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Office of Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisitions, and Fiscal Law

What We Do

Under the executive direction of the General Counsel, the Office of Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisitions, and Fiscal Law provides legal advice and services with respect to:

  • Financial assistance, including grant and loan application evaluation and selection processes for that assistance; external oversight of those processes and that assistance; application of Federal requirements, including Buy America; and the Department’s grants policy;
  • Direct legal support to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy in connection with all discretionary financial assistance programs administered from that office;
  • Direct legal support to DOT’s Build America Bureau in connection with all aspects of complex Federal credit transactions, including transactions under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA), Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) credit programs, and allocation of Private Activity Bond (PABs) authority, with a particular emphasis on ensuring compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, policies, and program matters.
  • The acquisition of goods and services, including providing direct legal support for DOT-wide and OST acquisitions, advising the Acquisition Strategy Review Board, and providing legal support for DOT acquisition policy;
  • Direct legal support to the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, including its financial assistance programs and its role in agency procurements;
  • Suspension and debarment, including both procurement and non-procurement (grants).
  • Fiscal law, including the use of appropriated funds and fiscal management; 
  • Direct legal support to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs in connection with fiscal law and financial management, including legislative technical assistance to the Committees on Appropriations and legislative drafting associated with the annual President’s budget.

Who We Are

Terence Carlson

Assistant General Counsel for Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisitions, and Fiscal Law