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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§3242 Supplies: economic order quantities

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART V— - ACQUISITION › Subpart Subpart B— - Acquisition Planning › Chapter CHAPTER 223— - OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO PLANNING AND SOLICITATION GENERALLY › § 3242

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agencies named in section 3063 must buy supplies in amounts that, when possible, give the United States the best total cost and the best per-item cost and that do not exceed what the agency reasonably expects to need. The Secretary of Defense must consider this rule when approving obligation rates under section 2204. When asking for bids, agencies should, if practical, invite each bidder to say whether the proposed quantity is the most economical. Bidders may recommend other quantities and must give the total price and the unit price for each quantity they suggest.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §3242

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)An agency referred to in section 3063 of this title shall procure supplies in such quantity as—
(A)will result in the total cost and unit cost most advantageous to the United States, where practicable; and
(B)does not exceed the quantity reasonably expected to be required by the agency.
(2)The Secretary of Defense shall take paragraph (1) into account in approving rates of obligation of appropriations under section 2204 of this title.
(b)Each solicitation for a contract for supplies shall, if practicable, include a provision inviting each offeror responding to the solicitation to state an opinion on whether the quantity of the supplies proposed to be procured is economically advantageous to the United States and, if applicable, to recommend a quantity or quantities which would be more economically advantageous to the United States. Each such recommendation shall include a quotation of the total price and the unit price for supplies procured in each recommended quantity.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 116–283, § 1813(c), renumbered section 2384a of this title as this section. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–283, § 1813(c)(1), as amended by Pub. L. 117–81, § 1701(b)(5), inserted heading, in par. (1), substituted “section 3063” for “section 2303(a)” and reformatted subpars. (A) and (B) to add line breaks before each subpar. designation, and, in par. (2), realigned margin. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–283, § 1813(c)(2), inserted heading.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2021 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 117–81 applicable as if included in the enactment of title XVIII of Pub. L. 116–283 as enacted, see section 1701(a)(2) of Pub. L. 117–81, set out in a note preceding section 3001 of this title and note below. Amendment by Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 98–525, title XII, § 1233(b), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2601, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [enacting this section] shall take effect at the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 19, 1984].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 3242

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73