Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-90

§861 Memorandum of Understanding on Matters Relating to Contracting.

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— General Military Law › Part V— ACQUISITION › Subpart G— Other Special Categories Of Contracting › § 861

Last updated May 14, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the USAID Administrator to sign a written agreement by July 1, 2008 about how they will handle contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The agreement must name the main types of contracts, say what each agency must do, cover how contractor staff will move around, and create shared databases. The databases must show for each contract a short description (if safe), the total value, and whether it was awarded competitively. For contractor personnel the databases must show total number working there, number doing security work, and number killed or wounded. The agreement must say who keeps the databases current, who collects and forwards reports of alleged crimes covered by military law or the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, require contractors to report such alleged offenses to investigators, provide victim and witness help and protection, and require contractors to tell workers, before they start, how to report offenses and where to get help. Within 120 days after the agreement is signed, each agency must issue the policies or rules needed to carry it out. Copies of the agreement go to the relevant Congressional committees within 30 days of signing, and each agency must report to those committees on implementation within 180 days. Those committees must be given access to the shared databases. Effective Jan. 28, 2008, any contracts in Iraq or Afghanistan awarded after Dec. 1, 2007 must be provided to the relevant committees within 15 days after a committee requests them.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §861

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

“(a)The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall, not later than July 1, 2008, enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding matters relating to contracting for contracts in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“(b)The memorandum of understanding required by subsection (a) shall address, at a minimum, the following:
“(1)Identification of the major categories of contracts in Iraq or Afghanistan being awarded by the Department of Defense, the Department of State, or the United States Agency for International Development.
“(2)Identification of the roles and responsibilities of each department or agency for matters relating to contracting for contracts in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“(3)Responsibility for establishing procedures for, and the coordination of, movement of contractor personnel in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“(4)Identification of common databases that will serve as repositories of information on contracts in Iraq or Afghanistan and contractor personnel in Iraq or Afghanistan, including agreement on the elements to be included in the databases, including, at a minimum—
“(A)with respect to each contract—
“(i)a brief description of the contract (to the extent consistent with security considerations);
“(ii)the total value of the contract; and
“(iii)whether the contract was awarded competitively; and
“(B)with respect to contractor personnel—
“(i)the total number of personnel employed on contracts in Iraq or Afghanistan;
“(ii)the total number of personnel performing security functions under contracts in Iraq or Afghanistan; and
“(iii)the total number of personnel working under contracts in Iraq or Afghanistan who have been killed or wounded.
“(5)Responsibility for maintaining and updating information in the common databases identified under paragraph (4).
“(6)Responsibility for the collection and referral to the appropriate Government agency of any information relating to offenses under chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (the Uniform Code of Military Justice) or chapter 212 of title 18, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act), including a clarification of responsibilities under section 802(a)(10) of title 10, United States Code (article 2(a) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), as amended by section 552 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109–364).
“(7)Mechanisms for ensuring that contractors are required to report offenses described in paragraph (6) that are alleged to have been committed by or against contractor personnel to appropriate investigative authorities.
“(8)Responsibility for providing victim and witness protection and assistance to contractor personnel in connection with alleged offenses described in paragraph (6).
“(9)Development of a requirement that a contractor shall provide to all contractor personnel who will perform work on a contract in Iraq or Afghanistan, before beginning such work, information on the following:
“(A)How and where to report an alleged offense described in paragraph (6).
“(B)Where to seek the assistance required by paragraph (8).
“(c)Not later than 120 days after the memorandum of understanding required by subsection (a) is signed, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall issue such policies or guidance and prescribe such regulations as are necessary to implement the memorandum of understanding for the relevant matters pertaining to their respective agencies.
“(d)“(1)Copies of the memorandum of understanding required by subsection (a) shall be provided to the relevant committees of Congress within 30 days after the memorandum is signed.
“(2)Not later than 180 days after the memorandum of understanding required by subsection (a) is signed, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall each provide a report to the relevant committees of Congress on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding.
“(3)The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, or the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall provide access to the common databases identified under subsection (b)(4) to the relevant committees of Congress.
“(4)Effective on the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 28, 2008], copies of any contracts in Iraq or Afghanistan awarded after December 1, 2007, shall be provided to any of the relevant committees of Congress within 15 days after the submission of a request for such contract or contracts from such committee to the department or agency managing the contract.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 861

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

May 14, 2026

Release point: 119-90