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Tag: CARES Act

Will the CARES Act become permanent?

In March of 2020, when the Coronovirus became a pandemic, Section 3610 of the CARES Act went into effect. This section of the CARES Act provides economic relief to contractors so that they can continue to pay their employees. Unless Congress extends Section 3610 of the CARES Act, it expires on September 30, 2021. (Washington Technology August 5, 2021)

The Professional Services Council (PSC) would like for Section 3610 to become permanent. PSC Executive Vice President David Broome feels Section 3610 should become permanent. He reasons this by looking at how several agencies have heavily relied on Section 3610 during the pandemic. GAO saw a combined $882.8 million in reimbursements from across the Departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, and NASA. (ibid)

GAO staff interviewed 15 contractors and 12 agreed that Section 3610 “had a great or moderate effect on their ability to retain employees, in particular those with specialized skill or clearances.” (ibid)

According to Broome, “GAO makes the case for establishing a permanent stand-by authority that would be available when needed and in place when the next emergency happens – be it a pandemic, a cyberattack or natural disaster. Establishing this authority now would be a prudent step to implement one lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that the government and contractors are prepared for the next one.” (ibid)

Are you a contractor trying to take advantage of Section 3610 and not sure where to start? Give us a call.

 

CARES Funds Available For Contractors

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently published a supplement to Section 3610 of the CARES Act that allows contractors sick or paid time-off during the national emergency if contractors are not able to access their worksites or telework. (Government Executive, April 17, 2020)

At this time, maximizing telework is advised; however, many contractor jobs involve sensitive and/or classified work, making telework not feasible. Trade associations realized this pretty quickly and asked for additional clarification of the Act. For these specific contractors, agencies are allowed to “modify the terms and conditions of a contract, or other agreement to reimburse at the minimum applicable contract billing rates up to an average of 40 hours per week for any paid leave (including sick leave) a contractor provides to keep its employees or subcontractors in a ready state.”

In addition to the paid leave/sick leave clarification, the updated guidance allows agencies to reimburse contractors from the 27 March (when the CARE Act was signed) through 30 September 2020. The original bill did not include a start date. (ibid)

OMB, via the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, developed a guide to assist agencies when working with contractors to ensure the correct documentation is submitted for proper reimbursement. (ibid)

Don’t know where to start the process of getting paid during this national emergency? Give us a call.

 

 

 

Agency Spending During the Pandemic

Government contractors are experiencing difficulties as they work through obstacles and uncertainties during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if you thought spending would slow, think again.

In response to the emergency, spending likely exceeded $100 billion for the month of March, according to a webcast hosted by George Mason University’s Center for Government Contracting (GMU). Because of a standard 90-day reporting lag, that figure is likely to be even higher. (Washington Technology, March 31, 2020)

The department of Health and Human Services is responsible for the bulk of non-defense contracting activity with commitments of approximately $748.5 million under research and development. Eric Lofgren, a GMU research fellow, feels the majority of that is going toward “Other Transaction” contracts, designed for speed of fielding capabilities as they fall outside of traditional acquisition regulations. (ibid)

Orders are also being solicited and placed for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as well as services such as testing and cleaning. Orders of this nature could very well rise to over $100 billion in response to the COVID-19 emergency. Non-defense spending, as of 27 March, totaled $15 billion, which is on track for spending during the same timeframe in 2019. However, the recently passed CARES Act stimulus package frees up $2 trillion so agencies have funds available for immediate use. (ibid)

The Department of Defense is looking at how the commercial industry is designing solutions. In March, DoD requested white papers from the academic community and private industry for prototype solutions to prevent, contain, treat, and detect coronavirus as well as other possible bio-threats. Many believe this is just the start as DoD begins to support the federal government’s pandemic response. (ibid)

Jerry McGinn, executive director of the GMU GovCon Center and former head of DoD’s manufacturing and industrial base policy office said, “Initially a lot of industry was in the sources sought phase of solicitations, now you’re starting to see they’re just going straight to solicitations…. They’re publishing notices on one day and requiring responses the next, and this is just going to accelerate.”

Questions about these solicitations and how your company might provide solutions? Give us a call.

Government Contractor Aid

A recent study conducted by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) found that over half of small business government contractors are losing money due to a reduction in billable hours as a direct result of stay-at-home orders. To assist, the DoD is adjusting approximately 1,500 contracts to aid with cash flow for those contractors suffering financial strain. (Federal News Network, March 30, 2020)

The Defense Contract Management Agency is administering a mass modification to increase the amount of money allowed to pay vendors who have not finished their work under their current contracts. These “progress payments” will be increased to 95 percent for small companies and 90 percent for large companies. (ibid)

Additionally, provisions for contractors that cannot telework due to the nature of their work were signed into law on 27 March 27 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, aimed at supporting individuals and businesses struggling with the economic downturn,  as a result of the pandemic. (Government Executive, March 31, 2020)

For some contractors, agencies may “modify the terms and conditions of a contract or other agreement” to reimburse at the minimum applicable contract billing rates” up to an “average of 40 hours per week for any paid leave a contractor provides to keep its employees or subcontractors in a ready state” as stated under the Act. (ibid)

The National Defense Industrial Association and the Professional Services Council both commend the act. During the pandemic, the Act will assist in ensuring contractors are part of the economic relief efforts and kept in a ready state. The legislation runs through the end of the fiscal year, 30 September 2020.

Questions about your minimum billing rates or how to obtain reimbursement? Give us a call.