A wave of executive orders from the Trump administration is rapidly reshaping the landscape for federal contractors, with sweeping changes to U.S. foreign aid, diversity initiatives, and gender policy....more
4/7/2025
/ Contract Disputes ,
Contract Termination ,
Contract Terms ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Government Agencies ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Risk Management ,
Stop Work Orders ,
Trump Administration
On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued a widely expected executive order (EO), Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, targeting affirmative action and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)...more
On September 17, 2024, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the General Services Administration (GSA) released its Audit Plan for the 2025 fiscal year, which includes, among other activities, certain, and potentially...more
Under the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 (CICA), awarding a contract under the U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) is a competitive procedure—so long as the MAS program is...more
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has released a proposed rule that would significantly alter a number of SBA small business program regulations, including those governing size recertifications. ...more
The Department of Defense (DoD) delivered its proposed Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program rule (CMMC) the day after Christmas this year, including several related guidance documents (listed here). The proposed...more
1/2/2024
/ Certification Requirements ,
Comment Period ,
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) ,
Defense Contracts ,
Defense Sector ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
NIST ,
Proposed Rules ,
Subcontractors
The end of the calendar year once again sees Congress rapidly approaching the holiday finish line with unresolved business. From most indications, however, members will successfully send a defense authorization bill to...more
As the 2023 calendar year comes to a close, there are a number of important legal, regulatory, and other updates relevant to the government contracts industry. This digest provides an overview of the government's annual bid...more
In recent years, we have seen statutory and regulatory exclusions from federal contracting of various entities and their goods and services happening outside the normal suspension and debarment process, the most notable being...more
On December 26, 2013, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (commonly referred to as the "Uniform Guidance"). The...more
9/29/2023
/ Audits ,
Biden Administration ,
Compliance ,
Cooperation Agreement ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Funding ,
Federal Grants ,
Grants ,
Guidance Update ,
OMB ,
Proposed Rules
The federal government's most recent TikTok ban is both simple and complex. The prohibition bans federal contractors from using or even installing the TikTok app on covered information technology (IT) devices....more
6/20/2023
/ Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) ,
Compliance ,
Compliance Dates ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Electronic Devices ,
Employee Training ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Interim Rule ,
National Security ,
OMB ,
Popular ,
Social Media ,
TikTok
The Department of Defense (DOD) has proposed an updated rule in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to increase Buy American Act content thresholds for federal government contractors under DOD...more
In recent years, the government contracts space has seen an increased scrutiny of procurements from certain countries, especially the People's Republic of China. A prominent example is Section 889 of the National Defense...more
On April 7, 2023, a proposed rule seeking to broaden "persuader" activity reporting requirements on the LM-10 Disclosure Form (the Disclosure Form) was sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, signaling...more
When companies are alerted to potential violations of policy or relevant law, they frequently open internal investigations to determine the events that occurred and whether the circumstances require corrective action....more
While Buy America requirements are nothing new to the realm of federal procurement, the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (commonly referred to as the “Uniform...more
As part of his administration's all-of-government response to climate concerns, on December 8, 2021 President Biden issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal...more
2/7/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
National Emissions Standards ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
Public Projects ,
Public Property ,
Real Estate Development
Chinese semiconductors are ubiquitous within the United States and its private- and public-sector supply chains. To contend with the attendant national security and economic risks (whether real or perceived), Congress...more
1/16/2023
/ Bipartisan Agreement ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
China ,
Compliance ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
National Security ,
NDAA ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Semiconductors ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector ,
Trade Associations
The Protecting American Intellectual Property Act of 2022—passed by the Senate on December 20, 2022 and signed by the President on January 5, 2023—aims to protect American IP interests by imposing sanctions on certain foreign...more
With little room left on the calendar, this week Congress passed, and sent to President Biden’s desk, the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for Fiscal Year 2023. As we previewed in an earlier alert, Congress...more
Congress returned this week from the Thanksgiving holiday to face a full agenda and a short runway to "keep the lights on" in the federal government.
In late September, President Biden signed a continuing resolution that...more
In accordance with the Biden administration's Federal Sustainability Plan, on November 14, 2022, President Biden proposed the Federal Supplier Climate Risks and Resilience Rule. The goal of the proposal, as described by the...more
11/16/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Comment Period ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Federal Contractors ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Material Suppliers ,
Proposed Rules ,
Suppliers ,
Supply Chain ,
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
Thus far in 2022, the Biden administration has focused on a number of key areas as they relate to government contractors. Join attorneys from Venable's Government Contracts Group for a discussion of key developments in...more
The Virginia legislature recently took a broad step toward limiting the use of certain common clauses in construction subcontracts. This new legislation, effective January 1, 2023, amends the state's Prompt Payment Act...more
Following on the heels of the coronavirus pandemic, high inflation now presents itself as the latest major challenge for government contractors. Inflation is on the rise, reaching levels that have not been seen in more than...more