Frequently Asked Questions
What are the system requirements needed to access the site?
I forgot my username, what should I do?
Who do I contact for technical support or general DFB and DPFD program information?
Who is the primary Point of Contact for the DFB/DPFD Programs at the Department of Justice?
What is the Denial of Federal Benefits (DFB) Program?
What is the Defense Procurement Fraud Debarment (DPFD) Program?
What is the System for Award Management (SAM)?
What is a Cause and Treatment Code and how do they relate to Exclusion Types?
How are cases submitted to the Clearinghouse?
What is the typical turn-around-time for Verification Requests?
How do I get access to the on-line DFB/DPFD Clearinghouse system?
There is a form that needs to be completed, am I authorized to register?
What are the system requirements needed to access the site?
This site is best viewed using Internet Explorer 6.0, Firefox 35.0 and above versions. You must enable JavaScript and cookies in your browser to use this website effectively.
Upon successful login, go to the "Password Change" link located under the "Profile" section of the left-hand menu.
On the website https://dfb.bja.ojp.gov click on "Forgot your username or password?" link in the Login box.
I forgot my username, what should I do?
If you do not know your Username or if you are having problems logging in to the system, E-mail Technical Support at dfb@ojp.usdoj.gov
Who do I contact for technical support or general DFB and DPFD program information?
DFB/DPFD Clearinghouse
810 7th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 1-866-288-4360
Email: dfb@ojp.usdoj.gov
Who is the primary Point of Contact for the DFB/DPFD Programs at the Department of Justice?
Brian Salerni
Program Specialist
Bureau of Justice Assistance
US Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
Email: Brian.Salerni@usdoj.gov
Telephone: 202-514 9438
What is the Denial of Federal Benefits (DFB) Program?
The Denial of Federal Benefits Program was established under Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-690).
The Denial of Federal Benefits (DFB) Program provides state and federal courts-as part of the sentencing process-with the ability to deny all or selected federal benefits to individuals who are convicted of drug trafficking or drug possession. The DFB sanction can be imposed in combination with other sanctions, and courts have the option to deny all or some benefits and determine the length of the denial period based on the nature of the crime. When denial of benefits is part of a sentence, the sentencing court notifies the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Denial of Federal Benefits (DFB) Clearinghouse, which in turn informs the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). GSA publishes the names of individuals who are denied benefits in the Lists of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or Non-procurement Programs, which is commonly referred to as the Debarment List. Debarred individuals are searchable via the System for Award Management (SAM) website at http://www.sam.gov. Before making an award or conferring a benefit, federal agencies are required to consult the Debarment List to determine if the individual is eligible for benefits.
What is the Defense Procurement Fraud Debarment (DPFD) Program?
The Defense Procurement Fraud Debarment (DPFD) Program was established under Section 815, Subsection 10, of the National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 102-484, United States Code, Section 2408).
The DPFD Program requires a single point of contact for (sub) contractors of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to promptly confirm whether potential employees have been convicted of fraud or any other felony arising out of a contract with the Department of Defense. Defense-related fraud and felony cases are tried in federal court and prosecuted by a U.S. Attorney. U.S. Attorneys' Offices submit copies of sentencing orders for all individuals convicted of defense-related fraud or felony in their districts to the DPFD Clearinghouse on a quarterly basis. The DPFD Clearinghouse maintains a list of people who have been disqualified from contracting with DoD based on these sentencing orders, disseminates the data to those authorized to access it, and archives expired data from the program. The DPFD Clearinghouse provides the data to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) who publishes the names of individuals who are denied benefits in the Lists of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or Non-procurement Programs, which is commonly referred to as the Debarment List. Debarred individuals are searchable via the System for Award Management (SAM) website at http://www.sam.gov. Before making an award or conferring a benefit, federal agencies are required to consult the Debarment List to determine if the individual is eligible for benefits.
What is the System for Award Management (SAM)?
The System for Award Management (SAM) includes information regarding entities debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, excluded or disqualified under the non-procurement common rule, or otherwise declared ineligible from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits. This information may include names, addresses, DUNS numbers, Social Security Numbers, Employer Identification Numbers or other Taxpayer Identification Numbers, if available and deemed appropriate and permissible to publish by the agency taking the action. This system is operated by GSA. It is accessible at http://www.sam.gov.
What is a Cause and Treatment Code and how do they relate to Exclusion Types?
The purpose of the Cause and Treatment (CT) Code is to provide users with information regarding the reason for the exclusion. The Cause provides the authority by which the action was taken and the Treatment provides information on the procedure(s) to apply to the action.
CT Codes of AA, BB, FF, or QQ are applicable to the DFB and DPFD programs.
| CT Codes | Exclusion Types |
|---|---|
| AA | Ineligible (Proceedings Completed) |
| BB | Prohibition/Restriction |
| FF | Prohibition/Restriction |
Each type is described in SAM by "Nature" and "Effect". "Nature" defines the reason for (nature of) the exclusion-why is the entity excluded. "Effect" explains what the exclusion means in terms of any restrictions or outcomes of the exclusion; it gives specific, award-related guidance to contracting officers, grants officials, and others when determining how to treat the excluded party, such as what can and can't be awarded to them.
How are cases submitted to the Clearinghouse?
Effective May, 2012, Courts can submit cases via the on-line DFB/DPFD Clearinghouse system at https://dfb.bja.ojp.gov.
The following information is required to successfully submit a case:1)Denial Information: Case/Docket Number, CT Code, Program, Nature of Offense, Count, Statute, Benefit Denial Period, Sentencing Date, Benefits to be Denied
2)Offender Information: Full Name, Sex, Country, Address, Social Security Number, Date of Birth
3)Court Information: Court Name, Authorized Court Official, Sentencing Judge
4)Attachment Files: DFB: Judgment & Commitment (Page 1 and denial page) and Statement of Reasons DPFD: Judgment & Commitment and Indictment of Plea Agreement
5)Statement of Reasons
Once cases are submitted, they will be reviewed by Clearinghouse staff and approved by the Program Manager. Upon approval, email notification will be sent to the Authorized Court Official.
Verification requests can ONLY be submitted by Agencies that award or confer Federal benefits. Agencies must first check the Debarment List at https://www.sam.gov. If a match on the individual's name and Social is found with an Exclusion Type, then a Verification Request can be submitted to the DFB/DPFD Clearinghouse for confirmation. Effective January 3, 2011, Verification Requests must be submitted via the on-line DFB/DPFD Clearinghouse system at https://dfb.bja.ojp.gov.
What is the typical turn-around-time for Verification Requests?
Verification Requests are typically handled within 48 hours of receipt.
How do I get access to the on-line DFB/DPFD Clearinghouse system?
All new users must register via the Not Registered Yet? link located on the login screen.
There is a form that needs to be completed, am I authorized to register?
Individuals can register as a user for their Company. The template that is to be downloaded must be completed and placed onto your Company's Letterhead. Also, you must complete all information requested along with placing an X next to the sentence that pertains to your reason for using our System.
Clearinghouse is only authorized to verify the borrower. For verifying other parties, you should obtain the individual's Social Security Number and go to www.sam.gov and search records using the exact Name and Social Security Number.
The Clearinghouse can only verify the direct recipient of federal funds or benefits pertaining to a license such as prescribing medicines for other cases you need to go to www.sam.gov.