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Title 41 — Public ContractsRelease 119-73not60

§8701 Definitions

Title 41 › Subtitle Subtitle IV— Miscellaneous › Chapter 87— KICKBACKS › § 8701

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines the key words used in the chapter. Contracting agency is the federal department, agency, or establishment that signs a prime contract. Kickback is any money, fee, gift, or other benefit given to a contractor, subcontractor, or their workers to get or reward unfair favor tied to a prime contract or its subcontracts. Person means a business or an individual. Prime contract is a government contract for supplies, equipment, or services; prime contractor holds that contract; subcontract is a contract made under it. Subcontractor is anyone other than the prime contractor who offers or provides goods or services under the prime contract or its subcontracts, including general suppliers. Prime contractor employee and subcontractor employee mean an officer, partner, employee, or agent of the contractor or subcontractor.

Full Legal Text

Title 41, §8701

Public Contracts — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In this chapter:
(1)The term “contracting agency”, when used with respect to a prime contractor, means a department, agency, or establishment of the Federal Government that enters into a prime contract with a prime contractor.
(2)The term “kickback” means any money, fee, commission, credit, gift, gratuity, thing of value, or compensation of any kind that is provided to a prime contractor, prime contractor employee, subcontractor, or subcontractor employee to improperly obtain or reward favorable treatment in connection with a prime contract or a subcontract relating to a prime contract.
(3)The term “person” means a corporation, partnership, business association of any kind, trust, joint-stock company, or individual.
(4)The term “prime contract” means a contract or contractual action entered into by the Federal Government to obtain supplies, materials, equipment, or services of any kind.
(5)The term “prime contractor” means a person that has entered into a prime contract with the Federal Government.
(6)The term “prime contractor employee” means an officer, partner, employee, or agent of a prime contractor.
(7)The term “subcontract” means a contract or contractual action entered into by a prime contractor or subcontractor to obtain supplies, materials, equipment, or services of any kind under a prime contract.
(8)The term “subcontractor”—
(A)means a person, other than the prime contractor, that offers to furnish or furnishes supplies, materials, equipment, or services of any kind under a prime contract or a subcontract entered into in connection with the prime contract; and
(B)includes a person that offers to furnish or furnishes general supplies to the prime contractor or a higher tier subcontractor.
(9)The term “subcontractor employee” means an officer, partner, employee, or agent of a subcontractor.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 870141:52.Mar. 8, 1946, ch. 80, § 2, 60 Stat. 37; Pub. L. 86–695, Sept. 2, 1960, 74 Stat. 740; Pub. L. 99–634, § 2(a), Nov. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 3523. In this section, the text of 41:52(3) is omitted because of the definition of “person” in 1:1. In paragraph (2), the words “directly or indirectly” are omitted as unnecessary. Senate Revision

Amendments

enate amendment 4726 (111th Cong.) added par. (3) and redesignated former pars. (3) to (8) as (4) to (9), respectively. See 156 Cong. Rec. 18683 (2010).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

41 U.S.C. § 8701

Title 41 — Public Contracts

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60