The Weekly Update recaps recent legislative and regulatory updates affecting
government contractors and commercial businesses.
If you have questions concerning this content, please email marketing@pilieromazza.com.
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PilieroMazza Distinguished for Legal Excellence in 2026 Chambers USA Ranking, PilieroMazza News
PilieroMazza is proud to announce that Chambers USA distinguishes the Firm’s Government Contracts Group among the nation’s elite—earning the highest nationwide ranking for the Group’s work with government contractors. Additionally, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV, earned his first national ranking in Government Contracts, reflecting Cy’s exceptional leadership and extensive experience guiding clients through every stage of the federal procurement lifecycle. The Firm also celebrates another major distinction for Jessica duHoffmann, Chair of PilieroMazza’s Construction Group, who received a Chambers USA ranking in recognition of her outstanding construction law practice. Widely respected across the industry, Jessica is known for successfully handling complex construction disputes and delivering strategic, results-driven counsel to clients nationwide. Read more here.
NVSBC Welcomes Cy Alba to Its Board of Directors, PilieroMazza News, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV
PilieroMazza is pleased to announce the appointment of Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV, to the Board of Directors for the National Veteran Small Business Coalition (NVSBC), a national non-profit organization serving the business needs of veteran-owned small businesses, including Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses or SDVOSBs. Read more here.
SBA Issues Proposed Rule Regarding Social Disadvantage Requirements for Individually-Owned 8(a) Applicants, PilieroMazza Client Alert, Meghan Leemon
On June 11, 2026, SBA issued a proposed rule entitled “Reforms to Remove SBA’s 8(a) Program’s Rebuttable Presumption of Social Disadvantage for Individually Owned Firms Only; Reforms Do Not Impact Entity-Owned Firms.” This client alert covers key aspects of the proposed rule and how it may impact a contractor’s pending or future 8(a) application. Notably, this proposed rule does not impact current individually-owned participants in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) business development program (8(a) program) or entity-owned firms. Read more here.
Executive Order (EO): Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation and Security
On June 2, President Trump issued an EO establishing the policy of the United States to promote AI innovation and security by working collaboratively with the private sector to modernize government and private sector information systems and harden them against external threats; to protect American ingenuity and intellectual property from exploitation and theft by adversaries; and to cultivate America’s advanced AI-enabled capabilities. The EO is available here.
Mullin Testifies on DHS Contract Reviews, CISA Staffing, Federal News Network
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he is reviewing contract actions prepared under his predecessor, while noting some active contracts may be under review by the Department of Homeland Security inspector general. Read more here.
CISA Plans $100M Cyber Technology Services Contract for Threat Hunting Operations, GovConWire
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced plans to launch a competition for a contract valued at more than $100 million to support its cybersecurity division’s operations, including incident response and threat-hunting. Read more here.
AI Policy Groups Call for NDAA Guardrails on Lethal Autonomous Weapons, The Hill
AI policy groups are urging leaders on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to add guardrails to an annual defense policy bill on the military’s use of lethal autonomous weapons. Americans for Responsible Innovation, Alliance for Secure AI, and The AI Policy Network called for safeguards in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), ensuring that humans make the final decision about using lethal autonomous weapon systems. Read more here.
Army Contracting Command to Negotiate Munition Deals Directly with Subcontractors, GovCon Wire
Army Contracting Command, in a new effort, will soon start negotiating munition deals directly with subcontractors to reduce the costs of these weapon systems, according to a key official. Daniel Gallagher, ACC deputy to the commanding general, told GovCon Wire in an exclusive interview ahead of the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Army Summit that subcontractors often account for 50 to 60 percent of the costs of these weapon systems. He said negotiating directly with subcontractors is an initiative from the Office of the Secretary of War’s Munitions Acceleration Council Deal Team. Read more here.
Shipbuilding Bill Momentum Grows in Senate as Lobbying Heats Up, Bloomberg Government
Congressional efforts to boost domestic shipbuilding through bipartisan legislation is picking up support in the Senate Armed Services Committee ahead of scheduled action on the National Defense Authorization Act next week. The SHIPS for America Act (S. 1541) aims to revitalize the domestic maritime industry to ensure the US military has adequate shipping to maintain overseas operations in future conflicts in areas such as the Western Pacific—where China, which currently dominates the international maritime industry, threatens Taiwan. Read more here (subscription required).
Defense Contractor Transparency Sought in New Senate Bill, Bloomberg Government
Senators introduce bipartisan legislation to improve transparency into foreign ownership of Department of Defense contractors, according to a release from Democrat Elizabeth Warren and Republican Chuck Grassley. Read more here (subscription required).
Upcoming Presentations
TRAINING: FUN with the FAR 2026: 19 & 26, June 24, 2026, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV
PM WEBINAR: Joint Venture Eligibility: Refresher and Updates on Requirements for Government Contractors, July 9, 2026, Meghan Leemon
WEBINAR: GovCon 101: Small Business Programs, July 13, 2026, Meghan Leemon
PM WEBINAR: DCAA Presents: Accounting System Compliance Requirements Every Government Contractor Must Know, July 14, 2026, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV; Peggy Galindo, Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA); Paul Calabrese, GRF CPAs & Advisors
WEBINAR: Legal Strategies & Capture Planning, July 17, 2026, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV
Government Contractors and AI: Protecting Confidential Information and Privilege in Disputes, PilieroMazza Blog, Lauren Brier, Josie Farinelli
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers clear efficiencies, but government contractors should proceed with caution before inputting protected documents, confidential information, or dispute-related facts into consumer AI tools in the hopes that they will quickly analyze your dispute and provide a strategy for recovery or litigation. A prompt intended to save time may instead produce unreliable analysis, expose sensitive information, create compliance problems under the contractor’s legal and contractual obligations, or jeopardize privilege. This article highlights several reasons government contractors—especially those facing disputes or involved in REAs, claims, and appeals—should think carefully before using AI to analyze sensitive matters. Read more here.
Upcoming Presentations
PM WEBINAR: Contract Claims 101: Common and Uncommon Claims and Appeals, July 15, 2026, Lauren Brier, Caitlin Trevillyan, Jonathan “Jon” R. Neri, Ryan Boonstra
Employee Organizing 101: What Every Employer Needs to Know Before, During, and After a Union Campaign, PilieroMazza Blog, Sarah L. Nash, Georgianne “Georgi” Kokenis
Employee organizing activity continues to draw increased attention across industries and across multiple jurisdictions, making it more important than ever for employers to understand their rights, responsibilities, and legal obligations under federal labor law. To help employers better understand this evolving landscape, PilieroMazza’s Labor & Employment Group is launching a three-part blog and webinar series focused on employee organizing and union representation. As the first installment in this series, this blog previews the webinar’s key topics, offering a high-level look at the legal framework governing organizing campaigns and the steps employers can take to navigate them while minimizing legal risk. Visit this link to register for the webinar. Read more here.
House GOP Bill Would Cut DOL Funding, Eliminate OFCCP, Law360
The House Appropriations Committee introduced a funding bill Thursday that would cut the U.S. Department of Labor’s budget by nearly $4 billion, including a decrease in the Wage and Hour Division’s budget and the elimination of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Read more here (subscription required).
Upcoming Presentations
TRAINING: Labor Rules & Regulations: Federal Market Compliance, June 24, 2026, Nichole D. Atallah
TRAINING: FUN with the FAR 2026: FAR 22 & 23, July 8, 2026, Nichole D. Atallah
PM WEBINAR: Employee Organizing 101: What Employers Need to Know Before, During, and After Employees Organize, July 29, 2026, Sarah L. Nash, Georgianne “Georgi” Kokeni
New Federal Privacy Bill Called a ‘Consensus’ of Existing State Laws, Route Fifty
Congress is trying again for a national data privacy standard that would preempt current regulations in 22 states, but opponents argue a patchwork is better than this effort. Read more here.
CISA Close to Issuing New Cyber AI Directive, Federal News Network
Agencies will soon get their first set of marching orders from President Donald Trump’s executive order on artificial intelligence from earlier this week. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will develop a new platform to help agencies take advantage of defensive capabilities AI can bring to bear. Read more here.
Top 10 Killer Construction Contract Clauses, Part 5: Liquidated Damages Provisions, PilieroMazza Blog, Jessica A. duHoffmann, Caitlin Trevillyan
Liquidated damages clauses are common in construction contracts and can create significant risk for contractors. They set a predetermined daily amount for late completion. Under common law and federal contract law, liquidated damages generally must reasonably estimate anticipated delay damages and cannot operate as a penalty. While they can create certainty, they can also threaten profitability if contractors fail to manage schedule risk. This blog highlights key benefits, risks, and practical considerations associated with liquidated damages clauses for construction contractors. Read more here.
General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule Activity Feed: Update to Advanced Notice for MAS Refresh 32 and Upcoming Mass Modification
On June 1, Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) announced the following update related to Refresh 32: (1) the proposed changes regarding Joint Ventures have been removed from the current refresh; (2) limit the substitution of customer references and relevant project experience for work performed by predecessor companies or key personnel to Startup Springboard and Fast Lane participants only; (3) clarify that previous work substitutions may apply to both PPQs and customer references; (4) add language that GSA reserves the right to request additional information to verify the legitimacy and applicability of submitted PPQs and Relevant Project Experience; and (5) define the term “predecessor.” Read more here.
GSA Lays out Step-by-Step Guide for Agencies to Cut, Streamline and Automate Work, Government Executive
The new framework from the General Services Administration pulls together internal lessons on process improvement and automation, with officials now looking to scale adoption across government through demos, showcases, and shared tools. Read more here.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report: Improper Payments: Agency Actions Needed To Help Save Taxpayer Dollars
On June 4, GAO released a report examining actions that agencies have taken to meet certain Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) reporting requirements for programs that had estimated improper payment rates of 10 percent or higher for 2 or more consecutive years. For programs with reported noncompliance, GAO reviewed relevant laws and OMB guidance and analyzed agencies’ policies and procedures, budget information, and information on PaymentAccuracy.gov. GAO recommended that OMB clarify its guidance for agencies to report required annual information, and the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), the Treasury, and Agriculture (USDA) design and implement a process to ensure tracking and monitoring of PIIA reporting requirements. Read more here.
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