Federal acquisition policy, regulation, and the rule changes that move the government contracting market.
The General Services Administration proposed a rule on September 22, 2026 to move Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures from the Federal Acquisition Regulation into a new part of the GSA Acquisition Regulation, directing ordering activities to follow the GSA-set procedures.
The Department of Energy proposed a rule on September 22, 2026 to revise the procedures its Office of Hearings and Appeals uses to resolve retaliation claims from DOE contractor employees, clarifying filing deadlines and tolling practices.
The Maritime Administration published a proposed rule on September 22, 2026 that would extend Capital Construction Fund eligibility to all U.S.-built vessels in domestic or foreign commerce, remove geographic trade restrictions, and create a process to terminate inactive or zero-balance accounts.
The FAR Council — OFPP, DoD, GSA, and NASA — proposed a rule on September 18, 2026 revising seven parts of the Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement Executive Order 14275, "Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement." It is the first of twelve planned rules to streamline the FAR; comments close October 19, 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finalized a rule on September 18, 2026 amending its acquisition regulation to codify compliance with the Make Personal Protective Equipment in America Act. The rule, effective October 19, 2026, is meant to sustain and expand domestic PPE manufacturing capacity.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on September 18, 2026 proposed sweeping updates to excepted-service hiring regulations, including formal procedures for converting Pathways Program participants to Schedule Policy/Career. The rule preserves veterans' preference and injury-restoration rights, and public comments are due November 17, 2026.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is requesting public comment through October 15, 2026 on a new process to recognize organizations and individuals that help veterans, families, and caregivers navigate VHA programs, as required by Section 129 of the Dole Act.
The Defense Health Agency's R&D activity at Fort Detrick adopted a final Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory personnel plan on September 17, 2026, taking effect with no public comment period.
The Treasury Department and IRS published proposed regulations on September 11 requiring Qualified Opportunity Funds to file new information returns and furnish investor statements, while clarifying penalties and self-certification procedures. Comments close October 16, 2026.
The General Services Administration submitted a Paperwork Reduction Act request to OMB on September 11 for a new SAM.gov annual certification requiring registered Higher Education Institutions to certify compliance with Executive Order 14400. Comments close October 13, 2026.
The National Institutes of Health published a draft biosafety policy on September 14 that would replace its current Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules. Public comments are open through October 19, 2026.
DOE published a request for information on restricting foreign-made bulk-power equipment, with comments due October 9 and Federal Acquisition Regulation changes to follow.
The Department of Veterans Affairs opened a 60-day public comment period, closing November 2, 2026, on renewing without changes its rule requiring offerors on management-support and consulting solicitations to disclose organizational conflicts of interest.
OMB's Cost Accounting Standards Board finalized a rule raising the dollar threshold for full CAS coverage and Disclosure Statement requirements from $50 million to $100 million, effective October 1, 2026, following unanimous support in public comments.
The Office of Management and Budget's Cost Accounting Standards Board finalized a rule rescinding Cost Accounting Standard (CAS) 407, effective October 1, 2026, to bring the requirement in line with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
The Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and Federal Transit Administration finalized a rule on September 1, 2026 rewriting their NEPA implementing regulations, effective the same day.
The Maritime Administration cut the Title XI shipyard financing program's application fee from $5,000 to $1,000 and eliminated 14 of 34 regulatory sections, effective August 28, 2026, with a 60-day public comment window.
The Department of Labor's OFCCP has finalized a rule rescinding federal contractors' disability self-identification, related data collection, and utilization-goal analysis requirements under Section 503, effective September 21, 2026.
The Department of Labor's OFCCP has published a final rule, effective September 21, 2026, that removes cross-references to the revoked Executive Order 11246 from VEVRAA veteran-hiring regulations and updates the contractor coverage threshold to $200,000.
The Small Business Administration proposed new size standards for 338 industry groups on August 20, a change SBA estimates would make roughly 37,002 additional firms eligible as small businesses. Those firms held more than $71 billion in FY 2025 federal contracts. Comments are due September 21, 2026.
The Department of Energy published a final rule on July 16, 2026 establishing conflict-of-interest and conflict-of-commitment policy requirements for non-federal entities applying for or receiving DOE financial assistance awards. The rule takes effect August 17, 2026.
The Office of Management and Budget's Cost Accounting Standards Board has finalized a rule wholly rescinding CAS 408 and 411 and stripping most provisions from CAS 404 and 409 to conform with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, effective August 7, 2026.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed its calendar year 2027 update to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center payment system, including a request for information on standardizing hospital price transparency data and a potential separate payment for domestic procurement of PPE and essential medicines. Comments are due August 31, 2026.
The Department of Energy is requesting public comment on the assumptions, models, and methodologies it uses to set energy conservation standards for covered products and equipment, including recommendations from a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine review. Comments are due by September 8, 2026.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published its required quarterly Federal Register notice listing regulatory waivers it approved between July 1 and September 30, 2025.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule updating Calendar Year 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) rates on July 6, 2026. The agency is accepting public comments through August 31, 2026.
The Department of Defense (DoD) is asking for public input to help draft a revision to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) implementing statutory restrictions on acquiring printed circuit boards from covered nations. Comments are due August 31, 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a rule to implement automatic-revocation provisions of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, affecting immigrant investor petitions tied to the EB-5 Regional Center Program. Comments are due August 31, 2026.
The Rural Housing Service is proposing to let owners of USDA-financed multifamily housing use Direct Multifamily Housing loans and grants to finance acquisition in preservation deals, not just rehabilitation. Comments are due August 31, 2026.
The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund published a Notice of Funds Availability on June 30, 2026, opening the FY 2026 Bank Enterprise Award (BEA) Program. FDIC-insured depository institutions that increased qualifying activities in economically distressed communities during specified assessment periods are eligible to apply.
The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund published a Notice of Funds Availability on June 30, 2026, opening the FY 2026 Small Dollar Loan Program funding round. Certified CDFIs may apply for grants to establish or expand small dollar consumer loan programs serving underserved communities.
The Department of the Treasury published a notice on June 30, 2026, announcing submission of multiple information collection requests to the Office of Management and Budget for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Public comments are due by July 30, 2026.
The Food and Drug Administration has proposed regulations that would require foreign tobacco establishment owners and operators to register with the agency and list their products, closing a gap in current law that applies only to domestic producers. Comments are due by September 14, 2026.
The U.S. Surface Transportation Board published a notice on June 26, 2026 tentatively approving TBL Group, Inc.'s application to acquire control of Escot Bus Lines, L.L.C., a federally regulated motor passenger carrier, with the transaction set to become effective July 28, 2026.
The Federal Transit Administration published a proposed rule on June 26, 2026 that would amend bus testing regulations under 49 CFR Part 665, aiming to streamline the testing program, improve bus test report quality, and remove outdated test certifications from the federal system.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a proposed rule on June 26, 2026 that would update the End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System for calendar year 2027, revise AKI dialysis payment rates, and modify ESRD Quality Incentive Program requirements.
The Department of Defense proposed amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to add a certification requirement for contractors providing military recruitment advertising services. The proposed rule (DFARS Case 2024-D022) implements provisions from three consecutive National Defense Authorization Acts. Comments are due August 24, 2026.
The General Services Administration published a notice on June 25, 2026 inviting public comment on a new information collection requirement under Executive Order 14398, which addresses DEI discrimination by federal contractors. The collection covers contract-like instruments using FAR Clause 52.222-90. Comments are due August 24, 2026.
The Environmental Protection Agency published a proposed rule on June 25, 2026 to amend its National Environmental Policy Act implementing procedures. The rule incorporates changes required by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, Executive Order 14154, and the Supreme Court's May 2025 Seven County decision. Public comments are due July 27, 2026.
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council has proposed changes to FAR Parts 5, 24, 29, and 52 as part of a twelve-rule package implementing Executive Order 14275 to streamline federal procurement.
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council has proposed revisions to FAR Parts 3 and 49 as part of a twelve-rule package implementing Executive Order 14275, Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement.
The Bureau of Land Management is proposing revised oil and gas leasing regulations to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, multiple executive orders, and the Royalty Resiliency Act.
The FAR Council released the first of three batches of proposed rules implementing EO 14275, shifting federal procurement from a prescriptive rulebook to a principle-based framework. Comments are due July 23, 2026.
Other Transaction Agreements now move billions outside the traditional FAR process. We explain how consortia work, who qualifies, and how small businesses get in the door.