| Under the new mandatory disclosure rule, federal government contractors must report to the Government their violations of specified criminal laws and the civil False Claims Act, as well as any significant overpayments that they receive. Although this reporting requirement exists to enhance the procurement system's integrity, the plain language of the mandatory disclosure rule does not extend to the Procurement Integrity Act. Congress passed the Procurement Integrity Act in 1988, however, to enhance procurement integrity. The statute prohibits the misuse of confidential procurement information and identifies prohibited interactions between contractors and Government personnel. Because the Procurement Integrity Act has been described as an important law in combating procurement-related misconduct, the mandatory disclosure rule should include the Procurement Integrity Act. |
