This is the eighth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions
Latest from Inside Government Contracts
New Trade Agreements Act Thresholds Take Effect January 1, 2022
On December 30, 2021, the FAR Council issued a final rule to update the trade agreements thresholds implemented under the Trade Agreements Act (“TAA”). The new thresholds take effect January 1, 2022.
The TAA thresholds are adjusted every two years
FCA Defendants May Be Able to Recover Attorney Fees Under Their Fixed-Price Contracts, At Least For Now
If a contractor is working on a fixed-price contract, can it charge the government for attorney’s fees to defend a False Claim Act (“FCA”) case related to the contract?
DoD Releases Updated CMMC Program Documentation
The Department of Defense (DoD) released key documentation relating to Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 over the past several weeks, including (1) a CMMC 2.0 Model Overview document, (2) CMMC Self-Assessment Scopes for Level 1 and 2 assessments/certifications, (3)
Biden Executive Order Promises to “Transform Federal Procurement” to Meet Net-Zero Emissions Target
On December 8, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14057 (“Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability”), the Administration’s latest – and most significant – effort to promote cleaner and more sustainable federal procurement. At the heart of
Contractors Have an Opportunity to Help Shape ESG Requirements
Addressing climate change has been a priority for President Biden since his first day in office. On December 8, 2021, President Biden continued that focus by issuing Executive Order (EO) 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability
OFCCP’s New Contractor Portal: What Contractors Need to Know
On December 2, 2021, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) announced the creation of a new Contractor Portal. Starting next year, federal prime contractors and subcontractors will be required to register on the portal
November 2021 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
This is the seventh in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key
Contractor COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Blocked Nationwide – UPDATE
Several federal courts have issued preliminary injunctions blocking the Biden Administration from enforcing its federal contractor COVID-19 vaccine mandate. As discussed in our previous posts, President Biden issued Executive Order 14042 mandating that employees of federal contractors and subcontractors be
GAO’s Annual Report: Bid Protest Cases Filed Drop to Ten-Year Lows While the Effectiveness Rate Remains High
Last Tuesday, GAO released its Fiscal Year 2021 protest statistics, which as always contains a wealth of interesting information about GAO’s protest system.
- Protest filings dropped by 12% from FY20. After remaining fairly steady in FY19 and FY20, filings