(a) Authority.—
(1) The Secretary of Defense, with respect to medical treatment facilities of the Department of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, with respect to medical treatment facilities of the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy, may enter into personal services contracts to carry out health care responsibilities in such facilities, as determined to be necessary by the Secretary. The authority provided in this subsection is in addition to any other contract authorities of the Secretary, including authorities relating to the management of such facilities and the administration of this chapter.
(2) The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, may also enter into personal services contracts to carry out other health care responsibilities of the Secretary (such as the provision of medical screening examinations at Military Entrance Processing Stations) at locations outside medical treatment facilities, as determined necessary pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
(c) Procedures.—
(1) The Secretary shall establish by regulation procedures for entering into personal services contracts with individuals under subsection (a). At a minimum, such procedures shall assure
(A) the provision of adequate notice of contract opportunities to individuals residing in the area of the medical treatment facility involved; and
(B) consideration of interested individuals solely on the basis of the qualifications established for the contract and the proposed contract price.
(2) Upon the establishment of the procedures under paragraph (1), the Secretary may exempt contracts covered by this section from the competitive contracting requirements specified in section
2304 of this title or any other similar requirements of law.
