Government Contracts Monitor

New Regulation Requires Contractors to Post Labor Rights Notices

On June 21, 2010, federal agencies will begin using contract clauses requiring contractors to post new workplace notices informing employees of their rights under federal labor laws. The Department of Labor’s recent final rule implements Executive Order 13496, which President Obama issued soon after taking office.  

IT Industry Focus: Congress Will Look to Private Sector to Enhance Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity threats pose some of the most important challenges facing the United States today.  However, unlike other types of critical infrastructure, cyberspace cannot be protected by the government alone.

JK Attorney Publishes Article about Federal R&D Funding

Jackson Kelly attorney and blog contributor Eric Whytsell recently wrote an article appearing in the spring issue of Capacity magazine about federal R&D funding opportunities. In the article, Whytsell says, "despite the recently proposed spending ‘freeze,' the government will continue to make substantial R&D money available for the foreseeable future – through both contracts and grants." To read the full article see Federal R&D funding: it's out there - go get it!.

DoD Proposes Tightening Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Rules

The Department of Defense (DoD) is proposing to amend its procurement regulations to “provide uniform guidance” and to “tighten existing requirements” for organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) in DOD contracts. Although the new rule implements § 207 of the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 (WSARA) (see our June 2009 post), it would apply to all non-COTS DOD contracts.