PRIA Logo™
Take the PRIA Score
Title 41 — Public ContractsRelease 119-73

§3305 Simplified procedures for small purchases

Title 41 › Subtitle Subtitle I— - Federal Procurement Policy › Chapter CHAPTER 33— - PLANNING AND SOLICITATION › § 3305

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The government must use simpler buying rules for purchases at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, and for purchases above it up to $5,000,000 when the buyer expects only commercial offers. GSA must set similar simple rules for leases whose rent, or the average annual rent of a multiyear lease, does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. Agencies may not split purchases above the threshold to use the simpler rules. They must promote competition and follow the FAR rules in section 1901(e).

Full Legal Text

Title 41, §3305

Public Contracts — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)To promote efficiency and economy in contracting and to avoid unnecessary burdens for agencies and contractors, the Federal Acquisition Regulation shall provide for special simplified procedures for purchases of property and services for amounts—
(1)not greater than the simplified acquisition threshold; and
(2)greater than the simplified acquisition threshold but not greater than $5,000,000 for which the contracting officer reasonably expects, based on the nature of the property or services sought and on market research, that offers will include only commercial products or commercial services.
(b)The Administrator of General Services shall prescribe regulations that provide special simplified procedures for acquisitions of leasehold interests in real property at rental rates that do not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. The rental rate under a multiyear lease does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold if the average annual amount of the rent payable for the period of the lease does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.
(c)A proposed purchase or contract for an amount above the simplified acquisition threshold may not be divided into several purchases or contracts for lesser amounts to use the simplified procedures required by subsection (a).
(d)In using the simplified procedures, an executive agency shall promote competition to the maximum extent practicable.
(e)An executive agency shall comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulation provisions referred to in section 1901(e) of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 330541:253(g).June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title III, § 303(g), 63 Stat. 395; July 12, 1952, ch. 703, § 1(m), 66 Stat. 594; Pub. L. 90–268, § 2, Mar. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 49; Pub. L. 98–369, title VII, § 2711(a)(1), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 1178; Pub. L. 99–145, title XIII, § 1304(c)(3), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 742; Pub. L. 101–510, title VIII, § 806(c), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1592; Pub. L. 103–355, title I, § 1051(2), title IV, § 4402(a), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3260, 3348; Pub. L. 104–106, title XLII, § 4202(b)(1), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 653; Pub. L. 105–85, title VIII, § 850(f)(4)(B), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1850.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “commercial products or commercial services” for “commercial items”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Jan. 1, 2020, subject to a

Savings Provision

, see section 836(h) of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2018 Amendment;

Savings Provision

note under section 453b of Title 6, Domestic Security.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

41 U.S.C. § 3305

Title 41 — Public Contracts

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73