Defense

Additional GSA Webinar Guidance for Section 889 Part B Implementation Delayed to September 10, 2020

August 10, 2020 By Mike Mortorano and Paul Ghazaryan

The Alston & Bird Government Contracts team has been closely following developments in the implementation of Section 889 of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”), and particularly Section 889 Part B, which broadly prohibits the government from “entering into a contract with” an entity that “uses” “covered telecommunications equipment or services.” Our prior blog posts on this topic can be found here and here. On August 6, 2020, the General Services Administration (“GSA”) gave notice that the previously scheduled August 12, 2020 GSA webinar [...]Read more

GSA Provides Additional Guidance on Section 889 Part B Implementation and “Waivers”

July 31, 2020 By Mike Mortorano and Paul Ghazaryan

On July 30, 2020, General Services Administration’s (“GSA”) Office of Small Business Utilization hosted a webinar on the implementation of Section 889 of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”). The Alston & Bird Government Contracts team has been closely following developments and previously wrote about Section 889 Part B here. The webinar confirmed GSA’s position that Part B of Section 889 applies to every sector, no matter what a company makes or sells, and all systems a government contractor uses—whether in the performance of a government contract [...]Read more

DoD Weighs In As Federal Contractors Search for Guidance on Implementation of Section 889 Part B

July 28, 2020 By Jessica Sharron, Mike Mortorano and Paul Ghazaryan

To curb the threat of U.S. foreign adversaries gaining access to critical infrastructure and stealing sensitive information, Congress passed Section 889 ("Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment") as part of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”). There are two prohibitions in the statute, Part A and Part B. Part A, which became effective on August 13, 2019, prohibits the government from “buying” certain “covered telecommunications equipment or services.” (NDAA Section 889(a)(1)(A)). Part B, which is slated [...]Read more

President Invokes Wartime Production Law to Require Commercial Businesses to Prioritize Manufacturing & Delivery of Goods to Combat Coronavirus Pandemic

March 18, 2020 By Andrew Howard

At a news conference this morning, March 18, 2020, President Trump announced he was invoking the Defense Production Act of 1950 (“DPA”) to thwart the Coronavirus pandemic. Among numerous broad powers, this 1950 law authorizes the President to force commercial entities to prioritize and accept contracts for materials and services deemed necessary to promote the national defense. While initially passed to ensure the nation’s wartime readiness following the Korean War, Congress has greatly expanded the scope of the law to include – within the meaning of “national defense” – emergency [...]Read more