The Defense Authorization Act for FY 2011 - A Bounded Step Forward for Acquisition Reform

Congress has traditionally passed a defense authorization act every year. Title VIII of the annual bill typically includes a number of important procurement reform measures - indeed, in any given year, Title VIII is often the single most important legislative vehicle for procurement reform. This year, however, the defense authorization bill was stalled for months, in large part because of controversy over the repeal of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy concerning homosexuality in the armed services. Once that controversy was resolved, through separate legislation, House and Senate leaders moved the defense authorization legislation through Congress quickly, in the last days of the 111th Congress. This article reviews the key elements of Title VIII of the defense authorization act for FY2011, with a special focus on those provisions likely of most interest to the procurement law community