FAR 1.201-1—The two councils.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 1.201-1 explains how revisions to the FAR are developed and processed through the two FAR councils: the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (DAR Council) and the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAA Council). It identifies the legal backdrop for council authority, the composition and staffing expectations for each council, and how responsibility for FAR revision work is divided between them. The section also describes the councils’ shared duties in coordinating revisions, preparing Federal Register notices, considering public comments, arranging public meetings, and submitting final revisions for publication. In practice, this provision is the governance mechanism that keeps FAR changes coordinated across defense and civilian agencies, ensures subject-matter expertise and agency representation, and creates a formal public rulemaking process for FAR updates. For contractors and contracting officers, it matters because it explains why FAR changes are deliberate, cross-agency, and publicly vetted before becoming effective.
Key Rules
Two-council revision system
FAR revisions are prepared and issued through coordinated action of the DAR Council and the CAA Council, subject to the authorities in FAR 1.103. This means FAR changes are not made by a single office acting alone; they are managed through a structured interagency process.
Council membership standards
Council members must represent their agencies full-time, be selected for superior acquisition qualifications and professional expertise, and be funded by their own agencies. The rule is designed to ensure that FAR drafting is done by experienced personnel with direct agency accountability.
CAA Council composition
The CAA Council is chaired by the representative of the Administrator of General Services. Its membership includes one representative each from the listed civilian departments and agencies, including major departments such as Agriculture, Defense-related civilian agencies are not included here, and agencies like NASA, SBA, and USAID are specifically named.
DAR Council composition
The DAR Council is directed by the representative of the Secretary of Defense, and its operation is governed as prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. Membership includes representatives of the military departments, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Defense Contract Management Agency.
Divided cognizance over FAR parts
Responsibility for processing FAR revisions is apportioned between the two councils so each has cognizance over specified parts or subparts. This division helps assign drafting responsibility while preserving coordination on changes that affect the FAR as a whole.
Shared agreement on revisions
Each council must agree with the other on all revisions. A FAR change cannot move forward as a council product unless both councils have coordinated and reached agreement.
Federal Register notice process
Each council must submit the information required by FAR 1.501-2(b) and (e) to the FAR Secretariat for publication of a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on a proposed revision. This is the formal public notice step that opens the rulemaking process to outside input.
Public comment and final issuance
Each council must consider all comments received, arrange public meetings when appropriate, prepare the final revision in proper FAR format and language, and submit the final revision to the FAR Secretariat for Federal Register publication. These steps ensure transparency, responsiveness, and consistency in the final rule text.
Responsibilities
Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (DAR Council)
Process FAR revisions for the parts or subparts assigned to it; coordinate and agree with the CAA Council on all revisions; submit required notice information to the FAR Secretariat; consider public comments; arrange public meetings; prepare final revisions in proper FAR format and language; and submit final revisions for Federal Register publication.
Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAA Council)
Process FAR revisions for the parts or subparts assigned to it; coordinate and agree with the DAR Council on all revisions; submit required notice information to the FAR Secretariat; consider public comments; arrange public meetings; prepare final revisions in proper FAR format and language; and submit final revisions for Federal Register publication.
Chairperson of the CAA Council / Representative of the Administrator of General Services
Serve as the chairperson of the CAA Council and help lead the civilian council’s coordination and revision process.
Director of the DAR Council / Representative of the Secretary of Defense
Serve as the director of the DAR Council and oversee the council’s operation as prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
Member agencies of both councils
Provide full-time representatives with acquisition expertise, fund those representatives, and support the council process through agency participation and coordination.
FAR Secretariat
Receive council submissions and handle publication of notices and final revisions in the Federal Register.
Practical Implications
Contractors should expect FAR changes to be coordinated, deliberate, and publicly noticed rather than immediate or unilateral, which means proposed changes may be revised after comments are received.
A common pitfall is assuming a draft FAR change is final when it has only been proposed; the Federal Register notice and comment process is a key step before final publication.
Because the councils must agree, changes affecting both defense and civilian procurement policy may take longer and may be shaped by compromise between agency perspectives.
Contracting officers should watch for the specific FAR parts or subparts affected by council action, since responsibility is divided and updates may come from either council depending on the subject matter.
Public meetings and comment periods can materially affect the final rule text, so stakeholders who monitor proposed FAR changes can influence outcomes before the rule is finalized.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Subject to the authorities discussed in 1.103 , revisions to the FAR will be prepared and issued through the coordinated action of two councils, the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (DAR Council) and the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAA Council). Members of these councils shall- (1) Represent their agencies on a full-time basis; (2) Be selected for their superior qualifications in terms of acquisition experience and demonstrated professional expertise; and (3) Be funded by their respective agencies. (b) The chairperson of the CAA Council shall be the representative of the Administrator of General Services. The other members of this council shall be one each representative from the- (1) Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; and (2) Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Social Security Administration, Small Business Administration, and U.S. Agency for International Development. (c) The Director of the DAR Council shall be the representative of the Secretary of Defense. The operation of the DAR Council will be as prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. Membership shall include representatives of the military departments, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Defense Contract Management Agency. (d) Responsibility for processing revisions to the FAR is apportioned by the two councils so that each council has cognizance over specified parts or subparts. (e) Each council shall be responsible for- (1) Agreeing on all revisions with the other council; (2) Submitting to the FAR Secretariat (see 1.201-2 ) the information required under paragraphs 1.501-2 (b) and (e) for publication in the Federal Register of a notice soliciting comments on a proposed revision to the FAR; (3) Considering all comments received in response to notice of proposed revisions; (4) Arranging for public meetings; (5) Preparing any final revision in the appropriate FAR format and language; and (6) Submitting any final revision to the FAR Secretariat for publication in the Federal Register .