The debarring official may debar a person for any of the causes in § 513.30, using procedures established in §§ 513.310 through 513.314. The existence of a cause for debarment, however, does not necessarily require that the person be debarred; the seriousness of the person's acts or omissions and any mitigating factors shall be considered in making any debarment decision.

Debarment may be imposed in accordance with the provisions of §§ 513.300 through 513.314 for:

(a) Conviction of or civil judgment for:

(1) Commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public or private agreement or transaction;

(2) Violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes, including those proscribing price fixing between competitors, allocation of customers between competitors, and bid rigging;

(3) Commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, receiving stolen property, making false claims, or obstruction of justice; or

(4) Commission of any other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that seriously and directly affects the present responsibility of a person.

(b) Violation of the terms of a public agreement or transaction so serious as to affect the integrity of an agency program, such as:

(1) A willful failure to perform in accordance with the terms of one or more public agreements or transactions;

(2) A history of failure to perform or of unsatisfactory performance of one or more public agreements or transactions; or

(3) A willful violation of a statutory or regulatory provision or requirement applicable to a public agreement or transaction.

(c) Any of the following causes:

(1) A nonprocurement debarment by any Federal agency taken before October 1, 1988, the effective date of these regulations, or a procurement debarment by any Federal agency taken pursuant to 48 CFR subpart 9.4;

(2) Knowingly doing business with a debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded person, in connection with a covered transaction, except as permitted in § 513.215 or § 513.220;

(3) Failure to pay a single substantial debt, or a number of outstanding debts (including disallowed costs and overpayments, but not including sums owed the Federal Government under the Internal Revenue Code) owed to any Federal agency or instrumentality, provided the debt is uncontested by the debtor or, if contested, provided that the debtor's legal and administrative remedies have been exhausted;

(4) Violation of a material provision of a voluntary exclusion agreement entered into under § 513.315 or of any settlement of a debarment or suspension action; or

(5) Violation of any requirement of subpart F of this part, relating to providing a drug-free workplace, as set forth in § 513.615 of this part.

(d) Any other cause of so serious or compelling a nature that it affects the present responsibility of a person.

Broadcasting Board of Governors shall process debarment actions as informally as practicable, consistent with the principles of fundamental fairness, using the procedures in §§ 513.311 through 513.314.

Information concerning the existence of a cause for debarment from any source shall be promptly reported, investigated, and referred, when appropriate, to the debarring official for consideration. After consideration, the debarring official may issue a notice of proposed debarment.

A debarment proceeding shall be initiated by notice to the respondent advising:

(a) That debarment is being considered;

(b) Of the reasons for the proposed debarment in terms sufficient to put the respondent on notice of the conduct or transaction(s) upon which it is based;

(c) Of the cause(s) relied upon under § 513.305 for proposing debarment;

(d) Of the provisions of § 513.311 through § 513.314, and any other Broadcasting Board of Governors procedures, if applicable, governing debarment decisionmaking; and

(e) Of the potential effect of a debarment.

(a) Submission in opposition. Within 30 days after receipt of the notice of proposed debarment, the respondent may submit, in person, in writing, or through a representative, information and argument in opposition to the proposed debarment.

(b) Additional proceedings as to disputed material facts. (1) In actions not based upon a conviction or civil judgment, if the debarring official finds that the respondent's submission in opposition raises a genuine dispute over facts material to the proposed debarment, respondent(s) shall be afforded an opportunity to appear with a representative, submit documentary evidence, present witnesses, and confront any witness the agency presents.

(2) A transcribed record of any additional proceedings shall be made available at cost to the respondent, upon request, unless the respondent and the agency, by mutual agreement, waive the requirement for a transcript.

(a) No additional proceedings necessary. In actions based upon a conviction or civil judgment, or in which there is no genuine dispute over material facts, the debarring official shall make a decision on the basis of all the information in the administrative record, including any submission made by the respondent. The decision shall be made within 45 days after receipt of any information and argument submitted by the respondent, unless the debarring official extends this period for good cause.

(b) Additional proceedings necessary. (1) In actions in which additional proceedings are necessary to determine disputed material facts, written findings of fact shall be prepared. The debarring official shall base the decision on the facts as found, together with any information and argument submitted by the respondent and any other information in the administrative record.

(2) The debarring official may refer disputed material facts to another official for findings of fact. The debarring official may reject any such findings, in whole or in part, only after specifically determining them to be arbitrary and capricious or clearly erroneous.

(3) The debarring official's decision shall be made after the conclusion of the proceedings with respect to disputed facts.

(c)(1) Standard of proof. In any debarment action, the cause for debarment must be established by a preponderance of the evidence. Where the proposed debarment is based upon a conviction or civil judgment, the standard shall be deemed to have been met.

(2) Burden of proof. The burden of proof is on the agency proposing debarment.

(d) Notice of debarring official's decision. (1) If the debarring official decides to impose debarment, the respondent shall be given prompt notice:

(i) Referring to the notice of proposed debarment;

(ii) Specifying the reasons for debarment;

(iii) Stating the period of debarment, including effective dates; and

(iv) Advising that the debarment is effective for covered transactions throughout the executive branch of the Federal Government unless an agency head or an authorized designee makes the determination referred to in § 513.215.

(2) If the debarring official decides not to impose debarment, the respondent shall be given prompt notice of that decision. A decision not to impose debarment shall be without prejudice to a subsequent imposition of debarment by any other agency.

(a) When in the best interest of the Government, Broadcasting Board of Governors may, at any time, settle a debarment or suspension action.

(b) If a participant and the Board agree to a voluntary exclusion of the participant, such voluntary exclusion shall be entered on the Nonprocurement List (see subpart E).

(a) Debarment shall be for a period commensurate with the seriousness of the cause(s). If a suspension precedes a debarment, the suspension period shall be considered in determining the debarment period.

(1) Debarment for causes other than those related to a violation of the requirements of subpart F of this part generally should not exceed three years. Where circumstances warrant, a longer period of debarment may be imposed.

(2) In the case of a debarment for a violation of the requirements of subpart F of this part (see 513.305(c)(5)), the period of debarment shall not exceed five years.

(b) The debarring official may extend an existing debarment for an additional period, if that official determines that an extension is necessary to protect the public interest. However, a debarment may not be extended solely on the basis of the facts and circumstances upon which the initial debarment action was based. If debarment for an additional period is determined to be necessary, the procedures of §§ 513.311 through 513.314 shall be followed to extend the debarment.

(c) The respondent may request the debarring official to reverse the debarment decision or to reduce the period or scope of debarment. Such a request shall be in writing and supported by documentation. The debarring official may grant such a request for reasons including, but not limited to:

(1) Newly discovered material evidence;

(2) Reversal of the conviction or civil judgment upon which the debarment was based;

(3) Bona fide change in ownership or management;

(4) Elimination of other causes for which the debarment was imposed; or

(5) Other reasons the debarring official deems appropriate.

(a) Scope in general. (1) Debarment of a person under these regulations constitutes debarment of all its divisions and other organizational elements from all covered transactions, unless the debarment decision is limited by its terms to one or more specifically identified individuals, divisions or other organizational elements or to specific types of transactions.

(2) The debarment action may include any affiliate of the participant that is specifically named and given notice of the proposed debarment and an opportunity to respond (see §§ 513.311 through 513.314).

(b) Imputing conduct. For purposes of determining the scope of debarment, conduct may be imputed as follows:

(1) Conduct imputed to participant. The fraudulent, criminal or other seriously improper conduct of any officer, director, shareholder, partner, employee, or other individual associated with a participant may be imputed to the participant when the conduct occurred in connection with the individual's performance of duties for or on behalf of the participant, or with the participant's knowledge, approval, or acquiescence. The participant's acceptance of the benefits derived from the conduct shall be evidence of such knowledge, approval, or acquiescence.

(2) Conduct imputed to individuals associated with participant. The fraudulent, criminal, or other seriously improper conduct of a participant may be imputed to any officer, director, shareholder, partner, employee, or other individual associated with the participant who participated in, knew of, or had reason to know of the participant's conduct.

(3) Conduct of one participant imputed to other participants in a joint venture. The fraudulent, criminal, or other seriously improper conduct of one participant in a joint venture, grant pursuant to a joint application, or similar arrangement may be imputed to other participants if the conduct occurred for or on behalf of the joint venture, grant pursuant to a joint application, or similar arrangement may be imputed to other participants if the conduct occurred for or on behalf of the joint venture, grant pursuant to a joint application, or similar arrangement or with the knowledge, approval, or acquiescence of these participants. Acceptance of the benefits derived from the conduct shall be evidence of such knowledge, approval, or acquiescence.