SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Small Business Investment Companies: Passive Business Expansion and Technical Clarifications
The delayed effective date for SBA’s final rule on Passive Business Expansion and Technical Clarifications occurred on March 21, 2017, when SBA re-opened the rule for additional public comments. SBA requires additional time to consider this final rule and determine whether any further changes are required. This final rule will go into effect on May 20, 2017. 82 Fed. Reg. 14428
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation (“HSAR”) – Extension of Comment Periods
The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) has extended the commenting periods for the following three proposed rules published on January 19, 2017: (1) “Safeguarding of Controlled Unclassified Information;” (2) “Information Technology Security Awareness Training;” and “Privacy Training.” Comments are due on, or before, April 19, 2017. 82 Fed. Reg. 14341
OTHER NEWS
“GAO: Defense Contracting Down, Civilian Agencies Steady Over 5 Years.” Federal Times, March 20, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.federaltimes.com.
Defense spending decreased by almost 31 percent between 2011 and 2015, while civilian obligations remained steady, according to an analysis of governmentwide contracting by the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”). Looking at trends of the government’s discretionary spending over a five-year period (which included 2013’s sequestration), the GAO found procurement activity at military departments during fiscal 2015 — primarily the Air Force, Army and Navy — dropped from nearly $211 billion in services and $186 billion in goods to $144 billion in services and $129 billion in goods. Meanwhile, the civilian agencies with the highest obligations on contracts during that same time period — led by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, State, Commerce, and Transportation, as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development, General Services Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration — spent around $136 billion on services and $40 billion in products for 2011 and $127 billion on services and $36 billion in products in 2015.