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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DHS Orders Thousands of Furloughed Employees Back to Work Despite Ongoing Shutdown, CBS News
The Department of Homeland Security has ordered thousands of furloughed employees back to work, according to internal emails obtained by CBS News, even as most of the agency technically remains shut down and unfunded by Congress. Read more here.
Navy Shipbuilding Request Rises Nearly 50% in 2027 Proposal, Defense One
The White House wants nearly $65.8 billion for naval shipbuilding in fiscal 2027, up from about $45.1 billion it requested for the current fiscal year. The White House aims to fund nearly 20 warships plus initial work on a battleship class. Read more here.
Department of War (DOW) News Release:
- Joint Task Force Commits Over $600 Million to Procure New Counter-UAS Capability: On April 6, DOW announced that a Joint Interagency Task Force 401 has committed over $600 million at a record pace to strengthen counter-unmanned aircraft systems capabilities in support of Operation Epic Fury, the FIFA World Cup and homeland defense. This critical milestone demonstrates significant progress in counter-drone efforts and interagency collaboration. Read more here.
- Navy Researchers Seek Volunteers for NASA Study: On April 9, DOW announced that Navy researchers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are seeking volunteers to assist in a study that directly supports one of the United States’ biggest space exploration goals: returning American astronauts to the moon. Read more here.
DHS Boosts Civilian Procurement Spending: BGOV Contracting, Bloomberg Government
DHS border enforcement operations drove strong first-half fiscal year procurement spending for civilian agencies, according to Maika Ito’s analysis of preliminary data. In half a year, DHS is nearly at the total amount spent on procurement in fiscal 2025 and is up 190% compared with the first two quarters of last year. Overall, civilian agency procurement totaled $139 billion so far this fiscal year, up 24% from the same period last year. Obligations had stalled in fiscal 2025 as agencies navigated changes to federal procurement implemented by the Trump administration. Read more here (subscription required).
Scammers Posing As Federal Officials Drive Complaints Up and Rack Up $800 Million in Losses, Government Executive
The number of complaints filed with the FBI that described cyberscammers impersonating government officials nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025 and resulted in some $800 million in losses last year, FBI data released Monday shows. The scams, some of which were fueled by AI, can be especially effective because they exploit the built-in authority and urgency people associate with institutions. Read more here.
VA’s FY27 Budget Proposal Seeks Funding for Additional AI Adoption, Government Executive
The White House wants to allocate more funds to the Department of Veterans Affairs to help expand the agency’s use of artificial intelligence tools in fiscal year 2027, according to several detailed budget proposals. VA’s decision intelligence and automation activities would see a 10.9% increase over FY26 enacted levels, with the growth “driven primarily by the AI Infrastructure solution.” Read more here.
Pentagon Investigators Blocked from Using ‘War Department’ in Official Documents, Defense One
Ever since President Donald Trump signed an executive order in September authorizing the Defense Department to go by the “secondary title” of War Department, the Pentagon has been working to change its signage, signature blocks, and as many instances of “Defense” as possible. But that stops with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its official filings, because “War Department” still isn’t a legal name. “Secondary title” is fine for letterhead, but not for court filings, inspector general warns in April 1 memo. Read more here.
Upcoming Presentations
WEBINAR: Tariffs in Government Contracting, April 23, 2026, Jacqueline K. Unger
WEBINAR: Using JVs to Win Work with GSA and Beyond, April 30, 2026, Meghan F. Leemon
CONFERENCE: Small Business Panel: Navigating Today’s Marketplace Together, May 12, 2026, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV
TRAINING: SBA Regulatory Updates, May 19, 2026, Eric A. Valle
WEBINAR: The Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act, May 28, 2026, Jacqueline K. Unger
DOL $596K Recovery, 3-Year Debarment Highlights Davis-Bacon Compliance Risks for Construction Contractors, PilieroMazza Blog, Sarah L. Nash, Sara Ryan
An investigation by the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (DOL WHD) recently found that J. Solano HVAC LLC (the Company), a subcontractor on two Washington, D.C. affordable housing projects, willfully violated the DBA (Davis-Bacon Act) multiple times when it: (1) failed to pay workers the prevailing wage and (2) misclassified skilled sheet metal workers and pipefitter mechanics as lower-skilled laborers, thereby underpaying required wages and fringe benefits. DOL action shows that willful violations of the DBA risk more than wage penalties for government contractors. Read more here.
EEOC Says 2025 Bias Recoveries Hit $660M, Backlog Falls, Law360
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recovered $660 million for aggrieved workers last fiscal year, and took a large bite out of its backlog of pending workplace discrimination charges, according to an agency report released Monday. Read more here (subscription required).
Department of Labor (DOL) News Release: DOL Launches New Tools to Help Businesses Strengthen Supply Chains, Stop Unfair Foreign Labor Practices
On April 8, DOL announced the launch of a new suite of voluntary self-assessment tools to empower U.S. companies to strengthen their global supply chains, protect their brands, and defend American workers from unfair competition due to labor abuses overseas. Read more here.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report: Telework and Changing Travel Patterns: Department of Transportation (DOT) Should Develop Guidance to Help Communities Prioritize Investments
On April 10, GAO released a report recommending the DOT to complete a study to help communities respond to new travel trends and prioritize investments relating to telework, hybrid schedules, and travel behaviors. Read more here.
Upcoming Presentations
PM WEBINAR: The New DEI Crackdown: What Federal Contractors Must Do Now, April 22, 2026, Sarah L. Nash, Matthew E. Feinberg, Lauren Brier
WEBINAR: Future-Proofing Your Contracts: Legal Compliance Updates for Government Contractors, April 23, 2026, Nichole D. Atallah
TRAINING: ABCs of the SCA: Critical Path Service Contract Act Training for Government Contractors, April 28-30, 2026, Nichole D. Atallah, Sarah L. Nash
Upcoming Presentations
PM WEBINAR: Contract Basics for Entrepreneurs: The Contracts You Need in Your Legal Toolkit as You Scale Your Business, May 7, 2026, Kristen Centre
AI Transparency Bill Gains More Support in the House: BGOV AI, Bloomberg Government
New bipartisan legislation would require companies creating the largest AI models to disclose more information about how their products are built, Oma Seddiq reports. Industry players have asked the federal government to lead on so-called transparency requirements so they have one guideline to comply with rather than several rules in states like California, New York, and Colorado. The AI Foundation Model Transparency Act (H.R. 8094) follows the White House’s release of a national AI framework that would override state laws and comes as lawmakers consider a broader package this year. Read more here (subscription required).
GSA Looks to Rebuild Workforce After Widespread Layoffs Last Year, Federal News Network
The General Services Administration, a former hub for the Department of Government Efficiency, is looking to hire hundreds of employees after facing deep staffing cuts last year. At DOGE’s direction, GSA tried to cut its real estate portfolio in half. But it shrank its workforce faster than it could offload buildings. GSA’s top leader is also taking on a second job as the acting head of the National Archives and Records Administration. Read more here.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche Issues Memorandum on the Creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division
On April 7, DOJ announced the issuance of a memorandum regarding the Creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. This National Fraud Enforcement Division is part of the DOJ’s effort to support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Read more here. The full memorandum is available here.
Treasury is Creating A Database with Pandemic Aid Recipients’ Sensitive Information, Government Executive
The Treasury Department is pooling information about people who received benefits from pandemic-era relief programs in a new, central database it says will be used to conduct program audits. Read more here.
Agencies Could be Required to Move Loan Systems to One Platform Under Bipartisan Bill, Government Executive
Bipartisan legislation introduced in March 2026 would consolidate federal lending systems onto a shared services platform, a move that would require agencies to migrate their loan programs or justify exemptions under the Federal Loan Systems Modernization Act (H.R. 7789 and S. 3980). Read more here.
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