Government Contract Compliance Challenges: The Latest Regulatory, Enforcement, and Legislative Trends Facing the Industry

With increasingly stiff penalties, new regulatory demands, and aggressive Congressional oversight and Department of Justice enforcement, it is now more critical than ever for government contractors to continually assess their business practices and internal control procedures to ensure they remain in compliance with today’s evolving legal climate.

To gain insight into navigating the compliance environment, join Kelley Drye and Thomas Marcinko, Senior Consultant in Aronson & Company’s Government Contracting Consulting Practice, as they review the latest regulatory, enforcement, and legislative trends facing the government contracting industry today.

Topics of discussion will include:

• Recent and proposed changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR);
• Trends in procurement fraud prosecutions by the Department of Justice;
• Increased Congressional investigative oversight; and
• Legislative developments regarding contractor liability

Factors Creating a Formidable Compliance Environment

In the past year, new business ethics and conduct standards have been established in the FAR and two additional Proposed Rules have been issued.

• More than 300 procurement cases have been initiated resulting in criminal charges, convictions, civil actions, or settlements since the DOJ created the National Procurement Fraud Task Force in October 2006. 46 individuals and companies have been charged for contract fraud relating to activities in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait.
• Within the past 18 months, 4 bills have passed the House of Representatives relating to contractor compliance and additional legislation is pending.
• Several oversight hearings have been held during the 110th Congress on government contract issues and there will be increased oversight by the next Congress.