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Upcoming Events: Register to attend PilieroMazza’s upcoming events here. Recent Thought Leadership: Check out PilieroMazza’s recent client alerts and blogs here. Podcasts: Listen to PilieroMazza’s podcasts GovCon Live! here and Clocking in with PilieroMazza here. |
SBA Proposed Changes to 8(a) Program Impacts Applicants and Participants, PilieroMazza Client Alert, Meghan F. Leemon
As PilieroMazza noted recently here, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released a major proposed rulemaking that will impact government contractors, including those that are participants in or seeking to be admitted to the 8(a) Business Development Program (8(a) Program). PilieroMazza is posting a series of client alerts regarding SBA’s proposed rulemaking. This alert highlights some of the proposed changes pertaining specifically to the 8(a) Program that will impact both applicants and participants. Read more here.
Small Business Administration (SBA) Notice of Availability of Small Business Size Standards: Revised Size Standards Methodology
On September 12, SBA published a Notice advising that it revised its white paper explaining how it establishes, reviews, and modifies small business size standards. The revised white paper provides a detailed description of SBA’s size standards methodology. The Notice is available here.
U.S. Congress Searches for Stopgap Funding Deal Amid Rancor, Reuters
The U.S. Congress will attempt to broker a deal on legislation to temporarily fund a range of federal programs, with no clear path and just 15 days remaining before money runs out. Unless a stopgap spending bill is sent to President Joe Biden by midnight Sept. 30, the end of the current fiscal year, many agency operations will cease with thousands of federal workers furloughed for lack of funds. Read more here.
Upcoming Government Contract Presentations
TRAINING: Unlocking the Secrets of Debriefings, Government Evaluation of Proposals and Protests, September 26, 2024, Katherine B. Burrows, Eric Valle
SEMINAR: Common Scenarios Triggering False Claims Act Violations, Part 1: Government Contracts and Cybersecurity, September 26, 2024, Matthew E. Feinberg, Jacqueline K. Unger, Mark F. Rosenow
SEMINAR: Common Scenarios Triggering False Claims Act Violations, Part 2: Construction and Workforce Issues, October 1, 2024, Matthew E. Feinberg, Jessica A. duHoffmann, Sarah L. Nash
EVENT: NVSBC Huntsville Engagement Breakfast, October 3, 2024, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV, Nichole D. Atallah
SEMINAR: Common Scenarios Triggering False Claims Act Violations, Part 3: Claims and Investigations, October 10, 2024, Matthew E. Feinberg, Mark F. Rosenow
WEBINAR: Requests for Equitable Adjustment: Optimizing Recovery from Changes to Government Contracts, October 10, 2024, Lauren Brier
TRAINING: Past Performance: How to Use Yours, Benefit from Others’, and Defend It from Attacks, October 16, 2024, Katherine B. Burrows, Daniel Figuenick, III
TRAINING: Joint Venture and Mentor-Protege Bidding Strategies, October 17, 2024, Peter B. Ford, Meghan F. Leemon
CONFERENCE: What’s New in GovCon? Important Legal Updates for Government Contractors, October 30, 2024, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV
Executive Office of the President Executive Order (EO) 14126: Workforce Development, Investing in America and in American Workers
On September 11, the Executive Office of the President published EO 14126 to expand the Investing in America agenda by intending to expand well-paying jobs. This EO requires agencies to prioritize projects that enhance the EO’s agenda such as utilizing project-labor agreements or collective bargaining agreements; paying equal to or more than the prevailing wage; increasing pay transparency; supplying benefits such as paid leave; or increasing job creation in underserved communities. The EO is available here.
Feds Working Overseas Face 22% Pay Cut, If Congress Doesn’t Reauthorize Necessary Funds, Federal News Network
Federal employees working overseas could see a 22% cut in pay if Congress doesn’t reauthorize a critical funding source by October 1. State Department officials notified the American Foreign Service Association about the possible lapse of funds in July. Read more here.
Upcoming Labor & Employment Presentations
CONFERENCE: Why Should Business Leaders Care About HR? It’ll Cost You If You Don’t, September 27, 2024, Nichole D. Atallah
PM TRAINING: ABCs of the SCA: Critical Path Service Contract Act Training for Government Contractors, October 22, 23, and 24, 2024, Nichole D. Atallah, Sarah L. Nash
Upcoming Mergers & Acquisitions Presentations
PM WEBINAR: Navigating M&A in the Manufacturing Industry: Strategies for Success, October 17, 2024, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV
FALSE CLAIMS ACT / AUDITS & INVESTIGATIONS
Significant Improvements Are Needed to Address Improper Payments and Fraud, Government Accountability Office (GAO)
According to a report released by the GAO, the federal government could lose between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud alone. To safeguard federal funds, it’s critical to reduce fraud and improper payments—payments that should not have been made or were made in an incorrect amount. The report is available here.
Lawmakers Tee Up Federal Fraud Scorecard to Measure Agency Programs, Federal News Network
House lawmakers will soon unveil a federal fraud scorecard that evaluates how major programs are taking steps to reduce fraudulent and improper payments. Leaders on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s government operations subcommittee spent the past year developing the scorecard. Ranking Member Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) said the bipartisan initiative will “assess the progress of key government spending programs in reducing fraud and improper payments.” Read more here.
CORPORATE & ORGANIZATIONAL GOVERNANCE
Treasury Floats Long-Awaited Rules For Corp. Minimum Tax, Law360
Treasury and the IRS released highly anticipated rules on the new 15% corporate alternative minimum tax on corporations with reported profits of $1 billion or more, taking a step toward implementing a key provision of President Joe Biden’s signature 2022 tax and climate law. Read more here (subscription required). The proposed rule is available here.
Pentagon’s First Cyber Policy Chief Targets Better Metrics For Cybersecurity Progress, Federal News Network
Michael Sulmeyer, the first-ever assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy, plans to spend the “weeks and months ahead” focusing on developing better ways to measure cybersecurity progress across the Defense Department (DOD). While the number of cyber operations conducted by DOD provides some insight into its cybersecurity progress, DOD, along with the rest of the federal government and private sector, needs to focus on return on investment to measure cybersecurity success. Read more here.