P02 - PD Code Blue Paging System RFI.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- VA-26-00047249
About this file
This is a Product Description (PD) template for Code Blue Paging System Maintenance services required by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Information & Technology, dated April 1, 2026, under TAC Number VA-26-00047249, Version 1.0.
The VA requires specialized maintenance services for Short Range/Code Blue Paging Systems at two medical centers: Tomah VA Medical Center (Tomah, Wisconsin) and Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center (Hines, Illinois). The contractor must provide turnkey, in-house maintenance for RCOMM and Zetron brand equipment operating 24/7/365 for urgent life/safety communications. Managed system components include servers, transmitters, antennas, pagers, pager holders, and uninterruptable power supplies. The contract includes a 12-month base period (June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027) with four optional 12-month periods if exercised, extending through May 31, 2031. One lot is required for each facility during the base period and each option period. Maintenance must include all necessary fixes, security patches, corrections, releases, updates, and upgrades, with continuous 24/7/365 support via telephone, email, and web-based technical support. The contractor must provide only new equipment and parts with OEM warranties; no used, refurbished, remanufactured, gray market, or counterfeit electronic parts are permitted.
The PD establishes extensive federal compliance requirements including Section 508 accessibility standards (E205, E204, E207, E208 marked as applicable), ENERGY STAR and FEMP Low Standby Power certification for sustainable products, VA Technical Reference Model compliance, Zero Trust security controls implementation by July 1, 2025, IPv6-Only support per OMB M-21-07, SSN reduction per the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act, TIC 3.0 compliance, and Generative AI requirements per Executive Orders 13960 and 14319 and OMB Memorandums M-25-21, M-25-22, and M-26-04 if AI is utilized. Security requirements include compliance with local System Security Plans and Authority to Operate documents, data breach notification obligations with liquidated damages of $37.50 per affected individual for credit protection services, annual security/privacy awareness training, and signed Contractor Rules of Behavior. Shipment is FOB Destination with inspection and acceptance at destination; the contractor must notify Site Points of Contact prior to delivery with line-by-line details and identify shipments with VA IFCAP Purchase Order numbers on external labels and manifests.
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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (PD) TEMPLATE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Office of Information & Technology (OIT) End User Services, Business Office
Code Blue Paging System Maintenance
Date: 1 April 2026
VA-26-00047249
PD Version Number: 1.0
Disclaimer: The TAC accepts no liability for the completeness or correctness concerning the Information Technology content of this template. This template is a means to simply assist the requiring activity in developing their requirements.
It is the Requiring Activity’s responsibility to ensure the correctness of all requirements within their final Product Description.
TAC Number: VA-26-00047249
Contents
1.0 PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS
1.1 GRAY MARKET GOODS
2.0 NOTICE OF THE FEDERAL ACCESSIBILITY LAW AFFECTING ALL
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)
PROCUREMENTS (SECTION 508)
2.1 SECTION 508 – INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
(ICT) STANDARDS
2.2 COMPATABILITY WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
2.3 ACCEPTANCE AND ACCEPTANCE TESTING
3.0 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY USING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
4.0 SHIPMENT OF HARDWARE OR EQUIPMENT
4.1 SPECIAL SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS
5.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
5.1 VA TECHNICAL REFERENCE MODEL
5.2 ZERO TRUST – VA CRITICAL SECURITY CONTROLS
5.3 SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) REDUCTION
5.4 INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (IPV6)
5.5 SOFTWARE AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
5.6 TRUSTED INTERNET CONNECTION (TIC)
5.7 GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS
6.0 SECURITY AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS
7.0 POINTS OF CONTACT
1.0 PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS
The Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Information and Technology (OIT) and End Users Operations (EUO) office requires specialized Code Blue Pager System maintenance services for two VA sites, the Tomah VA Medical Center (Tomah VAMC) and the Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center (Hines). These services will provide turnkey, in-house maintenance on the Short Range/Code Blue Paging Systems equipment which operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days a year, for urgent life/safety communications. Ther period of performance shall consist of a 12-month base with four 12 month option periods if exercised.
The Contractor shall provide all maintenance and technical support services to maintain brand name RCOMM and Zetron short range/code blue paging system equipment at Tomah and Hines VAMC. The contractor shall ensure all equipment is maintained and kept in working order to include any repairs or replacements needed to sustain in-house paging services. Maintenance support is required to guarantee the systems functions as intended. Maintenance must include all necessary fixes, security patches, corrections, releases, updates, and upgrades. Support services must provide continuous 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year coverage, including telephone, email, and web-based technical support.
Managed System Components include Servers, Transmitters, Antennas, Pagers, Pager Holders, and Transmitter Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS).
Base Period (12-Months)
Description
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Tomah VAMC 500 East Veterans St. Tomah WI 54660 June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027
1 Lot (Lt)
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Edward Hines Jr. VAMC 5000 South 5th Avenue, Hines, IL 60141 June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027
1 Lt
Option Period 1 (12-Months)
Description
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Tomah VAMC 500 East Veterans St. Tomah WI 54660 June 1, 2027 – May 31, 2028
1 Lt
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Edward Hines Jr. VAMC 5000 South 5th Avenue, Hines, IL 60141 June 1, 2027 – May 31, 2028
1 Lt
Option Period 2 (12-Months)
Description
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Tomah VAMC 500 East Veterans St. Tomah WI 54660 June 1, 2028 – May 31, 2029
1 Lt
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Edward Hines Jr. VAMC 5000 South 5th Avenue, Hines, IL 60141 June 1, 2028 – May 31, 2029
1 Lt
Option Period 3 (12-Months)
Description
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Tomah VAMC 500 East Veterans St. Tomah WI 54660 June 1, 2029 – May 31, 2030
1 Lt
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Edward Hines Jr. VAMC 5000 South 5th Avenue, Hines, IL 60141 June 1, 2029 – May 31, 2030
1 Lt
Option Period 4 (12-Months)
Description
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Tomah VAMC 500 East Veterans St. Tomah WI 54660 June 1, 2030 – May 31, 2031
1 Lt
Code Blue Pager System Maintenance Edward Hines Jr. VAMC 5000 South 5th Avenue, Hines, IL 60141 June 1, 2030 – May 31, 2031
1 Lt
1.1 GRAY MARKET GOODS
The Contractor must provide only new equipment and new parts for the required products described herein; no used, refurbished, or remanufactured equipment or parts shall be provided under any circumstances. Absolutely no “Gray Market Goods” or “Counterfeit Electronic Parts” shall be provided. Gray Market Goods are defined as genuine branded goods intentionally or unintentionally sold outside of an authorized sales-territory or by non-authorized dealers in an authorized territory. All equipment shall be accompanied by the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM’s) warranty.
Counterfeit Electronic Parts are defined as unlawful or unauthorized reproduction, substitution, or alteration that has been knowingly mismarked, misidentified, or otherwise misrepresented to be an authentic, unmodified electronic part from the original manufacturer, or a source with the express written authority of the original manufacturer or current design activity, including an authorized aftermarket manufacturer. Unlawful or unauthorized substitution includes used electronic parts represented as new, or the false identification of grade, serial number, lot number, date code, or performance characteristics.
2.0 NOTICE OF THE FEDERAL ACCESSIBILITY LAW AFFECTING ALL
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)
PROCUREMENTS (SECTION 508)
On January 18, 2017, the Access Board issued a final rule that updated accessibility requirements covered by Section 508 and refreshed guidelines for telecommunications equipment subject to Section 255 of the Communications Act. The final rule went into effect on January 18, 2018. The revisions and updates to the Section 508-based standards and Section 255-based guidelines are intended to ensure that information and communication technology (ICT) covered by the respective statutes is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
2.1 SECTION 508 – INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)
STANDARDS
The Section 508 standards established by the Access Board are incorporated into, and made part of all VA orders, solicitations and purchase orders developed to procure ICT.
These standards are found in their entirety at: Revised 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines (access-board.gov). A single PDF file version of the Revised Section 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines will be supplied upon request, or can be obtained from the Access Board website. Federal agencies must comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
The Contractor shall comply with “508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements” for all electronic ICT and content delivered under this contract. Specifically, as appropriate for the technology and its functionality, the Contractor shall comply with the technical standards marked here:
https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/
☒ E205 Electronic Content – (Accessibility Standard -WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA Guidelines)
☒ E204 Functional Performance Criteria
☐ E206 Hardware Requirements
☒ E207 Software Requirements
☒ E208 Support Documentation and Services Requirements
2.2 COMPATABILITY WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
The standards do not require installation of specific accessibility-related software or attachment of an assistive technology device. Section 508 requires that ICT be compatible with such software and devices so that ICT can be accessible to and usable by individuals using assistive technology, including but not limited to screen readers, screen magnifiers, and speech recognition software.
2.3 ACCEPTANCE AND ACCEPTANCE TESTING
Deliverables resulting from this solicitation will be accepted based in part on satisfaction of the Section 508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements standards identified above.
The Government reserves the right to test for Section 508 Compliance before delivery.
The Contractor shall be able to demonstrate Section 508 Compliance upon delivery.
3.0 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY USING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
The Contractor shall comply with Sections 524 and Sections 525 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007; Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005;
Executive Order 14148, “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” dated January 20, 2025; Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” dated August 2, 2001; and the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) to provide ENERGY STAR® certified and Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Designated Low Standby Power information technology products, see https://www.energy.gov/femp/search-energy-efficient-products. See http://www.energystar.gov for complete product specifications and updated lists of Energy Star certified products. FEMP low standby power product listing can be found at https://www.energy.gov/femp/low-standby-power-product-list.
The Contractor shall provide products that meet the definition of sustainable products if the products are delivered to the Government; furnished by the Contractor for use by the Government, incorporated into the construction of a public building or public work, or acquired by the Contractor for use in performing services under a Government contract where the cost of the products is a direct cost to a Government contract (versus costs which are normally applied to a contractor's general and administrative expenses or indirect costs).
https://www.energy.gov/femp/search-energy-efficient-products http://www.energystar.gov/ https://www.energy.gov/femp/low-standby-power-product-list
Specifically, the Contractor shall provide sustainable products under this contract in accordance with RFO 52.223-23 (NOV 2025). The applicable products with their associated certification and/or designation required (e.g. Energy Star, FEMP Low Standby Power) are identified within the product requirements specifications in this PD.
The Contractor shall self-certify that its proposed products meet the certification(s) and/or designation(s) specified.
4.0 SHIPMENT OF HARDWARE OR EQUIPMENT
Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination Free on Board (FOB): Destination
Tomah VAMC Ship To and Mark For:
Primary Alternate Name: Name:
Address:
Voice: Voice:
Email: Email:
Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination Free on Board (FOB): Destination
Edward Hines Jr. VAMC Ship To and Mark For:
Primary Alternate Name: Name:
Voice: Voice:
Email: Email:
4.1 SPECIAL SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS
Prior to shipping, Contractor shall notify Site POCs, by phone followed by email, of all incoming deliveries including line-by-line details for review of requirements. The Contractor shall not make any changes to the delivery schedule at the request of Site
POC.
All shipments, either single or multiple container deliveries, shall bear the VA IFCAP Purchase Order number (if applicable) on external shipping labels and associated manifests or packing lists. In the case of multiple container deliveries, a statement readable near the VA Integrated Funds Distribution, Control Point Activity, Accounting and Procurement (IFCAP) Purchase Order (PO) or Contract number shall indicate total number of containers for the complete shipment (e.g. “Package 1 of 2”), clearly readable on manifests and external shipping labels.
Packing Slips/Labels and Lists shall also include the following:
IFCAP PO # or Contract No.: ____________ (e.g., 166-E11234 (the IFCAP PO number is located in block #20 of the Standard Form, SF 1449)) Project Description: (e.g. Tier I Lifecycle Refresh)
Total number of Containers: Package ___ of ___. (e.g., Package 1 of 3)
5.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
5.1 VA TECHNICAL REFERENCE MODEL
The Contractor shall comply with the VA OIT Technical Reference Model (VA TRM).
Compliance with the VA TRM is achieved by using only technologies and standards that are listed as approved for use in the VA TRM. The Contractor shall provide all necessary information requested by VA to ensure TRM approval is obtained prior to use on VA’s network.
5.2 ZERO TRUST – VA CRITICAL SECURITY CONTROLS
VA has established minimum mandatory security requirements and requires that any network connected software system or service must meet the VA Critical Security Controls as outlined in the VA Memorandum, “VA Security Controls”, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=5010. VA Critical Security Controls identify the minimum mandatory requirements that must be implemented across all VA enterprise infrastructure, cloud computing environments, information systems, networks, and specialized devices (medical devices/systems, special-purpose systems, and research scientific computing devices) that process, store, and/or transmit VA data. Effective July 1, 2025, the Contractor shall implement these VA Critical Security Controls, within any network connected software system or service prior to being authorized for use in the VA. This functional requirement is not negotiable, and Plan of Action & Milestones (POAM) will not be accepted in the event these controls cannot be implemented for new systems. Critical Security Controls are intended to increase VA’s security posture and provide security and privacy risk visibility into the VA network and is not a new requirement. The Contractor’s failure to maintain these VA Critical Controls after implementation will result in VA discontinuing the use of the system.
5.3 SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) REDUCTION
The Contractor solution shall support the Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act (FPA) of 2017 which prohibits the inclusion of SSNs on any document sent by mail. The Contractor support shall also be performed in accordance with Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, enacted March 23, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=5010
2018, which mandates VA to discontinue using SSNs to identify individuals in all VA information systems as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor shall ensure that any new IT solution discontinues the use of SSN as the Primary Identifier to replace the SSN with the Integrated Control Number (ICN) in all VA information systems for all individuals. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor delivered applications and systems integrate with the VA Master Person Index (MPI) for identity traits to include the use of the ICN as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor solution may only use a Social Security Number to identify an individual in an information system if and only if the use of such number is required to obtain information VA requires from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction of VA.
5.4 INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (IPV6)
The Contractor solution shall support IPv6-Only based upon the memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on November 19, 2020 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/M-21-07.pdf). Which defines IPv6-only as the state of an operational system or service when IPv4 protocol functions (addressing, packet forwarding) are not in use. The NIST USGv6 profile defines technical requirements for a product to be capable of operating in IPv6-Only environments. IPv6-Only technology, in accordance with the USGv6 Program (https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/usgv6-program/usgv6-revision-1), NIST Special Publication (SP) 500-267B Revision 1 “USGv6 Profile” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-267Br1), and NIST SP 800-119 “Guidelines for the Secure Deployment of IPv6” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-119), compliance shall be included in all IT infrastructures, application designs, application development, operational systems and sub-systems, and their integration. In addition to the above requirements, all devices, applications, and systems shall support all applicable functionality on native IPv6-Only as well as dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) connectivity without additional memory or other resources being provided by the Government, so that they can function in a mixed environment. All public/external facing servers and services (e.g., web, email, DNS, ISP services, etc.) shall support native IPv6-Only and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) users and all internal infrastructure and applications shall support using native IPv6-Only and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) for all functionality and operations.
5.5 SOFTWARE AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
The Contractor shall be responsible for the provision of all software licenses and any associated licensing maintenance required for any development, delivery, integration, operation, and/or maintenance associated with its proposed application(s), software products, software solution, and/or system including, but not limited to, any and all application(s), software and/or software products that comprise, are a part of, or integrate with the Contractor’s proposed application(s), software products, software solution, and/or system for the life of any resulting contract.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/M-21-07.pdf https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/usgv6-program/usgv6-revision-1 https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-267Br1 https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-119
5.6 TRUSTED INTERNET CONNECTION (TIC)
The Contractor solution shall meet the requirements outlined in Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-19-26, “Update to the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative“ (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/M-19-26.pdf), VA Directive 6513 “Secure External Connections”, and shall comply with the TIC 3.0 Core Guidance Documents, including all Volumes and TIC Use Cases, found at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents.)
5.7 GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS
If Artificial Intelligence (AI) is part of the Contractor system/solution, the Contractor shall be in compliance with E.O. 13960 and 14319, OMB Memorandums M-25-21, M-25-22, and M-26-04, and VA Directive and Handbook 6500 to support VA in trustworthy, secure, responsible, accountable, Truth Seeking, and Ideologically Neutral AI innovation.
No web-based, publicly available generative AI service has been approved for use with VA-sensitive data including, but not limited to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude. No PII, protected health information (PHI), or VA-sensitive data should be entered into these unapproved services. The entire definition of VA Sensitive Data can be found at 38 U.S.C. § 5727 (23). The Contractor shall protect VA Sensitive data from unauthorized disclosure or use, and from being used to train or improve the functionality of the vendor's commercial offerings without express permission from VA.
The Contractor shall deliver the services, technical data, configurations, models, weights, documentation or other information, including source code, developed during contract performance. The Contractor, in collaboration with VA, must evaluate the output of any AI tool for accuracy prior to using the output in VA efforts. All data, including models, weights, algorithms, and outputs generated using either Government-furnished data or data first developed under this contract shall be the property of the Government with unlimited rights as defined by FAR 52.227-14. The Contractor shall also deliver any custom-developed code developed with AI methodologies in accordance with the SHARE IT Act, if applicable. VA shall also retain unlimited rights to any improvements to that data, including the continued design, development, testing, and operation of AI systems and/or systems utilizing AI.
The Contractor shall ensure that all AI Systems, including Large Language Models (LLM), whether standalone LLMs or integrated into broader software platforms, procured under this effort and/or used in performance of this contract complies with the Unbiased AI Principles as defined in Executive Order 14319 and OMB Memorandum M- 26-04, e.g. Truth Seeking and Ideologically Neutral, as applicable to the intended use of the system.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/M-19-26.pdf https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents
The Contractor shall ensure that AI System/LLM generated outputs are truthful in responding to user prompts seeking factual information or analysis, prioritize historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity, as well as acknowledge uncertainty where reliable information is incomplete or contradictory and do not fabricate, hallucinate, or present unverifiable information as fact.
The Contractor shall ensure that LLMs and AI outputs are neutral, nonpartisan tools that do not manipulate responses in favor of ideological dogmas such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The Contractor shall ensure that the LLMs, including the AI System, are not intentionally encoded with partisan or ideological judgments within an AI System’s/LLM’s outputs unless those judgments are prompted by or otherwise readily accessible to the end user.
Compliance with the AI requirements of this contract, including adherence to the Unbiased AI Principles, Truth-Seeking and Ideological Neutrality requirements, disclosure obligations, monitoring and reporting requirements, and corrective action responsibilities, is a material condition of eligibility for payment and continued performance. In accordance with OMB Memorandum M-26-04, failure to comply with these requirements, or refusal to take timely and appropriate corrective action to remedy identified noncompliance, may constitute a material breach of contract and may result in remedies consistent with the terms of the contract and applicable law including but not limited to withholding of payment, termination for cause/default, or other appropriate contractual remedies, as determined by the Contracting Officer.
All AI for delivery and/or use in performance of the contract shall adhere to the VA Trustworthy AI Framework, available at https://department.va.gov/ai/trustworthy/. Once the Contractor has obtained CO authorization to use specific AI in contract performance, the Contractor shall provide the COR a signed Statement of Attestation prior to AI implementation as identified in the Artificial Intelligence in VA Contracts clause, to include its associated list of AI being used in contract performance.
6.0 SECURITY AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS
The Assessment and Authorization (A&A) requirements do not apply and a Security Accreditation Package is not required
All VA sensitive information shall be protected at all times in accordance with local security field office System Security Plans (SSP’s) and Authority to Operate (ATO)’s for all systems/LAN’s accessed while performing the tasks detailed in this Product Description.
A prohibition on unauthorized disclosure: “Information made available to the Contractor or Subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the Contractor/Subcontractor in https://department.va.gov/ai/trustworthy/ performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA.” This clause expressly limits the Contractor/Subcontractor’s rights to use data as described in Rights in Data – General, FAR 52.227-14(d).(1).
A requirement for data breach notification: Upon discovery of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the Contractor/Subcontractor has access, the Contractor/Subcontractor shall immediately notify the COR and simultaneously, the designated ISO, and Privacy Officer for the contract. The term “security incident” means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action that breaches VA security procedures. See VA Handbook 6500.6, Appendix C, paragraph 6.a.
A requirement to pay liquidated damages in the event of a data breach: “In the event of a data breach or privacy incident involving SPI the contractor processes or maintains under this contract, the contractor shall be liable to VA for liquidated damages for a specified amount per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to those individuals.” However, it is the policy of VA to forgo collection of liquidated damages in the event the Contractor provides payment of actual damages in an amount determined to be adequate by the agency.
Based on the determinations of the independent risk analysis, the Contractor shall be responsible for paying to VA liquidated damages in the amount of $37.50 per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to affected individuals consisting of the following:
1) Notification;
2) One year of credit monitoring services consisting of automatic daily monitoring of at least 3 relevant credit bureau reports;
3) Data breach analysis;
4) Fraud resolution services, including writing dispute letters, initiating fraud alerts and credit freezes, to assist affected individuals to bring matters to resolution;
5) One year of identity theft insurance with $20,000.00 coverage at $0 deductible; and
6) Necessary legal expenses the subjects may incur to repair falsified or damaged credit records, histories, or financial affairs
A requirement for annual security/privacy awareness training: “Before being granted access to VA information or information systems, all Contractor employees and Subcontractor employees requiring such access shall complete on an annual basis either: (i) the VA security/privacy awareness training (contains VA security/privacy requirements) within 1 week of the initiation of the contract, or (ii) security awareness training provided or arranged by the contractor that conforms to VA’s security/privacy requirements as delineated in the hard copy of the VA security awareness training provided to the Contractor. If the Contractor provides their own training that conforms to VA’s requirements, they will provide the COR or CO, a yearly report (due annually on the date of the contract initiation) stating that all applicable employees involved in VA’s contract have received their annual security/privacy training that meets VA’s requirements and the total number of employees trained. See VA Handbook 6500.6, Appendix C, paragraph 9.
A requirement to sign VA’s Rules of Behavior: “Before being granted access to VA information or information systems, all Contractor employees and Subcontractor employees requiring such access shall sign on annual basis an acknowledgement that they have read, understand, and agree to abide by VA’s Contractor Rules of Behavior which is attached to this contract.” See VA Handbook 6500.6, Appendix C, paragraph 9, and Appendix D. Note: If a medical device vendor anticipates that the services under the contract will be performed by 10 or more individuals, the Contractor Rules of Behavior may be signed by the vendor’s designated representative. The contract must reflect by signing the Rules of Behavior on behalf of the vendor that the designated representative agrees to ensure that all such individuals review and understand the Contractor Rules of Behavior when accessing VA’s information and information systems.
7.0 POINTS OF CONTACT
VA Program Manager:
Name:
Address:
Voice:
Email:
Contracting Officer’s Representative:
Name:
Address:
Voice:
Email:
Contracting Officer:
Name:
Address:
Voice:
Email:
Contract Specialist:
Name:
Address:
Voice:
Email:
INFORMATION SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
All VA sensitive information shall be protected at all times in accordance with local security field office System Security Plans (SSP’s) and Authority to Operate (ATO)’s for all systems/LAN’s accessed while performing the tasks detailed in this Product Description.
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