FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 3: Improper Business Practices and Personal Conflicts of Interest › Subpart 3.8
FAR 3.802 Statutory prohibition and requirement.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This section states that federal law (31 U.S.C. 1352) bars contractors and other recipients of federal funds from using appropriated funds to pay anyone to influence government officials or members of Congress on covered federal actions. It also requires offerors to provide a certification and disclosure, with updates after award, as set out in FAR clauses 52.203-11 and 52.203-12.
Applies to: Recipients of federal contracts, grants, loans, or cooperative agreements, and offerors
What it requires
- Do not use appropriated funds to pay any person for influencing or attempting to influence covered officials in connection with covered federal actions
- Furnish a declaration consisting of a certification and a disclosure
- Provide periodic updates of the disclosure after contract award
Key terms: appropriated funds · covered Federal action · certification · disclosure · influencing activities
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) 31 U.S.C. 1352 prohibits a recipient of a Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement from using appropriated funds to pay any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with any covered Federal actions.
(1) For purposes of this subpart the term “appropriated funds” does not include profit or fee from a covered Federal action.
(2) To the extent a person can demonstrate that the person has sufficient monies, other than Federal appropriated funds, the Government shall assume that these other monies were spent for any influencing activities that would be unallowable if paid for with Federal appropriated funds.
(b) 31 U.S.C. 1352 also requires offerors to furnish a declaration consisting of both a certification and a disclosure, with periodic updates of the disclosure after contract award. These requirements are contained in the provision at 52.203-11, Certification and Disclosure Regarding Payments to Influence Certain Federal Transactions, and the clause at 52.203-12, Limitation on Payments to Influence Certain Federal Transactions.
Sections it refers to
← 3.801 Definitions. · 3.803 Exceptions. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 3
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 3 and 49 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · final rule 2025-08-27 · effective 2025-10-01
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Controlled Unclassified Information ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Improving Consistency Between Procurement and Nonprocurement Procedures on Suspension and Debarment ↗ · final rule 2025-01-03 · effective 2025-01-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · proposed 2024-11-29 · comments due 2025-01-28
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Reverse Auction Guidance ↗ · final rule 2024-07-30 · effective 2024-08-29
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Improving Consistency Between Procurement and Nonprocurement Procedures on Suspension and Debarment ↗ · proposed 2024-01-09 · comments due 2024-03-11
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.