Govconlaw Blog
FAR Council Issues Proposed Rule to Increase Domestic Content Requirements Under the Buy American Act
By: Lori Lange
Published Date: September 15, 2020
On September 14, 2020, the FAR Council finally issued a proposed rule to implement Executive Order 13881, Maximizing Use of American-Made Goods, Products, and Materials. 85 FR 56558 (Sep. 14, 2020). The Executive Order, which the President signed back on July 15, 2019, directed the FAR Council to change the FAR regulations implementing the Buy American Act by increasing the [...] Read More
Minimum Wage For Federal Contractors to Increase to $10.95 in 2021
By: Lori Lange
Published Date: September 8, 2020
Effective January 1, 2021, federal government contractors will be required to pay their employees working on or in connection with a government contract at least $10.95/hour – an increase of $0.15/hour over the 2020 minimum wage. 85 FR 53850 (Aug. 31, 2020). Fringe benefits paid to employees do not count towards the $10.95/hour. Back in 2014, Executive Order 13658 raised [...] Read More
Another Reminder for Bidders to Monitor beta.SAM.gov
By: Lori Lange
Published Date: August 31, 2020
The Federal Government is required to notify potential bidders of its procurement activities, such as solicitations and sole source awards. In general, this notice is done through the posting on the Federal Government’s official governmentwide point of entry (GPE) – the beta.SAM.gov website. A bidder’s failure to monitor beta.SAM.gov can result in the bidder missing procurement opportunities or not learning [...] Read More
FAR Council Amends Interim Rule on Chinese Telecommunications Ban to Update Certification Requirements
By: Lori Ann Lange and Sabah Petrov*
Published Date: August 27, 2020
By now, government contractors should be familiar with the Federal Government’s ban on government contractors both supplying and using covered telecommunications equipment and services. Covered telecommunications equipment or services are: Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of these entities); For the purpose of public safety, security of Government facilities, physical security [...] Read More
OSHA Received Increased Number of Whistleblower Complaints During the First Four Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic
By: Lori Lange
Published Date: August 24, 2020
The Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently issued an audit report on OSHA’s handling of whistleblower complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic. The audit was performed due to concerns about the health and safety of workers and whether workers who reported potential workplace safety violations, such as lack of social distancing or personal protective equipment, were protected [...] Read More