GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
Bloomberg Government Interviews Sam Finnerty on Trump’s Overhaul of Federal Contracting and GSA’s Pivotal Role, PilieroMazza News, Samuel S. Finnerty
In a March 20 executive order, President Trump directed federal agencies to submit plans to consolidate procurement for “common goods and services” under the General Services Administration, which puts the agency in charge of contracts in 10 broad market categories that were worth $495 Billion in fiscal 2024. Together, these contracts represented 64% of total contract spending by all defense and civilian agencies, according to the most recent Bloomberg data. Read more here.
Jon Williams Writes for Federal News Network: It’s Time to DOGE the VA’s Misguided Medical Devices Contract, PilieroMazza News, Jon Williams
The Department of Veterans Affairs is currently planning for the next five-year contract to continue its controversial 2018 plan to insource the warehousing and distribution of positive airway pressure (PAP) devices and accessories, commonly prescribed to the millions of veterans with sleep apnea. Jon Williams recently wrote a column for Federal News Network discussing how poorly this plan has gone so far and why VA should return to relying on veteran-owned small businesses in the private sector for the warehousing and distribution of these critical products. Read more here.
SBA’s 180-Day Recertification Rule: Clarifying the Meaning of “Offer” in Size Determinations, PilieroMazza Blog, Samuel S. Finnerty
In a recent decision by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA), the Size Appeal of Secise, LLC, SBA No. SIZ-6337 (Feb. 19, 2025) clarified an important exception to the general rule for determining a firm’s size status. The ruling addressed the meaning of “offer” under the SBA’s 180-day rule, a key factor in determining whether a firm remains eligible for a small business set-aside contract following a merger, sale, or acquisition. Read more here.
The Army Wants to Put $1B Into Transformation in Contact 2.0, DefenseOne
The Army is doubling down on its Transformation in Contact modernization model, the service’s top operations officer said—adding more units into the program and multiplying the number of systems they’ll test as well as the funding to make it all happen. The next iteration will test more drones, more vehicles, and more electronic warfare systems. Read more here.
Upcoming Government Contract Presentations
TRAINING: Insights on the Regulations Pertaining to Novation’s and How It Impacts Company Value, April 9, 2025, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV
TRAINING: Joint Venture and Mentor-Protégé Bidding Strategies, April 9, 2025, Peter B. Ford, Meghan F. Leemon
WEBINAR: Nuts, Bolts, and Beyond: To Be a Government Contractor, April 9, 2025, Eric Valle
SEMINAR: Executive Orders and the Future of Government Contracts: Legal Insights for Contractors, April 16, 2025, Meghan F. Leemon
WEBINAR: Small Business Contracting & Subcontracting, April 18, 2025, Meghan F. Leemon
PM WEBINAR: Diversifying your Contract Pipeline by Maximizing Opportunities through the DOD’s Mentor-Protégé Program, April 18, 2025, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV, Kristine “Krissy” Crallé
TRAINING: Understanding and Avoiding Affiliation for Small Business Government Contractors, April 22, 2025, Emily A. Reid, Cole R. Fox
CONFERENCE: EOs, Regulations, and Judicial Updates for the Federal Marketplace, April 24, 2025, Meghan F. Leemon
CONFERENCE: Federal Contracting Under the Trump Administration, April 24, 2025, Meghan F. Leemon
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Memorandum: Guidance on Revocation of Executive Order (EO) 14119
On March 27, OPM issued a memorandum directing all heads of U.S. departments and agencies to report, by April 30, 2025, to the OPM regarding the steps taken to comply with the Trump Administration’s EO titled, Additional Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions, which revoked EO 14119 titled, Scaling and Expanding the Use of Registered Apprenticeships in Industries and the Federal Government and Promoting Labor Management Forums. In the Report, agencies are to identify collective bargaining agreements and policies that use labor-management forums, committees, councils, or labor unions, identify a timeline for the abolishment of the same, and outline all steps taken to comply with the Trump Administration’s EO. Read more here.
Federal Contractor Watchdog Office Seeks to ‘Deter DEI’ at Firms Working with Agencies, Federal News Network
The new head of the Labor Department’s federal contractor watchdog office says the agency is taking steps to deter diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at companies doing business with the government. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program has until April to verify all federal contractors have “wound down their use of affirmative action plans.” Read more here.
Jobless Claims by US Federal Workers Fall Back to End-2024 Level, Bloomberg News
New applications for unemployment benefits filed by federal employees declined for a fourth week and are now back to levels seen at the end of 2024. There were 564 initial claims filed nationwide in the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees program for the week ended March 22, according to data posted on the Department of Labor’s website. That’s about a third of a recent peak a month ago, at a time when the Trump administration started to fire employees across government agencies. Read more here (subscription required).
House Panel Split on Independent Contractors, OT Updates, Law360
Republicans on a U.S. House subcommittee called for updating the Fair Labor Standards Act to more easily classify workers as independent contractors and enable overtime and paid time off swapping, while Democrats urged greater protections for employees, not a watering down of the law. Read more here (subscription required).
Upcoming Labor & Employment Presentations
WEBINAR: GovCon: Need to Know – Employment, Health and Safety, April 29, 2025, Sarah L. Nash
CYBERSECURITY & DATA PRIVACY
Phishing Campaign Seeks to Siphon Ukraine War Intelligence from Defense Contractors, NextGov/FCW
A large-scale phishing campaign has been targeting defense, aerospace and IT companies that support Ukraine’s military in its war against Russia, likely seeking to harvest credentials and sensitive intelligence about the nation’s war effort, according to findings made public. Read more here.
DOD Shepherds CMMC Through Trump Deregulatory Initiative, Federal News Network
The Defense Department is still working to finalize the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) acquisition rule and clear a deregulatory push by the Trump administration. The Trump administration has a ‘10 out, one in’ rule for new regulations, but DoD officials are confident they can finalize the CMMC requirements soon. Read more here.
NIST Releases Finalized Guidelines on Protecting AI from Attacks, NextGov/FCW
The final version of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s guide to combatting artificial intelligence-powered cyberattacks was released, featuring updated definitions of attacks and mitigation terms as well as recent threat mitigation method developments. Read more here.
Lawmakers Try Again with Software Licensing Bill, NextGov/FCW
Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., Pat Fallon, R-Texas, April McClain Delaney, D-Md., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C. reintroduced the Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets, or SAMOSA, Act. House lawmakers are trying again to pass the proposal meant to rein in the costs of the government’s software licenses. This marks the third Congress in which the bipartisan bill has been introduced. Read more here.
BUSINESS & TRANSACTIONS
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Interim Final Rule Questions and Answers (Q&As)
FinCEN, following the publication of the Interim Final Rule, Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Reporting Requirement Revision and Deadline Extension, FinCEN posted ten Q&As relating to the Interim Final Rule. In these Q&As, FinCEN clarifies that all domestic entities created in the U.S. and their beneficial owners are exempt from filing BOI reports and that reporting companies do not need to report BOI for “U.S. Persons.” Any foreign entity that became a reporting company before March 26, 2025, will have to file a BOI report on or before April 25, 2025. As to why FinCEN issued the Interim Final Rule, it states that it believes that the updated requirements are necessary when they “reassessed the balance between the usefulness of collecting BOI and the regulatory burdens imposed” by the requirements and that the updated requirements ensure that the “regulations are appropriately tailored to advance the public interest.” Read more here.
