(a) Authority.
(2) Agency head, in this instance, means the Secretary.
(c) Limitations. The Contracting Officer shall prepare a written request for approval and provide it through appropriate acquisition channels, including the HCA and Associate DAS for Acquisition, to the Secretary. The request shall include a D & F for the Secretary's signature that contains all pertinent information to support the justification for exercising the exemption to competition and a letter for the Secretary's signature notifying Congress of the determination to award a contract under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(7).