The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Commission, may establish a board of contract appeals, to be known as the Panama Canal Board of Contract Appeals, in accordance with sections 7105(a), (c) to (e), (g), 7106(a), and 7107(a) of title 41. Except as otherwise provided by this section, the Panama Canal Board of Contract Appeals (in this section referred to as the “Board”) shall be subject to chapter 71 of title 41 in the same manner as any other agency board of contract appeals established under that chapter.

(1) The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Commission, may establish a board of contract appeals, to be known as the Panama Canal Board of Contract Appeals, in accordance with sections 7105(a), (c) to (e), (g), 7106(a), and 7107(a) of title 41. Except as otherwise provided by this section, the Panama Canal Board of Contract Appeals (in this section referred to as the “Board”) shall be subject to chapter 71 of title 41 in the same manner as any other agency board of contract appeals established under that chapter.

(2) The Board shall consist of three members. At least one member of the Board shall be licensed to practice law in the Republic of Panama. Individuals appointed to the Board shall take an oath of office, the form of which shall be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

(3) Compensation for members of the Board of Contract Appeals shall be established by the Commission’s supervisory board. The annual compensation established for members may not exceed the rate of basic pay established for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5. The compensation of a member may not be reduced during the member’s term of office from the level established at the time of the appointment of the member.

Notwithstanding section 7104(b)(1) of title 41 or any other provision of law, the Board shall have exclusive jurisdiction to decide an appeal from a decision of a contracting officer under section 7105(e) of title 41.

The Board shall decide protests submitted to it under this subsection by interested parties in accordance with subchapter V [1] of title 31. Notwithstanding section 3556 of that title, section 1491(b) of title 28, and any other provision of law, the Board shall have exclusive jurisdiction to decide such protests. For purposes of this subsection—

(1) except as provided in paragraph (2), each reference to the Comptroller General in sections 3551 through 3555 of title 31, is deemed to be a reference to the Board;

(2) the reference to the Comptroller General in section 3553(d)(3)(C)(ii) of such title is deemed to be a reference to both the Board and the Comptroller General;

(3) the report required by paragraph (1) of section 3554(e) of such title shall be submitted to the Comptroller General as well as the committees listed in such paragraph;

(4) the report required by paragraph (2) of such section shall be submitted to the Comptroller General as well as Congress; and

(5) section 3556 of such title shall not apply to the Board, but nothing in this subsection shall affect the right of an interested party to file a protest with the appropriate contracting officer.

The Board shall prescribe such procedures as may be necessary for the expeditious decision of appeals and protests under subsections (b) and (c).

The Board shall begin to function as soon as it has been established and has prescribed procedures under subsection (d).

The Board shall have jurisdiction under subsections (b) and (c) over any appeals and protests filed on or after the date on which the Board begins to function. Any appeals and protests filed before such date shall remain before the forum in which they were filed.

The Board may perform functions similar to those described in this section for such other matters or activities of the Commission as the Commission may determine and in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Commission.

(Pub. L. 96–70, title III, § 3102, as added Pub. L. 105–85, div. C, title XXXV, § 3541, Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 2071; amended Pub. L. 105–261, div. C, title XXXV, § 3510, Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2270.)