Here is a rundown of last week’s top developments related to government contracts to get you back on track and ready for Monday.
1. 6TH CIRCUIT REVERSES $657M FCA JUDGMENT
Last week, the Sixth Circuit found that the government failed to adequately prove damages against United Technologies Corp and reversed the $657 million judgment against the company for allegedly overcharging the government on jet engines for the military.
2. DOD BETTER BUYING POWER 3.0
On April 9, 2015, the Pentagon unveiled the latest iteration of its Better Buying Power acquisition reform, focusing on the preservation of U.S. technological superiority by protecting budgets for long-term research and development while enhancing cybersecurity.
3. FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13672, which seeks to provide for a uniform policy for the Government to prohibit discrimination by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the prohibited bases of discrimination.
4. SBA IMPROPERLY DENIED WOMAN’S GENDER-BASED 8(A) APPLICATION
The Small Business Administration’s Office of Hearings and Appeals upheld a protest by a woman-owned small business, finding that the SBA had improperly and unreasonably rejected Petitioner’s evidence concerning the gender discrimination.
5. SBA EXTENDS COMMENT PERIOD FOR MENTOR-PROTÉGÉ RULES
The Small Business Administration extended its deadline by an additional 30 days for public comments on a wide-ranging proposed rule that would create a government-wide mentor-protégé program for small businesses and make other changes to SBA contracting regulations.
6. GSA PRICE REDUCTION CLAUSE PROPOSED RULE – PUBLIC MEETING
A public meeting will be held Friday, April 17, 2015 in Washington, D.C. to discuss the GSA’s proposed rule that would replace the PRC with a new reporting requirement that the GSA believes will provide a more effective model for ensuring fair and reasonable prices.