GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
SBA Moving Ahead With Upgrades to Certification System Despite GOP Protest, FedScoop
The agency’s modernization project will start on August 1 after top Republicans on the Senate and House Small Business committees asked for a delay. Read more here.
General Services Administration (GSA) News Release: GSA Issues Draft Solicitation for Leasing Support Services
On July 8, GSA issued a draft solicitation for the next generation of the GSA Leasing Support Services contract, GLS Max, for public comment. GLS Max is a leasing services support contract that leverages the use of commercial broker expertise to address a large volume of government leasing requirements at no additional cost to the government. Read more here.
Upcoming Government Contract Presentations
TRAINING: Sustainable Procurement: A Closer Look at the New Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), August 8, 2024, Katherine B. Burrows, Eric Valle
TRAINING: Understanding and Avoiding Affiliation for Small Business Government Contractors, August 26, 2024, Meghan F. Leemon, Emily A. Reid
NATIVE AMERICAN LAW & TRIBAL ADVOCACY
Small Business Administration (SBA) Press Release: SBA Announces New Grant Funding for Native American-Owned Small Businesses
On July 19, SBA announced a funding opportunity for Native American-owned small businesses under a new pilot program, Native American Trade Expansion Program (NATEP). The new program will provide up to $240,000 in grants to expand exporting opportunities to Native American-owned small businesses. The deadline for eligible small business concerns to submit proposals to the NATEP Program is July 31, no later than 11:59 p.m. (EDT). Read more here.
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
Department of Labor (DOL) News Release: DOL Obtains Landmark Federal Court Injunction Protecting Employees Who Report Workplace Injuries from Employer Retaliation
DOL obtained a consent judgment from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma that an injunction permanently prevents the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from retaliating against employees at up to 59 locations in the State of Washington. Issued July 3, 2024, the judgment follows an investigation by DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration which found the USPS violated the provision in the Occupational Safety and Health Act protecting employees against retaliation for reporting workplace injuries. Read more here.
VA Ends Mandatory Overtime for Most Employees Processing Benefits Claims, Federal News Network
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is ending mandatory overtime for most employees who process benefits claims. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) has delivered record-breaking levels of benefits to veterans for the past three years and is on track to break yet another record this year. Read more here.
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Proposed Rule: Combating Trafficking in Persons—Definition and Agency Responsibilities
On July 18, the Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration published a proposed rule to amend the FAR implementing statutory updates to the definition of “sex trafficking” and updates to agency responsibilities in combating trafficking in contracts. The rule is available here. Comments close September 16, 2024.
The DOOBIE Act Would Codify Federal Hiring Policy for Former Marijuana Users, Government Executive
The bill, introduced by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., would enshrine in law that past marijuana use cannot be the sole basis for denying federal job applicants a position or security clearance. Read more here.
CYBERSECURITY & DATA PRIVACY
Pentagon’s New Cyber Rules Are ‘Stifling’ Foreign Suppliers, Advisors Say, Defense One
The soon-to-be-mandatory cybersecurity certification—and a 2018 OSD reorganization—are slowing vital work, the Defense Innovation Board says. Read more here.
Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Ban U.S. Agency Purchases of Counterfeit Electronics, FedScoop
The legislation aims to stop government use of products purchased from “grey-market sellers” to improve cybersecurity. Federal agencies would be prohibited from using certain products if they were purchased from an entity other than the original manufacturer or an authorized reseller under a new bipartisan Senate bill. Read more here.
Rep. Connolly Itching for More FedRAMP Progress, MeriTalk
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D.-Va., said that he’s eager to see Federal agencies – including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) – make more progress on implementing the FedRAMP Authorization Act approved by Congress late in 2022. Read more here.
White House to Require Increased Cybersecurity Protocols for R&D Institutions, FedScoop
The Office of Science and Technology Policy said federal research agencies must certify proper security requirements for covered institutions, including in higher education. Federal research agencies will now require certain covered institutions to implement cybersecurity programs for research and development security, a move the White House attributes to growing threats posed by the People’s Republic of China. Read more here.
