchanging information in a setting open to all potential bidders or offerors through a process set forth in a solicitation, request for proposals, invitation for bids, or any other method of soliciting a response from offerors or bidders intended to result in a contract;\n(D)\nNegotiation with the highest-ranking offeror or bidder regarding the terms of the proposed contract; and\n(E)\nContacts by offerors or bidders with the Contract Appeals Board or any other tribunal or court of competent jurisdiction in connection with a protest, appeal, or dispute before that tribunal or court.\n\n(e)\nA bid or offer associated with a violation of this section shall be rejected, unless the CPO determines that it is in the best interest of the District not to reject the bid or offer.\n\n(f)\nFor the purposes of this section, the term \"bidder\" or \"offeror\" shall include any employee, agent, consultant, or person acting on behalf of a bidder or offeror.\n\n(g)\nNothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any contact or communications by any offeror, bidder, or District employee or official with respect to allegations of improper conduct to the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Inspector General, the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor, the CPO, the Council of the District of Columbia, or the Contract Appeals Board or any other tribunal or court of competent jurisdiction.","path":["Title 2. Government Administration.","Chapter 3A. Government Procurement.","Subchapter IV. Source Selection and Contract Formation."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/2-354.01a","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"091addb1c719b3df27b39e16dea0826d9569b5e257a26e05a690a267f176823d","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-2-354.01","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-2-354.02"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}