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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Avoiding Common Teaming and Subcontracting Pitfalls, PilieroMazza Webinar Replay, Jon Williams
Teaming and subcontracting have always been critical tools for contractors to pursue and win work with the federal government, and the current environment of contract consolidation places even more importance on these arrangements. While teaming and subcontract agreements provide many potential advantages, there can also be significant downsides if they are not carefully structured. Join PilieroMazza’s Jon Williams for this webinar where he’ll share lessons learned from past disputes between teaming partners that will help you avoid similar issues in your teaming and subcontracting arrangements. Click here to view the recorded session.
Small Business Administration (SBA) News Release:
- SBA Clears VetCert Program Backlog to Put Veteran Entrepreneurs First: On November 11, SBA announced that it had cleared the backlog of Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) applications. SBA brought its pending total applications down from more than 2,700 to zero actionable cases, ensuring that America’s veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) can compete for federal contracts. Read more here.
- Shutdown Blocks SBA from Delivering $5 Billion to Small Businesses Amid Trump Economic Comeback: On November 13, SBA announced the cumulative impact of the federal shutdown on its small business lending programs, blaming the Congressional Democrats for the adversity. For fiscal year 2025 (FY25), the agency guaranteed a record 84,400 7(a) and 504 loans, delivering $45 billion to Main Street. Based on this volume, the SBA estimates it was unable to deliver $5.3 billion to 10,000 small businesses during the 43-day shutdown. Read more here.
Senator Accuses Defense Industry of Blocking Congress’ Right-to-Repair Reforms, Federal News Network
As Congress hammers out the final version of the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren is putting pressure on a leading industry group to stop opposing bipartisan right-to-repair efforts aimed at giving the Pentagon greater control over fixing its own equipment. Read more here.
When the FAR Gets a Revolutionary Overhaul and the Government Shuts Down, Who’s Reading the Fine Print? Federal News Network
The FAR Council eliminated a third of commercial contracting clauses, streamlined registration, and rewrote major acquisition rules in the summer; all were released just before the shutdown. Now agencies are adopting the revolutionary FAR overhaul at different speeds, leaving contractors navigating a patchwork of new procedures while dealing with expiring contracts and furloughed contracting officers. Read more here.
Upcoming Government Contract Presentations
TRAINING: Understanding and Avoiding Affiliation for Small Business Government Contractors, December 2, 2025, Daniel Figuenick, III, Nathan Jahnigen
TRAINING: Joint Venture and Mentor-Protégé Bidding Strategies, December 4, 2025, Peter B. Ford, Meghan F. Leemon
CONFERENCE: Simplifying REAs in the DOD Contracts, December 4, 2025, Isaias “Cy” Alba, IV
WEBINAR: Government Contractors and Tariff Challenges: Strategies for Success, December 12, 2025, Jacqueline K. Unger
WEBINAR: Small Business Contracting & Subcontracting, December 16, 2025, Meghan F. Leemon
TRAINING: Mergers & Acquisitions in Government Contracting: Novations and Recertification, January 15, 2026, Daniel Figuenick, III
WEBINAR: Nuts, Bolts, and Beyond: To Be a Government Contractor, January 15, 2026, Eric Valle
CONFERENCE: Warfighting at Warp Speed: Why Defense Contractors Must Track the DOW’s Acquisition Overhaul, January 20, 2026, Josie Farinelli
Unions Slam Trump for Giving China a Pass on Shipbuilding, Bloomberg Government
A group of labor unions led by the United Steelworkers slammed the Trump administration for suspending port fees on Chinese ships that workers argued would bring about a revival in the once-dominant domestic shipbuilding industry. Read more here (subscription required).
Sweeping Labor Law Overhaul Package Introduced by Senate GOP, Bloomberg Government
A sweeping slate of bills released Monday by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) would fundamentally change the last eight decades of US labor law. The bulk of the measures target the National Labor Relations Board, union elections and decertifications, and unfair labor practices. Other bills in the package would make it an unfair labor practice to hire undocumented immigrants, would protect workers’ personal data, and would prevent harassment on picket lines. Read more here (subscription required).
Upcoming Labor & Employment Presentations
TRAINING: Labor Rules & Regulations: Federal Market Compliance, December 10, 2025, Sarah L. Nash
CONFERENCE: 2026 Employment Law Rescue Guide for Contractors, January 28, 2026, Nichole D. Atallah
Congress Extends CISA 2015, but Path to Long-Term Reauthorization Remains Murky, Federal News Network
Congress has temporarily extended a landmark cyber information sharing law, but industry representatives and cyber experts are urging lawmakers to act quickly to enact a more long-term solution. CISA 2015, a key cyber info sharing law, lapsed for six weeks. Now, the question is whether Congress can find a path to long-term reauthorization. Read more here.
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