223.18—Performance of agency obligations.
(a)
Every company shall promptly honor its bonds naming the United States or one of its agencies or instrumentalities as obligee. If an agency's demand upon a company on behalf of the agency or laborers, materialmen, or suppliers (on payment bonds), for payment of a claim against it is not settled to the agency's satisfaction, and the agency's review of the situation thereafter establishes that the default is clear and the company's refusal to pay is not based on adequate grounds, the agency may make a report to the Secretary of the Treasury, including a copy of the subject bond, the basis for the claim against the company, a chronological resume of efforts to obtain payment, a statement of all reasons offered for non-payment, and a statement of the agency's views on the matter.
(b)
On receipt of such report from the Federal agency the Secretary will, if the circumstances warrant, notify the company concerned that the agency report may demonstrate that the company is not keeping and performing its contracts and that, in the absence of satisfactory explanation, the company's default may preclude the renewal of the company's certificate of authority, or warrant prompt revocation of the existing certificate. This notice will provide opportunity to the company to demonstrate its qualification for a continuance of the certificate of authority.