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Title 31, Money and FinanceRelease 119-110

§3555 Regulations; Authority of Comptroller General to Verify Assertions

Title 31 › SUBTITLE III — FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT › CHAPTER 35 — ACCOUNTING AND COLLECTION › SUBCHAPTER V — PROCUREMENT PROTEST SYSTEM › § 3555

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Comptroller General must write rules to speed up how protest cases are decided, including a faster option under section 3554(a)(2). The rules must say a case cannot be delayed just because a party missed a filing deadline. When counting time limits, do not count the day an action starts. Count the last day unless it falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. For papers filed at the Government Accountability Office or a federal agency, if that last day the office is closed for weather or other reasons, use the next business day instead. The Comptroller General must set up and run an electronic system so people can file protests and get required documents online. The office may charge a fee to support the system, and the fee can apply to anyone who files a protest whether they use the system or not. The Comptroller General will set and update the fee amounts. Fees go into a separate GAO account and may be used only to build and run the system, without fiscal year limits. The Comptroller General may also use powers in chapter 7 and this chapter to check statements made by parties in protests.

Full Legal Text

Title 31, §3555

Money and Finance, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Comptroller General shall prescribe such procedures as may be necessary to the expeditious decision of protests under this subchapter, including procedures for accelerated resolution of protests under the express option authorized by section 3554(a)(2) of this title. Such procedures shall provide that the protest process may not be delayed by the failure of a party to make a filing within the time provided for the filing.
(b)The procedures shall provide that, in the computation of any period described in this subchapter—
(1)the day of the act, event, or default from which the designated period of time begins to run not be included; and
(2)the last day after such act, event, or default be included, unless—
(A)such last day is a Saturday, a Sunday, or a legal holiday; or
(B)in the case of a filing of a paper at the Government Accountability Office or a Federal agency, such last day is a day on which weather or other conditions cause the closing of the Government Accountability Office or Federal agency, in which event the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday shall be included.
(c)Electronic Filing and Document Dissemination System.—
(1)Establishment and operation of system.—
The Comptroller General shall establish and operate an electronic filing and document dissemination system under which, in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Comptroller General—
(A)a person filing a protest under this subchapter may file the protest through electronic means; and
(B)all documents and information required with respect to the protest may be disseminated and made available to the parties to the protest through electronic means.
(2)Imposition of fees.—
(A)In general.—
The Comptroller General may require each person who files a protest under this subchapter to pay a fee to support the establishment and operation of the electronic system under this subsection, without regard to whether or not the person uses the system with respect to the protest.
(B)Amount.—
The Comptroller General shall establish (and from time to time shall update) a schedule setting forth the amount of the fee to be paid under subparagraph (A).
(3)Treatment of amounts collected.—
(A)Establishment of account.—
The Comptroller General shall maintain a separate account among the accounts of the Government Accountability Office for the electronic system under this subsection, and shall deposit all amounts received as fees under paragraph (2) into the account.
(B)Use of amounts.—
Amounts in the account maintained under this paragraph shall be available to the Comptroller General, without fiscal year limitation, solely to establish and operate the electronic system under this subsection.
(d)The Comptroller General may use any authority available under chapter 7 of this title and this chapter to verify assertions made by parties in protests under this subchapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2014—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–76 amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: “The Comptroller General may prescribe procedures for the electronic filing and dissemination of documents and information required under this subchapter. In prescribing such procedures, the Comptroller General shall consider the ability of all parties to achieve electronic access to such documents and records.” 2004—Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office” in two places. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–355, § 1404(c), substituted “The Comptroller General” for “Not later than January 15, 1985, the Comptroller General”. Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 103–355, § 1404(a), (b), added subsecs. (b) and (c) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentFor

Effective Date

and applicability of amendment by Pub. L. 103–355, see section 10001 of Pub. L. 103–355, set out as a note under section 8752 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Effective Date

Section applicable with respect to any protest filed after Jan. 14, 1985, see section 2751(b) of Pub. L. 98–369, set out as a note under section 4751 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

31 U.S.C. § 3555

Title 31, Money and Finance

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110