(a) Contracting officers shall consult the Disaster Response Registry via https://www.acquisition.gov to determine the availability of contractors for debris removal, distribution of supplies, reconstruction, and other disaster or emergency relief activities inside the United States and outlying areas.
(b) A list of prospective vendors voluntarily participating in the Disaster Response Registry can be retrieved using the System for Award Management (SAM) search tool, which can be accessed via https://www.acquisition.gov. These vendors may be identified by selecting the criteria for ``Disaster Response Contractors''. Contractors are required to register with SAM in order to gain access to the Disaster Response Registry. [74 FR 52849, Oct. 14, 2009, as amended at 77 FR 188, Jan. 3, 2012; 78 FR 37679, June 21, 2013]