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107 STAT. 352 PUBLIC LAW 103-66—AUG. 10, 1993 20 use 1087f. 20 use 1087g. Federal Register, publication. "SEC. 456. CONTRACTS. "(a) CONTRACTS FOR SUPPUES AND SERVICES.— "(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, to the extent prac- ticable, award contracts for origination, servicing, and collection described in subsection (b). In awarding such contracts, the Secretary shall ensure that such services and supplies are provided at competitive prices. "(2) ENTITIES.—^The entities with which the Secretary may enter into contracts shall include only entities which the Sec- retary determines are qualified to provide such services and supplies and will comply with the procedures applicable to the award of such contracts. In the case of awarding contracts for the origination, servicing, and collection of loans under this part, the Secretary shall enter into contracts only with entities that have extensive and relevant experience and dem- onstrated effectiveness. The entities with which the Secretary may enter into such contracts shall include, where practicable, agencies with agreements with the Secretanr under sections 428(b) and (c), if such agencies meet the qualincations as deter- mined by the Secretary imder this subsection and if those agencies have such experience and demonstrated effectiveness. In awarding contracts to such State agencies, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable and consistent with the purposes of this part, give special consideration to State agencies with a history of high quality performance to perform services for institutions of higher education within their State. "(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be construed as a limitation of the authority of any State agency to enter into an agreement for the purposes of this section as a member of a consortiiun of State agencies. "(b) CONTRACTS FOR ORIGINATION, SERVICING, AND DATA SYS- TEMS.—^The Secretary may enter into contracts for— "(1) the cdtemative origination of loans to students attend- ing institutions of higher education with agreements to partici- pate in the program imder this part (or their parents), if such institutions do not have agreements with the Secretary under section 454(b); "(2) the servicing and collection of loans made under this part; "(3) the estabUshment and operation of 1 or more data systems for the maintenance of records on all loans made under this part; "(4) services to assist in the orderly transition from the loan programs under part B to the direct student loan program under this part; and ''(5) such other aspects of the direct student loan program as the Secretary determines are necessary to ensure the successful operation of the program. 'nSEC. 457. REGULATORY ACnvrriES. "(a) NOTICE IN LIEU OF REGULATIONS FOR FIRST YEAR OF PRO- GRAM.— **(1) NOTICE IN LIEU OF REGULATIONS FOR FIRST YEAR OP PROGRAM.—^The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register whatever standards, criteria, and procedures, consistent with the provisions of this part, the Secretary, in consultation with members of the higher education community, determines are