On January 24, 2021, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo which provides guidance to federal agencies on maintaining a safe federal workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. This memo instructs federal agencies to require face masks and social distancing in all Federal buildings, as directed by President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) on
Today, August 13, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a series of changes to the OMB Guidance for Grants and Agreements, including the addition of 2 CFR 200.216, Prohibition on certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment, which prohibits grant and loan recipients and subrecipients from using federal funds to
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP or “the Agency”) remains busy, and there are several recent developments of which all contractors should be aware. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has finally approved the Agency’s new Scheduling Letters, and the OFCCP will soon begin using those for
The General Services Administration (GSA) recently launched a website dedicated to Coronavirus Acquisition-Related Information and Resources. It’s our understanding that the website will be updated regularly and will create a helpful catalogue of public facing guidance, policies, frequently asked questions, and other information generated by federal government agencies on COVID-19-related procurement matters. In addition, the
On March 19, 2020 the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued Memorandum M-20-17, “Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations.” The memorandum details the administrative relief available to an expanded scope of grant recipients and applicants, both
As signaled as a possibility in its March 9, 2020 guidance in Memorandum M-20-11, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Memorandum M-20-17 on March 19 to provide short term administrative, financial management and audit relief from the 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Guidance requirements to a broader scope of recipients of grants
On March 20, 2020, the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) released guidance to agencies heads on managing federal contract performance issues impacted by COVID-19 [Linked here: M-20-18]. The memo and attached Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) focus on the following main issues:
Telework: agencies are encouraged to maximize telework for contractor employees, wherever
Continuing his trend of fulfilling the promises set forth in his Contract with the American Voter, President Trump, on January 30, 2017, issued an Executive Order mandating the elimination of at least two existing regulations for every new regulation issued. In particular, the order explains that “whenever an executive department or agency…publicly proposes for notice and comment or otherwise promulgates a new regulation, it shall identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed.” In this way, the Administration intends to offset “any new incremental costs associated with new regulations….” Notably, however, the definition of regulation does not include: (1) “regulations issued with respect to a military, national security, or foreign affairs function of the United States”; (2) “regulations related to agency organization, management, or personnel;” or (3) “any other category of regulations exempted by the Director.”
Continue Reading Trump Administration Seeks to Reduce Regulatory Burdens
Crowell & Moring’s “Fastest 5 Minutes” is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief summary of significant government contracts legal and regulatory developments that no government contracts lawyer or executive should be without, with the latest edition hosted by partners David Robbins and Peter Eyre and including updates on the National Defense Authorization Act for
On May 4, 2016, the FAR Council’s draft final rules and the Department of Labor’s draft final guidance implementing the “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” Executive Order arrived at the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review, setting in motion the final steps prior to the issuance of burdensome new compliance