41 USC § 4702 - Prohibition on release of contractor proposals

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t41/s4702"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "41 USC § 4702 - Prohibition on release of contractor proposals"
title_number: 41
title_name: "PUBLIC CONTRACTS"
section_number: "4702"
section_name: "Prohibition on release of contractor proposals"
chapter_number: 47
chapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 111–350, § 3, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3794.)"
---


# § 4702. Prohibition on release of contractor proposals

**(a)** **Definition.—** In this section, the term “proposal” means a proposal, including a technical, management, or cost proposal, submitted by a contractor in response to the requirements of a solicitation for a competitive proposal.

**(b)** **Prohibition.—** A proposal in the possession or control of an executive agency may not be made available to any person under section 552 of title 5.

**(c)** **Nonapplication.—** Subsection (b) does not apply to a proposal that is set forth or incorporated by reference in a contract entered into between the agency and the contractor that submitted the proposal.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 111–350, § 3, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3794.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 4702(a) | 41:253b(m)(3). | June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title III, § 303B(m), as added Pub. L. 104–201, title VIII, § 821(b), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2609. |
| 4702(b) | 41:253b(m)(1). |  |
| 4702(c) | 41:253b(m)(2). |  |

In subsection (b), the words “Except as provided in paragraph (2)” are omitted as unnecessary.