What Contractors Need to Know Part 1: FY15 National Defense Authorization Act

The House and Senate will be turning their focus to the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week. The IT Alliance for Public Sector (ITAPS) team has been closely monitoring contracting and acquisition provisions as the Department of Defense makes up nearly 80 percent of the federal government’s technology spending. The NDAA is frequently the primary vehicle to make changes to how the government acquires technology, and to the rules and regulations governing contractors in the federal market space.

As the NDAA (H.R. 4435) advances to floor consideration in the House, ITAPS has already seen hundreds of amendments proposed, including items regarding detection and avoidance of counterfeit electronics, supply chain assurance, and even a FITARA-lite amendment.  ITAPS reviewed these proposals, compiled an inventory, and alerted our member companies.  Before coming to the floor, H.R. 4435 underwent several rounds of revision in the House Armed Services Committee and subcommittees and we also inventoried original provisions and amendments offered during that process that are highlight areas of interest to public sector contractors and suppliers of technology goods and services

Today, the Senate Armed Services Committee begins its markup on S. 2889 with subcommittee meetings.  Unlike the House, only three of the five subcommittee markups will take place in open session, so we won’t see what makes it into the final product until it is made public--likely after the first of June.

Once floor action is completed, ITAPS will be conducting an in-depth review and collecting member perspectives on each provision, so we solicit your feedback.  Should you have any questions about either bill or a particular provision, please contact Pamela Walker or Erica McCann.

Erica McCann contributed to this blog.

Public Policy Tags: Public Sector

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