SBA Proposes New Social Disadvantage Test for Individually Owned 8(a) Applicants, Eliminating the Rebuttable Presumption
On June 11, 2026, the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) published a proposed rule that would revise how individually owned small businesses establish social disadvantage for purposes of the Section 8(a) Business Development Program (the “8(a) Program”), 91 Fed. Reg. 35433 (June 11, 2026). The proposed rule would remove the longstanding rebuttable presumption of...
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The FAR Overhaul’s CUI Rule Heads to Formal Rulemaking: What Contractors Should Watch
Article by: Steffanie Lee On Tuesday, June 23, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council published the first tranche of proposed FAR rules in the Federal Register, formally opening public comment on the first wave of its Revolutionary FAR Overhaul. This first set spans roughly 17 FAR Parts, with additional batches expected in the coming months....
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The Navy’s 2026 Shipbuilding Plan: Acquisition Reform and Industrial Capacity Take Center Stage
In May 2026, the Department of the Navy released its latest Shipbuilding Plan (the “Plan”), outlining a long-term vision for expanding and modernizing the Fleet while simultaneously addressing longstanding acquisition and industrial-base challenges. While the Plan discusses future fleet composition and procurement priorities, one of its most notable themes is the Navy’s recognition that...
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Harden It or Ship It? What the AI Executive Order and NSPM-11 Mean for Government Contractors
Within three days in early June 2026, the White House issued two major artificial intelligence (“AI”) policy directives. On June 2, President Trump signed the Executive Order, Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security (the “EO”). On June 5, he signed National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-11 (the “Memorandum”). Read together, the two actions are designed...
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OMB Proposes Sweeping Changes to Federal Grant Regulations
In a proposed rule issued on May 29, 2026, the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) issued a proposed rule that would significantly revise OMB’s “Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance,” codified in title 2, subtitle A of the Code of Federal Regulations. The “Uniform Guidance,” as it is known, is the federal government’s rulebook...
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Don’t Get Burned This Summer: Federal Contractors Have Until July 24 to Comply With the New “Addressing DEI Discrimination” FAR Clause but State Contracts Make for a Complicated Season
While most people are counting down to summer vacation, federal contractors have a different kind of deadline on the calendar. There’s no slowdown on compliance this season. July 24, 2026 is the date by which contracting officers must make every effort to bilaterally modify existing contracts to incorporate FAR 52.222-90, “Addressing DEI Discrimination by...
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