1. COMMERCIAL CONTRACTING RULES APPLY TO FEDERAL SUPPLY SCHEDULES
On Tuesday, March 10, 2015, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed and remanded a decision by the Court of Federal Claims, which permitted the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) to include contract clauses that deviated from federal government commercial contracting rules.
2. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS NET $2.3B IN HEALTH CARE FRAUD RECOVERY
According to a report released by law firm Bass Berry & Sims PLC, the federal government netted nearly $2.3 billion from recoveries under the False Claims Act related to federal healthcare programs.
3. INFORMAL SOLICITATION OBJECTION DOESN’T PRESERVE STANDING
The Court of Federal Claims affirmed the dismissal of protests over two government contracts for federal offender rehabilitation services, finding that the protester did not have standing because it never submitted an acceptable bid and didn’t formally protest the terms of the solicitations.
4. COMMENT PERIOD REOPENED FOR SBA RULE TO IMPLEMENT NDAA
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reopening the comment period for a proposed rule that implements provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2013, which pertains to performance requirements applicable to small business and socioeconomic program set aside contracts, small business subcontracting, the non-manufacturer rule and affiliation rules.
5. NASA ADOPTS CONTRACTOR WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS
NASA has adopted, without change, an interim rule amending the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) to implement Contractor Whistleblower Protections.
