§ 438. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals
(a)
Board established
There is established in the General Services Administration a board of contract appeals to be known as the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (in this section referred to as the “Civilian Board”).
(b)
Membership
(1)
Appointment
(A)
The Civilian Board shall consist of members appointed by the Administrator of General Services (in consultation with the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy) from a register of applicants maintained by the Administrator of General Services, in accordance with rules issued by the Administrator of General Services (in consultation with the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy) for establishing and maintaining a register of eligible applicants and selecting Civilian Board members. The Administrator of General Services shall appoint a member without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of the professional qualifications required to perform the duties and responsibilities of a Civilian Board member.
(B)
The members of the Civilian Board shall be selected and appointed to serve in the same manner as administrative law judges appointed pursuant to section
3105 of title
5, with an additional requirement that such members shall have had not fewer than five years of experience in public contract law.
(C)
Notwithstanding subparagraph (B) and subject to paragraph (2), the following persons shall serve as Civilian Board members: any full-time member of any agency board of contract appeals other than the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, the Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals, and the board of contract appeals of the Tennessee Valley Authority serving as such on the day before the effective date of this section.
(c)
Functions
(2)
Additional jurisdiction
The Civilian Board may, with the concurrence of the Federal agency or agencies affected—
(A)
assume jurisdiction over any additional category of laws or disputes over which an agency board of contract appeals established pursuant to section
607 of this title exercised jurisdiction before the effective date of this section; and