Statement of Work (SOW) Carrizo Cane Draft (sb).ver 4 - Watermark.docx

“Draft” Statement of Work (SOW) 20154537 Carrizo Cane Service and Support U.S. Customs and Border Protection Infrastructure Portfolio, Program Management Office Directories Carrizo Cane Eradication and Management

1.0 Background: The Infrastructure Portfolio requires a holistic solution to strategically remove the invasive plant Carrizo cane (Arundo donax) from designated Southwest border areas to enhance operational efficiency, comply with environmental regulations, and address structural and ecological priorities. This effort will support U.S. Government (USG) objectives, including improved border security, habitat restoration, and sustainable land management.

2.0 Scope:

The Contractor shall develop and execute a two-pronged holistic long-term strategy to eradicate the invasive plant Carrizo Cane from designated areas along the Southwest Border (see Appendix A) as well as plant native species in its place; the effort shall be developed and executed in a manner that enhances operational border enforcement priorities, environmental regulations, stakeholder requirements and supports the structural integrity of the affected land and border infrastructure.

3.0 Tasks:

The contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, materials, and expertise necessary to perform the following tasks:

3.1. Site Assessment and Planning

· Conduct a comprehensive survey of the designated border areas to identify the extent and density of Carrizo cane infestations as well as other invasive plant species.

· Develop a strategic removal plan that prioritizes areas based on operational needs, environmental sensitivity, and structural considerations.

· In cooperation with CBP project team, Contractor will coordinate with relevant stakeholders, including environmental agencies, border security personnel, and local authorities, to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and alignment with operational priorities.

3.2. Carrizo Cane Removal

· Implement mechanical, chemical, or manual removal methods as appropriate for each site, ensuring minimal disruption to surrounding vegetation and wildlife.

· Prioritize removal in areas critical to border security operations, such as high-visibility zones and access pathways.

· Ensure compliance with environmental regulations, including the protection of endangered species, cultural resources, water resources, and riverbank and soil integrity.

· Treatment Methods:

· Twenty-Five-foot buffer & Rivers Edge:

· Mechanical mow existing Carrizo Cane and allow to regrow to minimum of 18” in height not to exceed one meter and chemically treat by wicking with an EPA approved aquatic herbicide without damaging other native plant species

· Treat Carrizo Cane 18” in height not to exceed one meter by wicking with an approved EPA herbicide without damage other native plant species.

· Spot Treat with handheld applicator with an EPA approved herbicide without damaging other native plant species

· Twenty-five-foot buffer inland:

· Root plow at minimum depths (no more than 24”) to just uproot and lift Carrizo Cane Rhizomes to the surface and rake into windrows to dry. Site conditions would include designated windrows no greater than 4 foot high and areas to conduct future mowings with large batwing mowers leaving all native trees. Then Seed with an approved species blend and water until at least an 80 % stand has emerged. Water sources are the sole responsibility of the contractor, and total metered gallons used reported to CBP each week.

· Root plow at minimum depths (no more than 24”) to just uproot and lift Carrizo Cane Rhizomes to the surface and rake into windrows to dry for two weeks, trench and bury with at least four feet of topsoil, leaving areas in a condition to conduct future mowings with large batwing mowers leaving all trees. Then Seed with an approved species blend and water until at least an 80 % stand has emerged. Water sources are the sole responsibility of the contractor, and total metered gallons are used to report to CBP each week.

· Mechanically mow the Carrizo Cane down to 4-to-6-inch heights and use forestry type equipment to mulch Carrizo Cane to a minimum of 12 in depths. Then Seed with an approved Native species blend and water until at least an 80 % stand has emerged. Water sources are the sole responsibility of the contractor, and total metered gallons used to report to CBP each week.

· Mechanically mow the Carrizo Cane down to 4-to-6-inch heights, allow regrowth to minimum of 18 inches not to exceed one meter in height and wick with an approve EPA approved aquatic herbicide.

· Mechanically remove Carrizo Cane Stands among existing tree stands without damaging trees, spot spray with an EPA approved aquatic herbicide.

· Aerial treatment using a drone for an approved herbicide-controlled application without damaging other native woody plant species. Drone altitude no more than 6-12 ft. over target area and wind speed under 5-10 mph.

· Light tilling to break up soil and root mass left in place and seeding and watering to establish at least an 80% stand of ground cover. Water sources are the sole responsibility of the contractor, and total metered gallons are used to report to CBP each week.

· Aerial treatment using a drone for an approved herbicide-controlled application without damaging other native woody plant species. Drone altitude no more than 6-12 ft. over target area and wind speed under 5-10 mph.

3.3. Post-Removal Restoration

· Restore cleared areas by planting CBP approved native vegetation to prevent soil erosion, enhance habitat quality, and discourage re-infestation of invasive species.

· Monitor and maintain restored areas for a minimum of 12 months to ensure successful establishment of native plants.

· Re-Treat Areas:

· Regrowth, allow Carrizo Cane to grow to a minimum of 18” in height not to exceed one meter and treat by wicking with EPA approved aquatic herbicide without damaging other native plant species.

· Regrowth, allow Carrizo Cane to grow to a minimum of 18” in height not to exceed one meter and treat with handheld applicators minimizing drift with an EPA aquatic approved herbicide to avoid damaging other native plant species.

3.4. Waste Management

· Properly dispose of all biomass and debris generated during removal activities in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.

· Explore opportunities for biomass utilization, such as composting or energy production, where feasible.

3.5. Deliverables

· Initial Site Assessment Report: Detailed findings from the survey, including maps and removal priorities.

· Strategic Removal Plan: A comprehensive plan outlining methods, timelines, and compliance measures.

· Monthly Progress Reports: Updates on removal activities, acres treated, challenges encountered, and mitigation measures.

· Final Project Report: Summary of activities, outcomes, and recommendations for long-term management.

3.6. Performance Standards

· Removal activities must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations.

· The contractor must ensure minimal disruption to border operations and surrounding ecosystems.

· Restoration efforts must achieve at least 80% ground cover of approved native vegetation with less than 5% of Texas State listed Invasive and noxious weed cover within the monitoring period.

4.0 Period of Performance

The base period shall be completed within 12 months from the date of contract award, with an option of 12-months.

5.0 Government Furnished Information (GFI)

The USG will provide:

· Access to designated border areas, land owner agreements as available.

· Completed Environmental compliance as available

· Points of contact for coordination with stakeholders.

6.0 Contractor Responsibilities

The contractor shall:

· Obtain all necessary permits and approvals.

· Ensure the safety of personnel and equipment during operations.

· Maintain clear communication with the USG project manager throughout the project.

7.0 Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

· Technical approach and methodology.

· Past performance on similar projects.

· Cost-effectiveness and compliance with environmental standards.

This SOW ensures that Carrizo cane removal is conducted in a manner that balances operational, environmental, and structural priorities, contributing to the long-term sustainability and security of the border area.

8.0 Security: The work conducted on this Purchase Order will be For Official Use Only (FOUO) with appropriate markings on all documents produced in support of this SOW. The Contractor shall comply with Customs and Border Protection administrative, physical and technical security controls to ensure that the Government's security requirements are met.

9.0 Physical Security: The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all Government equipment, information and property provided for Contractor use. At the close of each work period, Government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured.

3052.204-71 Contractor employee access.

As prescribed in (HSAR) 48 CFR 3004.470-4(a), insert the following clause with appropriate alternates:

CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE ACCESS (JULY 2023)

(a) Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is any information the Government creates or possesses, or an entity creates or possesses for or on behalf of the Government (other than classified information) that a law, regulation, or Governmentwide policy requires or permits an agency to handle using safeguarding or dissemination controls. This definition includes the following CUI categories and subcategories of information:

(1) Chemical-terrorism Vulnerability Information (CVI) as defined in 6 CFR part 27, “Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards,” and as further described in supplementary guidance issued by an authorized official of the Department of Homeland Security (including the Revised Procedural Manual “Safeguarding Information Designated as Chemical-Terrorism Vulnerability Information” dated September 2008);

(2) Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) as set out in the Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 (title XXII, subtitle B of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 as amended through Pub. L. 116–283), PCII’s implementing regulations (6 CFR part 29), the PCII Program Procedures Manual, and any supplementary guidance officially communicated by an authorized official of the Department of Homeland Security, the PCII Program Manager, or a PCII Program Manager Designee;

(3) Sensitive Security Information (SSI) as defined in 49 CFR part 1520, “Protection of Sensitive Security Information,” as amended, and any supplementary guidance officially communicated by an authorized official of the Department of Homeland Security (including the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration or designee), including Department of Homeland Security MD 11056.1, “Sensitive Security Information (SSI)” and, within the Transportation Security Administration, TSA MD 2810.1, “SSI Program”;

(4) Homeland Security Agreement Information means information the Department of Homeland Security receives pursuant to an agreement with State, local, Tribal, territorial, or private sector partners that is required to be protected by that agreement. The Department receives this information in furtherance of the missions of the Department, including, but not limited to, support of the Fusion Center Initiative and activities for cyber information sharing consistent with the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015;

(5) Homeland Security Enforcement Information means unclassified information of a sensitive nature lawfully created, possessed, or transmitted by the Department of Homeland Security in furtherance of its immigration, customs, and other civil and criminal enforcement missions, the unauthorized disclosure of which could adversely impact the mission of the Department;

(6) International Agreement Information means information the Department of Homeland Security receives that is required to be protected by an information sharing agreement or arrangement with a foreign government, an international organization of governments or any element thereof, an international or foreign public or judicial body, or an international or foreign private or non-governmental organization;

(7) Information Systems Vulnerability Information (ISVI) means:

(i) Department of Homeland Security information technology (IT) systems data revealing infrastructure used for servers, desktops, and networks; applications name, version, and release; switching, router, and gateway information; interconnections and access methods; and mission or business use/need. Examples of ISVI are systems inventories and enterprise architecture models. Information pertaining to national security systems and eligible for classification under Executive Order 13526 will be classified as appropriate; and/or

(ii) Information regarding developing or current technology, the release of which could hinder the objectives of the Department, compromise a technological advantage or countermeasure, cause a denial of service, or provide an adversary with sufficient information to clone, counterfeit, or circumvent a process or system;

(8) Operations Security Information means Department of Homeland Security information that could be collected, analyzed, and exploited by a foreign adversary to identify intentions, capabilities, operations, and vulnerabilities that threaten operational security for the missions of the Department;

(9) Personnel Security Information means information that could result in physical risk to Department of Homeland Security personnel or other individuals whom the Department is responsible for protecting;

(10) Physical Security Information means reviews or reports illustrating or disclosing facility infrastructure or security vulnerabilities related to the protection of Federal buildings, grounds, or property. For example, threat assessments, system security plans, contingency plans, risk management plans, business impact analysis studies, and certification and accreditation documentation;

(11) Privacy Information includes both Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (SPII). PII refers to information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone, or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual; and SPII is a subset of PII that if lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization could result in substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual. To determine whether information is PII, DHS will perform an assessment of the specific risk that an individual can be identified using the information with other information that is linked or linkable to the individual. In performing this assessment, it is important to recognize that information that is not PII can become PII whenever additional information becomes available, in any medium or from any source, that would make it possible to identify an individual. Certain data elements are particularly sensitive and may alone present an increased risk of harm to the individual.

(i) Examples of stand-alone PII that are particularly sensitive include: Social Security numbers (SSNs), driver’s license or State identification numbers, Alien Registration Numbers (A-numbers), financial account numbers, and biometric identifiers.

(ii) Multiple pieces of information may present an increased risk of harm to the individual when combined, posing an increased risk of harm to the individual. SPII may also consist of any grouping of information that contains an individual’s name or other unique identifier plus one or more of the following elements:

(A) Truncated SSN (such as last 4 digits);

(B) Date of birth (month, day, and year);

(C) Citizenship or immigration status;

(D) Ethnic or religious affiliation;

(E) Sexual orientation;

(F) Criminal history;

(G) Medical information; and

(H) System authentication information, such as mother’s birth name, account passwords, or personal identification numbers (PINs).

(iii) Other PII that may present an increased risk of harm to the individual depending on its context, such as a list of employees and their performance ratings or an unlisted home address or phone number. The context includes the purpose for which the PII was collected, maintained, and used. This assessment is critical because the same information in different contexts can reveal additional information about the impacted individual.

(b) Information Resources means information and related resources, such as personnel, equipment, funds, and information technology.

(c) Contractor employees working on this contract must complete such forms as may be necessary for security or other reasons, including the conduct of background investigations to determine suitability. Completed forms shall be submitted as directed by the Contracting Officer. Upon the Contracting Officer’s request, the Contractor’s employees shall be fingerprinted or subject to other investigations as required. All Contractor employees requiring recurring access to government facilities or access to CUI or information resources are required to have a favorably adjudicated background investigation prior to commencing work on this contract unless this requirement is waived under Departmental procedures.

The Contracting Officer may require the Contractor to prohibit individuals from working on the contract if the Government deems their initial or continued employment contrary to the public interest for any reason, including, but not limited to, carelessness, insubordination, incompetence, or security concerns.

(e) Work under this contract may involve access to CUI. The Contractor shall access and use CUI only for the purpose of furnishing advice or assistance directly to the Government in support of the Government’s activities, and shall not disclose, orally or in writing, CUI for any other purpose to any person unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer. For those Contractor employees authorized to access CUI, the Contractor shall ensure that these persons receive initial and refresher training concerning the protection and disclosure of CUI. Initial training shall be completed within 60 days of contract award and refresher training shall be completed every 2 years thereafter.

(f) The Contractor shall include this clause in all subcontracts at any tier where the subcontractor may have access to government facilities, CUI, or information resources.

(End of clause)

ALTERNATE I (JULY 2023)

When the contract will require Contractor employees to have access to information resources, add the following paragraphs:

(g) Before receiving access to information resources under this contract, the individual must complete a security briefing; additional training for specific categories of CUI, if identified in the contract; and any nondisclosure agreement furnished by DHS. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will arrange the security briefing and any additional training required for specific categories of CUI.

(h) The Contractor shall have access only to those areas of DHS information resources explicitly stated in this contract or approved by the COR in writing as necessary for performance of the work under this contract. Any attempts by Contractor personnel to gain access to any information resources not expressly authorized by the terms and conditions in this contract, or as approved in writing by the COR, are strictly prohibited. In the event of violation of this provision, DHS will take appropriate actions with regard to the contract and the individual(s) involved.

(i) Contractor access to DHS networks from a remote location is a temporary privilege for mutual convenience while the Contractor performs business for DHS. It is not a right, a guarantee of access, a condition of the contract, or government-furnished equipment (GFE).

(j) Contractor access will be terminated for unauthorized use. The Contractor agrees to hold and save DHS harmless from any unauthorized use and agrees not to request additional time or money under the contract for any delays resulting from unauthorized use or access.

(k) Non-U.S. citizens shall not be authorized to access or assist in the development, operation, management, or maintenance of Department IT systems under the contract, unless a waiver has been granted by the Head of the Component or designee, with the concurrence of both the Department’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) or their designees. Within DHS Headquarters, the waiver may be granted only with the approval of both the CSO and the CIO or their designees. In order for a waiver to be granted:

(1) There must be a compelling reason for using this individual as opposed to a U.S. citizen; and

(2) The waiver must be in the best interest of the Government.

(l) Contractors shall identify in their proposals the names and citizenship of all non-U.S. citizens proposed to work under the contract. Any additions or deletions of non-U.S. citizens after contract award shall also be reported to the Contracting Officer.

(End of clause) Alternate II (JULY 2023) When the Department has determined contract employee access to controlled unclassified information or Government facilities must be limited to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, but the contract will not require access to information resources, add the following paragraphs:

(g) Each individual employed under the contract shall be a citizen of the United States of America, or an alien who has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence as evidenced by a Permanent Resident Card (USCIS I-551). Any exceptions must be approved by the Department's Chief Security Officer or designee.

(h) Contractors shall identify in their proposals, the names and citizenship of all non-U.S. citizens proposed to work under the contract. Any additions or deletions of non-U.S. citizens after contract award shall also be reported to the Contracting Officer.

(End of clause)

3052.204-72 Safeguarding of Controlled Unclassified Information.

As prescribed in (HSAR) 48 CFR 3004.470-4(b), insert the following clause:

SAFEGUARDING OF CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION (JULY 2023)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Adequate Security means security protections commensurate with the risk resulting from the unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction of information. This includes ensuring that information hosted on behalf of an agency and information systems and applications used by the agency operate effectively and provide appropriate confidentiality, integrity, and availability protections through the application of cost-effective security controls.

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is any information the Government creates or possesses, or an entity creates or possesses for or on behalf of the Government (other than classified information) that a law, regulation, or Governmentwide policy requires or permits an agency to handle using safeguarding or dissemination controls. This definition includes the following CUI categories and subcategories of information:

(1) Chemical-terrorism Vulnerability Information (CVI) as defined in 6 CFR part 27, “Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards,” and as further described in supplementary guidance issued by an authorized official of the Department of Homeland Security (including the Revised Procedural Manual “Safeguarding Information Designated as Chemical-Terrorism Vulnerability Information” dated September 2008);

(2) Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) as set out in the Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 (title XXII, subtitle B of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 as amended through Pub. L. 116–283), PCII’s implementing regulations (6 CFR part 29), the PCII Program Procedures Manual, and any supplementary guidance officially communicated by an authorized official of the Department of Homeland Security, the PCII Program Manager, or a PCII Program Manager Designee;

(3) Sensitive Security Information (SSI) as defined in 49 CFR part 1520, “Protection of Sensitive Security Information,” as amended, and any supplementary guidance officially communicated by an authorized official of the Department of Homeland Security (including the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration or designee), including Department of Homeland Security MD 11056.1, “Sensitive Security Information (SSI)” and, within the Transportation Security Administration, TSA MD 2810.1, “SSI Program”;

(4) Homeland Security Agreement Information means information the Department of Homeland Security receives pursuant to an agreement with State, local, Tribal, territorial, or private sector partners that is required to be protected by that agreement. The Department receives this information in furtherance of the missions of the Department, including, but not limited to, support of the Fusion Center Initiative and activities for cyber information sharing consistent with the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015;

(5) Homeland Security Enforcement Information means unclassified information of a sensitive nature lawfully created, possessed, or transmitted by the Department of Homeland Security in furtherance of its immigration, customs, and other civil and criminal enforcement missions, the unauthorized disclosure of which could adversely impact the mission of the Department;

(6) International Agreement Information means information the Department of Homeland Security receives that is required to be protected by an information sharing agreement or arrangement with a foreign government, an international organization of governments or any element thereof, an international or foreign public or judicial body, or an international or foreign private or non-governmental organization;

(7) Information Systems Vulnerability Information (ISVI) means:

(i) Department of Homeland Security information technology (IT) systems data revealing infrastructure used for servers, desktops, and networks; applications name, version, and release; switching, router, and gateway information; interconnections and access methods; and mission or business use/need. Examples of ISVI are systems inventories and enterprise architecture models. Information pertaining to national security systems and eligible for classification under Executive Order 13526 will be classified as appropriate; and/or

(ii) Information regarding developing or current technology, the release of which could hinder the objectives of the Department, compromise a technological advantage or countermeasure, cause a denial of service, or provide an adversary with sufficient information to clone, counterfeit, or circumvent a process or system;

(8) Operations Security Information means Department of Homeland Security information that could be collected, analyzed, and exploited by a foreign adversary to identify intentions, capabilities, operations, and vulnerabilities that threaten operational security for the missions of the Department;

(9) Personnel Security Information means information that could result in physical risk to Department of Homeland Security personnel or other individuals whom the Department is responsible for protecting;

(10) Physical Security Information means reviews or reports illustrating or disclosing facility infrastructure or security vulnerabilities related to the protection of Federal buildings, grounds, or property. For example, threat assessments, system security plans, contingency plans, risk management plans, business impact analysis studies, and certification and accreditation documentation;

(11) Privacy Information includes both Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (SPII). PII refers to information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone, or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual; and SPII is a subset of PII that if lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization could result in substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual. To determine whether information is PII, the DHS will perform an assessment of the specific risk that an individual can be identified using the information with other information that is linked or linkable to the individual. In performing this assessment, it is important to recognize that information that is not PII can become PII whenever additional information becomes available, in any medium or from any source, that would make it possible to identify an individual. Certain data elements are particularly sensitive and may alone present an increased risk of harm to the individual.

(i) Examples of stand-alone PII that are particularly sensitive include: Social Security numbers (SSNs), driver’s license or State identification numbers, Alien Registration Numbers (A-numbers), financial account numbers, and biometric identifiers.

(ii) Multiple pieces of information may present an increased risk of harm to the individual when combined, posing an increased risk of harm to the individual. SPII may also consist of any grouping of information that contains an individual’s name or other unique identifier plus one or more of the following elements:

(A) Truncated SSN (such as last 4 digits);

(B) Date of birth (month, day, and year);

(C) Citizenship or immigration status;

(D) Ethnic or religious affiliation;

(E) Sexual orientation;

(F) Criminal history;

(G) Medical information; and

(H) System authentication information, such as mother’s birth name, account passwords, or personal identification numbers (PINs).

(iii) Other PII that may present an increased risk of harm to the individual depending on its context, such as a list of employees and their performance ratings or an unlisted home address or phone number. The context includes the purpose for which the PII was collected, maintained, and used. This assessment is critical because the same information in different contexts can reveal additional information about the impacted individual.

Federal information means information created, collected, processed, maintained, disseminated, disclosed, or disposed of by or for the Federal Government, in any medium or form.

Federal information system means an information system used or operated by an agency or by a Contractor of an agency or by another organization on behalf of an agency.

Handling means any use of controlled unclassified information, including but not limited to marking, safeguarding, transporting, disseminating, re-using, storing, capturing, and disposing of the information.

Incident means an occurrence that—

(1) Actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or

(2) Constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies.

Information Resources means information and related resources, such as personnel, equipment, funds, and information technology.

Information Security means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction in order to provide—

(1) Integrity, which means guarding against improper information modification or destruction, and includes ensuring information nonrepudiation and authenticity;

(2) Confidentiality, which means preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information; and

(3) Availability, which means ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information.

Information System means a discrete set of information resources organized for the collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, or disposition of information.

(b) Handling of Controlled Unclassified Information.

(1) Contractors and subcontractors must provide adequate security to protect CUI from unauthorized access and disclosure. Adequate security includes compliance with DHS policies and procedures in effect at the time of contract award. These policies and procedures are accessible at https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-security-and-training-requirements-contractors.

(2) The Contractor shall not use or redistribute any CUI handled, collected, processed, stored, or transmitted by the Contractor except as specified in the contract.

(3) The Contractor shall not maintain SPII in its invoicing, billing, and other recordkeeping systems maintained to support financial or other administrative functions. It is acceptable to maintain in these systems the names, titles, and contact information for the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or other government personnel associated with the administration of the contract, as needed.

(4) Any government data provided, developed, or obtained under the contract, or otherwise under the control of the Contractor, shall not become part of the bankruptcy estate in the event a Contractor and/or subcontractor enters bankruptcy proceedings.

(c) Incident Reporting Requirements.

(1) Contractors and subcontractors shall report all known or suspected incidents to the Component Security Operations Center (SOC) in accordance with Attachment F, Incident Response, to DHS Policy Directive 4300A Information Technology System Security Program, Sensitive Systems. If the Component SOC is not available, the Contractor shall report to the DHS Enterprise SOC. Contact information for the DHS Enterprise SOC is accessible at https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-security-and-training-requirements-contractors. Subcontractors are required to notify the prime Contractor that it has reported a known or suspected incident to the Department. Lower tier subcontractors are required to likewise notify their higher tier subcontractor, until the prime contractor is reached. The Contractor shall also notify the Contracting Officer and COR using the contact information identified in the contract. If the report is made by phone, or the email address for the Contracting Officer or COR is not immediately available, the Contractor shall contact the Contracting Officer and COR immediately after reporting to the Component or DHS Enterprise SOC.

(2) All known or suspected incidents involving PII or SPII shall be reported within 1 hour of discovery. All other incidents shall be reported within 8 hours of discovery.

(3) CUI transmitted via email shall be protected by encryption or transmitted within secure communications systems. CUI shall be transmitted using a FIPS 140-2/140-3 Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules validated cryptographic module identified on https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-module-validation-program/validated-modules. When this is impractical or unavailable, for Federal information systems only, CUI may be transmitted over regular email channels. When using regular email channels, Contractors and subcontractors shall not include any CUI in the subject or body of any email. The CUI shall be included as a password-protected attachment with the password provided under separate cover, including as a separate email. Recipients of CUI information will comply with any email restrictions imposed by the originator.

(4) An incident shall not, by itself, be interpreted as evidence that the Contractor or Subcontractor has failed to provide adequate information security safeguards for CUI or has otherwise failed to meet the requirements of the contract.

(5) If an incident involves PII or SPII, in addition to the incident reporting guidelines in Attachment F, Incident Response, to DHS Policy Directive 4300A Information Technology System Security Program, Sensitive Systems, Contractors shall also provide as many of the following data elements that are available at the time the incident is reported, with any remaining data elements provided within 24 hours of submission of the initial incident report:

(i) Unique Entity Identifier (UEI);

(ii) Contract numbers affected unless all contracts by the company are affected;

(iii) Facility CAGE code if the location of the event is different than the prime Contractor location;

(iv) Point of contact (POC) if different than the POC recorded in the System for Award Management (address, position, telephone, and email);

(v) Contracting Officer POC (address, telephone, and email);

(vi) Contract clearance level;

(vii) Name of subcontractor and CAGE code if this was an incident on a subcontractor network;

(viii) Government programs, platforms, or systems involved;

(ix) Location(s) of incident;

(x) Date and time the incident was discovered;

(xi) Server names where CUI resided at the time of the incident, both at the Contractor and subcontractor level;

(xii) Description of the government PII or SPII contained within the system; and

(xiii) Any additional information relevant to the incident.

(d) Incident Response Requirements.

(1) All determinations by the Department related to incidents, including response activities, will be made in writing by the Contracting Officer.

(2) The Contractor shall provide full access and cooperation for all activities determined by the Government to be required to ensure an effective incident response, including providing all requested images, log files, and event information to facilitate rapid resolution of incidents.

(3) Incident response activities determined to be required by the Government may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Inspections;

(ii) Investigations;

(iii) Forensic reviews;

(iv) Data analyses and processing; and

(v) Revocation of the Authority to Operate (ATO), if applicable.

(4) The Contractor shall immediately preserve and protect images of known affected information systems and all available monitoring/packet capture data. The monitoring/packet capture data shall be retained for at least 180 days from submission of the incident report to allow DHS to request the media or decline interest.

(5) The Government, at its sole discretion, may obtain assistance from other Federal agencies and/or third-party firms to aid in incident response activities.

(e) Certificate of Sanitization of Government and Government-Activity-Related Files and Information. Upon the conclusion of the contract by expiration, termination, cancellation, or as otherwise indicated in the contract, the Contractor shall return all CUI to DHS and/or destroy it physically and/or logically as identified in the contract unless the contract states that return and/or destruction of CUI is not required. Destruction shall conform to the guidelines for media sanitization contained in NIST SP 800–88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization. The Contractor shall certify and confirm the sanitization of all government and government-activity related files and information. The Contractor shall submit the certification to the COR and Contracting Officer following the template provided in NIST SP 800–88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization, Appendix G.

(f) Other Reporting Requirements. Incident reporting required by this clause in no way rescinds the Contractor’s responsibility for other incident reporting pertaining to its unclassified information systems under other clauses that may apply to its contract(s), or as a result of other applicable statutory or regulatory requirements, or other U.S. Government requirements.

(g) Subcontracts. The Contractor shall insert this clause in all subcontracts and require subcontractors to include this clause in all lower tier subcontracts when subcontractor employees will have access to CUI; CUI will be collected or maintained on behalf of the agency by a subcontractor; or a subcontractor information system(s) will be used to process, store, or transmit CUI.

(End of clause)

ALTERNATE I (JULY 2023)

When Federal information systems, which include Contractor information systems operated on behalf of the agency, are used to collect, process, store, or transmit CUI, add the following paragraphs:

(h) Authority to Operate. The Contractor shall not collect, process, store, or transmit CUI within a Federal information system until an ATO has been granted by the Component or Headquarters CIO, or designee. Once the ATO has been granted by the Government, the Contracting Officer shall incorporate the ATO into the contract as a compliance document. Unless otherwise specified in the ATO letter, the ATO is valid for 3 years. An ATO is granted at the sole discretion of the Government and can be revoked at any time. Contractor receipt of an ATO does not create any contractual right of access or entitlement. The Government’s grant of an ATO does not alleviate the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure the information system controls are implemented and operating effectively.

(1) Complete the Security Authorization process. The Security Authorization (SA) process shall proceed according to DHS Policy Directive 4300A Information Technology System Security Program, Sensitive Systems (Version 13.3, February 13, 2023), or any successor publication; and the Security Authorization Process Guide, including templates. These policies and templates are accessible at https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-security-and-training-requirements-contractors.

(i) Security Authorization Package. The SA package shall be developed using the government-provided Security Requirements Traceability Matrix and SA templates. The SA package consists of the following: Security Plan, Contingency Plan, Contingency Plan Test Results, Configuration Management Plan, Security Assessment Plan, Security Assessment Report, and Authorization to Operate Letter. Additional documents that may be required include a Plan(s) of Action and Milestones and Interconnection Security Agreement(s). The Contractor shall submit a signed copy of the SA package, validated by an independent third party, to the COR for review and approval by the Component or Headquarters CIO, or designee, at least 30 days prior to the date of operation of the information system. The Government is the final authority on the compliance of the SA package and may limit the number of resubmissions of modified documents.

(ii) Independent Assessment. Contractors shall have an independent third party validate the security and privacy controls in place for the information system(s). The independent third party shall review and analyze the SA package, and report on technical, operational, and management level deficiencies as outlined in NIST SP 800–53, Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations, or successor publication, accessible at https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/sp. The Contractor shall address all deficiencies before submitting the SA package to the COR for review.

(2) Renewal of ATO. Unless otherwise specified in the ATO letter, the Contractor shall renew the ATO every 3 years. The Contractor is required to update its SA package as part of the ATO renewal process for review and verification of security controls. Review and verification of security controls is independent of the system production date and may include onsite visits that involve physical or logical inspection of the Contractor environment to ensure controls are in place. The updated SA package shall be submitted for review and approval by the Component or Headquarters CIO, or designee, at least 90 days before the ATO expiration date. The Contractor shall update its SA package by one of the following methods:

(i) Updating the SA package in the DHS Information Assurance Compliance System; or

(ii) Submitting the updated SA package directly to the COR.

(3) Security Review. The Government may elect to conduct periodic reviews to ensure that the security requirements contained in the contract are being implemented and enforced. The Government, at its sole discretion, may obtain assistance from other Federal agencies and/or third-party firms to aid in security review activities. The Contractor shall afford DHS, the Office of the Inspector General, other government organizations, and Contractors working in support of the Government access to the Contractor’s facilities, installations, operations, documentation, databases, networks, systems, and personnel used in the performance of this contract. The Contractor shall, through the Contracting Officer and COR, contact the Component or Headquarters CIO, or designee, to coordinate and participate in review and inspection activity by government organizations external to DHS. Access shall be provided, to the extent necessary as determined by the Government (including providing all requested images), for the Government to carry out a program of inspection, investigation, and audit to safeguard against threats and hazards to the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of government data or the function of computer systems used in performance of this contract and to preserve evidence of computer crime.

(4) Federal Reporting and Continuous Monitoring Requirements. Contractors operating information systems on behalf of the Government shall comply with Federal reporting and information system continuous monitoring requirements. Reporting requirements are determined by the Government and are defined in the Fiscal Year 2015 DHS Information Security Performance Plan, or successor publication, accessible at https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-security-and-training-requirements-contractors. The plan is updated on an annual basis. Annual, quarterly, and monthly data collection will be coordinated by the Government. The Contractor shall provide the Government with all information to fully satisfy Federal reporting requirements for information systems. The Contractor shall provide the COR with requested information within 3 business days of receipt of the request. Unless otherwise specified in the contract, monthly continuous monitoring data shall be stored at the Contractor’s location for a period not less than 1 year from the date the data are created. The Government may elect to perform information system continuous monitoring and IT security scanning of information systems from government tools and infrastructure.

(End of clause) 3052.204-73 Notification and Credit Monitoring Requirements for Personally Identifiable Information Incidents.

As prescribed in (HSAR) 48 CFR 3004.470-4(c), insert the following clause:

3052.204-73 NOTIFICATION AND CREDIT MONITORING REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION INCIDENTS (JULY 2023)

(a) Definitions. Privacy Information includes both Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (SPII). PII refers to information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone, or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual; and SPII is a subset of PII that if lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization could result in substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual. To determine whether information is PII, the DHS will perform an assessment of the specific risk that an individual can be identified using the information with other information that is linked or linkable to the individual. In performing this assessment, it is important to recognize that information that is not PII can become PII whenever additional information becomes available, in any medium or from any source, that would make it possible to identify an individual. Certain data elements are particularly sensitive and may alone present an increased risk of harm to the individual.

(1) Examples of stand-alone PII that are particularly sensitive include: Social Security numbers (SSNs), driver’s license or State identification numbers, Alien Registration Numbers (A-numbers), financial account numbers, and biometric identifiers.

(2) Multiple pieces of information may present an increased risk of harm to the individual when combined, posing an increased risk of harm to the individual. SPII may also consist of any grouping of information that contains an individual’s name or other unique identifier plus one or more of the following elements:

(i) Truncated SSN (such as last 4 digits);

(ii) Date of birth (month, day, and year);

(iii) Citizenship or immigration status;

(iv) Ethnic or religious affiliation;

(v) Sexual orientation;

(vi) Criminal history;

(vii) Medical information; and

(viii) System authentication information, such as mother’s birth name, account passwords, or personal identification numbers (PINs).

(3) Other PII that may present an increased risk of harm to the individual depending on its context, such as a list of employees and their performance ratings or an unlisted home address or phone number. The context includes the purpose for which the PII was collected, maintained, and used. This assessment is critical because the same information in different contexts can reveal additional information about the impacted individual.

(b) PII and SPII Notification Requirements.

(1) No later than 5 business days after being directed by the Contracting Officer, or as otherwise required by applicable law, the Contractor shall notify any individual whose PII or SPII was either under the control of the Contractor or resided in an information system under control of the Contractor at the time the incident occurred. The method and content of any notification by the Contractor shall be coordinated with, and subject to prior written approval by, the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall not proceed with notification unless directed in writing by the Contracting Officer.

(2) All determinations by the Department related to notifications to affected individuals and/or Federal agencies and related services (e.g., credit monitoring) will be made in writing by the Contracting Officer.

(3) Subject to government analysis of the incident and direction to the…