[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 48, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 48CFR1.601]

[Page 17]
 
            TITLE 48--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM
 
                CHAPTER 1--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION
 
PART 1_FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM--Table of Contents
 
       Subpart 1.6_Career Development, Contracting Authority, and 
                            Responsibilities
 
Sec.  1.601  General.


    (a) Unless specifically prohibited by another provision of law, 
authority and responsibility to contract for authorized supplies and 
services are vested in the agency head. The agency head may establish 
contracting activities and delegate broad authority to manage the 
agency's contracting functions to heads of such contracting activities. 
Contracts may be entered into and signed on behalf of the Government 
only by contracting officers. In some agencies, a relatively small 
number of high level officials are designated contracting officers 
solely by virtue of their positions. Contracting officers below the 
level of a head of a contracting activity shall be selected and 
appointed under 1.603.
    (b) Agency heads may mutually agree to--
    (1) Assign contracting functions and responsibilities from one 
agency to another; and
    (2) Create joint or combined offices to exercise acquisition 
functions and responsibilities.

[60 FR 49721, Sept. 26, 1995]