FAR

Subscribe to FAR via RSS
Photo of Jason CrawfordPhoto of Agustin D. OrozcoPhoto of M.Yuan Zhou

Last month marked the 16-year anniversary of the FAR Mandatory Disclosure Rule (MDR) going into effect, which created requirements for federal contractors to disclose violations of specific categories of federal criminal law and violations of the civil False Claims Act (FCA).  But the passage of time has not simplified the analysis that government contractors must undertake when they learn of allegations about conduct that could be disclosable to the government.  Rather, legal developments and new Department of Justice (DOJ) policies have created additional considerations for federal contractors as they navigate a complex disclosure landscape.

Continue Reading The Evolving Landscape of Disclosure Considerations for Government Contractors
Photo of Adelicia R. CliffePhoto of William B. O'ReillyPhoto of Allison Skager

As previewed in President Biden’s State of the Union Address, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a proposed rule and notification of proposed guidance on February 9, 2023 to improve uniformity and consistency in the implementation of Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements applicable to federally funded infrastructure projects pursuant to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

This proposed rulemaking builds on preliminary guidance OMB issued on April 18, 2022, shortly before the BABA requirements became effective in May 2022. While the preliminary guidance focused heavily on agency waivers (both in terms of process and criteria), the proposed rule describes how the requirements related to manufactured products, iron and steel, and construction material will be interpreted. 

Continue Reading Buy America, by Americans—Office of Management and Budget Solicits Industry Input on Harmonizing Domestic Preference Regimes
Photo of Brittany KouroupasPhoto of Peter J. EyrePhoto of M.Yuan Zhou

On December 27, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act (S.3905) to strengthen the current rules relating to identification and mitigation of organizational conflicts of interest (OCIs) in federal acquisition. The Act focuses on updating the current FAR provision, Subpart 9.5, to provide clear definitions, examples…

Photo of Amy Laderberg O'SullivanPhoto of Olivia LynchPhoto of Zachary Schroeder

On September 23, 2022, the FAR Council issued a number of final rules amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to reflect changes previously implemented by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to its regulations on women-owned small businesses and HUBZones, as well as to clarify policy on joint ventures in small business contracting. 

The final rule on HUBZones (87 FR 58232) aligns the FAR’s definition of a HUBZone in provisions and clauses such as FAR 2.101, 52.212-3, 52.219-1, 52.219-8 and 52.219-9 to refer to the requirements described in 13 C.F.R. § 126.200 and SBA’s designation of a HUBZone small business concern in the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS). This is in line with the SBA’s recent revisions to the HUBZone regulations via which SBA annually certifies HUBZone entities in order to allow such entities to remain eligible for HUBZone contracts for the entire year rather than such entities being required to represent their status for each offer. Higher-tier contractors are required to confirm that a subcontractor representing itself as a HUBZone small business concern is certified by SBA as a HUBZone small business concern by accessing SAM or by accessing DSBS. The rule also allows contracting officers to award HUBZone set-aside and sole-source contracts at or below the simplified acquisition threshold. 

Continue Reading FAR Updated to Reflect Revised SBA Regulations
Photo of Alexandra Barbee-GarrettPhoto of Peter J. EyrePhoto of Thomas P. Gies

On August 18, 2022, the FAR Council issued a proposed amendment to the FAR implementing Executive Order 14063, Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects, which requires the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) on any large-scale federal construction projects valued at or above $35 million unless an exception applies.  The Order, and the proposed rule, also give agencies discretion to use PLAs on projects under that $35 million threshold. 

In addition to expanding definitions of “construction,” “labor organization,” and “large-scale construction project” to align with E.O. 14063, the proposed rule would revise FAR 22.503 to reflect the change in policy that mandates agencies to require the use of PLAs when awarding large-scale federal construction contracts—including individual orders under Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contracts—unless an exception applies.  The proposed rule would make the PLA requirement a mandatory flow-down.  The proposed rule would also allow agencies to include any additional agency-specific requirements in a PLA through FAR 22.504(b)(6), and would strike the current FAR 22.504(c), which grants agencies discretion to specify PLA terms and conditions. 

Continue Reading FAR Council Proposes New Rule on Project Labor Agreements for Major Construction Projects
Photo of Adelicia R. CliffePhoto of Lorraine M. CamposPhoto of M.Yuan ZhouPhoto of Stephanie Crawford

On July 14, the FAR Council published an interim rule revising FAR 52.204-24 and FAR 52.204-25 to implement Section 889(a)(1)(B) of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) prohibiting executive agencies from entering into, renewing, or extending contracts with contractors that use Huawei, ZTE, or other identified telecommunications equipment and services (“covered telecommunications equipment and…

Photo of Adelicia R. CliffePhoto of M.Yuan ZhouPhoto of Stephanie Crawford

Section 889(a)(1)(B) of the FY 2019 NDAA, scheduled to become effective on August 13, 2020, bars the Government from entering into a contract, or extending or renewing a contract, with any entity that uses certain covered telecommunications equipment or services. The prohibition against “use” of covered equipment applies broadly to a contractor’s “use” anywhere within…

Photo of Lorraine M. CamposPhoto of Adelicia R. Cliffe

Today, in Acetris Health, LLC v. United States, the Federal Circuit held that a pharmaceutical manufactured in the United States qualified for sale, under the TAA, to the Department of Veterans Affairs even though the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) came from a non-designated country, India. In reaching this decision, the court questioned, without deciding,…

Photo of Daniel R. FormanPhoto of Amy Laderberg O'SullivanPhoto of John E. McCarthy Jr.Photo of Olivia LynchPhoto of Christian Curran

On March 22, 2018, the Department of Defense (DoD), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense issued a Class Deviation letter to the heads of all Department of Defense agencies requiring, effective immediately, that every DoD agency ensure that its contracting officers implement the recommendations for enhanced post-award debriefings set forth in Section 818 of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The direction makes clear that DoD agencies are to provide unsuccessful offerors who are given a debriefing in accordance with FAR 15.506(d) the opportunity to “submit additional questions related to the debriefing within two business days after receiving the debriefing.”  The agency will then be required to “respond in writing to the additional questions submitted by an unsuccessful offeror within five business days after receipt of the questions” and must hold the debriefing open until it “delivers its written responses to the unsuccessful offeror.”Continue Reading DoD Implements New Enhanced Debriefing Procedures from the 2018 NDAA

Photo of Peter J. EyrePhoto of J. Chris HailePhoto of Steve McBradyPhoto of Brian Tully McLaughlinPhoto of Gail D. Zirkelbach

On March 1, the President announced his intention to impose tariffs of 25% on all imported steel and 10% on all imported aluminum. A more formal announcement of the tariffs is expected in the coming week and, while many might have been surprised by the timing of the President’s initial statement, it came after a 10-month process of investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce, culminating with its January 2018 recommendation for tariffs or quotas to protect U.S. producers. The Commerce Department reports are available here and here.

When finalized, these tariffs could have significant impacts on contractors across a range of industries, increasing costs of performance and restricting available supply. Domestic prices are expected to rise, and foreign suppliers may turn their focus to other markets. Supply disruptions are possible, particularly in the short term. To protect themselves, federal contractors who manufacture or use products with steel or aluminum should examine existing contracts, re-evaluate bids being developed, and consider revisions to standard contract terms.Continue Reading Steel and Aluminum Tariffs: Recovery and Risk Reduction for Federal Contractors