WHAT: President Trump issued two new Executive Orders (EOs) on April 15 and April 16, 2025, focused on federal procurement streamlining. The April 15 EO, entitled “Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement,” is intended...more
WHAT: The Trump Administration issued an Executive Order (EO) to kick off a “comprehensive overhaul” of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition system, aiming to “rapidly reform” acquisition processes with an...more
WHAT: FedRAMP has announced that it will be working on a new framework for authorization and assessment of cloud services for federal consumption, calling the initiative “FedRAMP 20X” (announcement here). In response to...more
WHAT: Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum titled “Directing Modern Software Acquisition to Maximize Lethality” that is intended to reform DOD’s procurement involving software development....more
The Trump Administration’s ongoing effort to rein in government spending continues with the issuance of an Executive Order (EO) aimed at consolidating federal procurement authority in the U.S. General Services Administration...more
WHAT: The March 14 funding deadline is fast approaching, and it is increasingly likely that the federal government may shut down. Although the House narrowly passed a funding bill this week, the Senate has signaled that it...more
On February 26, 2025, the Trump Administration issued a new Executive Order (EO) that will significantly impact existing and new government contracts and grants. The stated purpose of the EO, titled “Implementing the...more
3/3/2025
/ Compliance ,
Contract Modification ,
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Funding ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Government Agencies ,
Government Efficiency ,
Grants ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Trump Administration
President Trump issued an Executive Order this week that broadly targets federal regulations and guidance for review and rescission, amid a flurry of activity focused on limiting the size and reach of government. The February...more
2/24/2025
/ Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Deregulation ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Government Agencies ,
OMB ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Small Business
This extended (90 minute) Boot Camp will review:
- Recent legislation and notable regulatory changes affecting government contractors.
- Relevant Executive Orders and other Administration policy initiatives aimed at...more
WHAT: The FAR Council published a proposed rule to incorporate the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Program into the acquisition process and, in doing so, seeks to more clearly define government and contractor roles...more
1/29/2025
/ Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Security ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Information Technology ,
National Security ,
NIST ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Freeze ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential memorandum entitled Regulatory Freeze Pending Review (Freeze Order). This action is unsurprising, as previous Presidents have consistently issued similar memoranda at...more
1/27/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Executive Orders ,
FCC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) ,
Government Agencies ,
OFR ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Freeze ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Telecommunications ,
Trump Administration
President Trump issued several Executive Orders (EOs) on January 20, his first day in office, that will impact pending, current, and future contracts and grants. Many of his initial EOs are generally applicable across...more
1/22/2025
/ America First Trade Policy ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Equity ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Employees ,
Gender Identity ,
Government Efficiency ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hiring Freeze ,
Information Technology ,
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ,
OMB ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Renewable Energy ,
Trump Administration
WHAT: On January 15, 2025, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) issued a proposed rule to implement the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act (Pub. L. No. 117-324). The...more
1/17/2025
/ Bid Protests ,
Competition ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Contract Terms ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Subcontractors
WHAT: The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) announced this week that it is withdrawing two proposed rules. First, it withdrew a January 2024 proposed rule that sought to prohibit government contractors from...more
1/13/2025
/ Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Compliance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Final Rules ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Pay Transparency ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Sustainability
WHAT: The odds of a federal government shutdown occurring have increased substantially after a gridlocked Congress, spurred by the incoming Administration, has been unable to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution, and...more
On December 18, 2024, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (NDAA), which the House of Representatives passed the previous week. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law...more
12/19/2024
/ Bid Protests ,
Defense Contracts ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
FCC ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Pilot Programs ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
GAO ,
Innovative Technology ,
NDAA ,
Popular ,
Robotics ,
Secretary of Defense ,
Semiconductors ,
Small Business ,
STTR ,
Supply Chain ,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
WHAT: The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) issued a proposed rule to implement Section 1655(a) and (c) of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232). The proposed rule would...more
11/21/2024
/ Cybersecurity ,
Defense Contracts ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Electronic Data Transmissions ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
National Security ,
NDAA ,
Software ,
Supply Chain
WHAT: On November 12, 2024, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) issued an interim rule amending the FAR to implement the statutory prohibition on procurement and operation of unmanned aircraft systems...more
11/14/2024
/ China ,
Defense Contracts ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Drones ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Interim Rule ,
NDAA ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Surveillance ,
System For Award Management (SAM) ,
Telecommunications ,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ,
US Department of State
As President-Elect Trump’s second Administration begins in January 2025, businesses face a critical juncture with potential shifts in regulatory focus across industries and sectors including artificial intelligence,...more
11/13/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Chevron Deference ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Ethics ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Election Commission (FEC) ,
Healthcare ,
International Trade ,
National Security ,
Presidential Elections ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ,
Trump Administration ,
USTelecom
WHAT: On October 15, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) published the final CMMC 2.0 Program rule. DOD’s final rule outlines the mechanisms that DOD will use to prescribe cybersecurity standards for safeguarding...more
WHAT: On October 15, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will publish the final CMMC 2.0 Program rule. DOD’s final rule outlines the mechanisms that DOD will use to prescribe cybersecurity standards for safeguarding...more
As a result of a broader U.S. government effort to address supply chain vulnerabilities, Congress passed a new law focused on U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) contracting with certain entities that operate under foreign...more
10/11/2024
/ Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Controlling Influence Test ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Federal Contractors ,
FOCI ,
Foreign Ownership ,
Intelligence Services ,
NDAA ,
New Rules ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Research and Development
Last week, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) published a proposed rule that would amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a statutory prohibition on DOD awarding contracts with...more
10/11/2024
/ Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Federal Contractors ,
Foreign Entities ,
GAO ,
NAICS ,
National Security ,
NDAA ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
PRC ,
Proposed Rules ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
US Department of State
WHAT: The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) just published the second of two proposed rules setting forth key requirements for its long-anticipated Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 program. The earlier...more
8/16/2024
/ Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cyber Incident Reporting ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
NIST ,
Proposed Rules ,
Reporting Requirements
In May 2024, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published Special Publication 800-171 Rev 3, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations, and the accompanying...more