FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 50: Extraordinary Contractual Actions and the Safety Act › Subpart 50.2

FAR 50.205-1 SAFETY Act Considerations.

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 tells acquisition officials to consider SAFETY Act protections early in the acquisition process for technologies that prevent, detect, identify, or deter terrorism. It also says the Government is not a customer from which a contractor must request a reciprocal waiver of claims.

Applies to: Acquisition officials and requiring activities

What it requires

  • Consider SAFETY Act issues as early in the acquisition cycle as possible.
  • Consult with DHS in questionable cases.
  • Include SAFETY Act considerations in industry outreach efforts when applicable.

Key terms: SAFETY Act · block designation · block certification · reciprocal waiver of claims · DHS

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

(a) SAFETY Act applicability. Requiring activities should review requirements to identify potential technologies that prevent, detect, identify, or deter acts of terrorism or limit the harm such acts might cause, and may be appropriate for SAFETY Act protections. In questionable cases, the agency shall consult with DHS. For acquisitions involving such technologies, the requiring activity should ascertain through discussions with DHS whether a block designation or block certification exists for the technology being acquired.

(1) If one does exist, the requiring activity should request that the contracting officer notify offerors.

(2) If one does not exist, see 50.205-2, Pre-qualification designation notice.

(b) Early consideration of the SAFETY Act. Acquisition officials shall consider SAFETY Act issues as early in the acquisition cycle as possible (see 7.105(b)(20)(v)). Normally, this would be at the point where the required capabilities or performance characteristics are addressed. This is important because the processing times for issuing determinations on all types of SAFETY Act applications vary depending on many factors, including the influx of applications to DHS and the technical complexity of individual applications.

(c) Industry outreach. When applicable, acquisition officials should include SAFETY Act considerations in all industry outreach efforts including, but not limited to, requests for information, draft requests for proposal, and industry conferences.

(d) Reciprocal waiver of claims. For purposes of 6 CFR 25.5(e), the Government is not a customer from which a contractor must request a reciprocal waiver of claims.

Sections it refers to

  • 50.205-2 Pre-qualification designation notice.
  • 7.105 Contents of written acquisition plans.

Sections that refer to it

  • 50.206 Solicitation provisions and contract clause.

← 50.205 Procedures. · 50.205-2 Pre-qualification designation notice. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 50

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 50.205-1 SAFETY Act Considerations · SpendQuery