(b) FedRAMP provisional authorization. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the contracting officer shall only award a contract to acquire cloud computing services from a cloud service provider (e.g., contractor or subcontractor, regardless of tier) that has been granted provisional authorization by the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), and meets the security requirements set out by the DOT Chief Information Officer (CIO), at the level appropriate to the requirement to provide the relevant cloud computing services.

1. (1) The contracting officer may award a contract to acquire cloud computing services from a cloud service provider that has not been granted provisional authorization when—

   1. (i) The requirement for a provisional authorization is waived by the DOT CIO; or
   2. (ii) The cloud computing service requirement is for a private, on-premises version that will be provided from Government facilities. Under this circumstance, the cloud service provider must obtain a provisional authorization prior to operational use.

2. (2) When contracting for cloud computing services, the contracting officer shall ensure the following information is provided by the requiring activity:

   1. (i) Government data and Government-related data descriptions.
   2. (ii) Data ownership, licensing, delivery, and disposition instructions specific to the relevant types of Government data and Government-related data (e.g., Contract Data Requirements List; work statement task; line items). Disposition instructions shall provide for the transition of data in commercially available, or open and non-proprietary format (and for permanent records, in accordance with disposition guidance issued by National Archives and Record Administration).
   3. (iii) Appropriate requirements to support applicable inspection, audit, investigation, or other similar authorized activities specific to the relevant types of Government data and Government-related data, or specific to the type of cloud computing services being acquired.
   4. (iv) Appropriate requirements to support and cooperate with applicable system-wide search and access capabilities for inspections, audits, investigations.

(c) Required storage of data within the United States or outlying areas.

1. (1) Cloud computing service providers are required to maintain within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, or outlying areas of the United States, all Government data that is not physically located on DOT premises, unless otherwise authorized by the DOT CIO.
2. (2) The contracting officer shall provide written approval to the contractor when the contractor is permitted to maintain Government data at a location outside the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and outlying areas of the United States.