On September 26, 2025, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council released the much-anticipated rewrite of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 19, formerly titled Small Business Programs, as part of the broader Revolutionary FAR Overhaul initiative. To the pleasant surprise of many in the government contracting community, much of Part 19’s original content remains intact considering other more significant changes to other parts of the FAR. Still, several notable revisions—most prominently, retention of the Rule of Two—carry significant implications for small business . . . Read More
When the FAR Council issued its long-awaited rewrite of FAR Part 19 as part of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, many in the government contracting community focused on headline issues like the preservation of the “Rule of Two” and the streamlining of small business policies. But tucked within the reorganization is one of the most impactful—and potentially disruptive—changes for contractors: the treatment of size recertification. While the new FAR attempts to simplify the rules by anchoring size status at the master contract level, it creates significant . . . Read More
The federal government is set to run out of funding on September 30. While Congress is working on a continuing resolution to extend current funding levels and avert a government shutdown, it is currently being reported that the stopgap funding may be blocked unless the continuing resolution includes certain terms, such as extending expiring Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies. As we approach the possibility of another government shutdown, it’s crucial for government contractors to be prepared for the potential . . . Read More
Government contractors are navigating a range of legal and compliance challenges in the wake of recent executive orders issued by the Trump administration. In this timely training session hosted by the National Veteran Small Business Coalition (NVSBC), Marie Myszkier is joined by PilieroMazza attorneys Cy Alba and Lauren Brier , who address how veteran-owned small businesses can overcome legal challenges related to the EOs. Click here to listen. About Cy Alba Cy is a partner in PilieroMazza’s Government Contracts Group . He counsels clients in a broad range of government contracting matters before government . . . Read More
The recent rewrite of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 6—governing “Competition Requirements”—is prompting questions about whether the changes may signal a shift in federal small business contracting policy. In particular, the removal of explicit references to certain socioeconomic program provisions raises concerns in the small business community. In this blog, PilieroMazza dissects the FAR Part 6 rewrite, concluding that most revisions appear to be structural rather than substantive. However, the unresolved status of the “Rule of Two” continues to . . . Read More
In June 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14306 (EO), titled “Sustaining Select Efforts to Strengthen the Nation’s Cybersecurity and Amending Executive Order 13694 and Executive Order 14144,” which amends and supersedes portions of President Biden’s [1] and President Obama’s [2] executive orders on cybersecurity. The EO was accompanied by a Fact Sheet , which provides further reasoning for the revisions. Although the EO amends and supersedes portions of President Biden’s and President Obama’s executive orders, it generally leaves the framework established by these orders in place. . . . Read More
Recently, there has been a good deal of speculation about whether the so-called “Rule of Two” will continue to exist after the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) overhaul that is currently ongoing. Specifically, whether FAR Part 19 will continue to have such a rule, given it is not expressly stated in the Small Business Act (the Act) (but it is certainly intimated that such a rule is the best way to ensure that the statutory small business goals are met). However, . . . Read More
The House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure hearing titled “Leveling the Playing Field: Fostering Opportunities for Small Business Contractors,” originally scheduled for July 8 to address key issues impacting small business government contractors, was postponed. A new date has not been confirmed. It is anticipated that the hearing may be rescheduled for some time in September. Please visit this link for our original client alert. In the meantime, PilieroMazza encourages stakeholders to still submit letters. Sharing your experiences now will . . . Read More
Click here to view the recorded session. In the wake of Executive Order 14173, federal contractors face heightened scrutiny of their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The EO requires contractors to certify that DEI programs comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. Now, the Justice Department has announced it will use the False Claims Act (FCA) as an enforcement tool to target companies that maintain DEI programs in violation of the EO and current Administration policies. The announcement may substantially impact the . . . Read More
