GSA Is Preparing An AI-Specific Acquisition Reform Rule

“NEXGOV/FCW‘ By Alexandra Kelley

“The updated rule is expected in the next couple weeks and will set a preference for fixed-price models, making the GSA a “more predictable business partner” to original equipment manufacturers”

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“The General Services Administration is developing changes to artificial intelligence acquisition provisions within its general rules that will prioritize a firm fixed-price procurement model and reduce hurdles to agency adoption.

In the coming weeks, the agency is planning to debut a draft AI acquisition rule for addition into the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation, according to two people familiar with the proceedings. 

The new rule is part of GSA’s effort to balance implementing AI procurement rules that encourage market growth and foster competition while benefitting government buyers and taxpayers, the same person said, and part of the government’s mission to bring a “common sense” approach to AI acquisition. To do so, the rule will focus on removing bureaucratic rules and hurdles to commercial item acquisition, including AI and IT software.

The same person said that part of the process will be to analyze which contracts are not on a firm fixed-price basis and what is able to be shifted over. Per the rules, resellers and partners will remain part of GSA’s business strategy, the same person said, but the agency is also trying to make itself a “more predictable business partner” to original equipment manufacturers, including AI developers.

“It’s … not going to be a one size fits all solution,” the same person told Nextgov/FCW. 

In addition to the AI-focused draft rule, new Federal Acquisition Regulation rule updates are also underway and are set to continue overhauling the government procurement process. These updates are intended to be finalized at the end of the fiscal year, pending approval by the FAR Council, and will consist of roughly a dozen rules, the source said. Both revisions will have a 30-day public comment window.

The FAR is a series of procurement regulations that govern how executive agencies enter into, develop and manage contracts. In his second administration, President Donald Trump has worked to overhaul the FAR, issuing an executive order that primarily aims to streamline the acquisition process and bring more companies to the federal market. 

The future of OneGov

Changes to GSA’s contracting structure will further cement the government’s preference for firm fixed-pricing, echoing mandates outlined in a late April executive order that seeks to move the government away from cost-reimbursement models.

GSA’s landmark OneGov program could also see changes in its contracting structure. Through the initiative, GSA has partnered with roughly two dozen tech providers to offer deeply discounted rates on software to government customers by treating the government as a single large customer. 

The person familiar predicts that OneGov contracts will change, anticipating the focus of the initiative to adopt longer-term contracts, echoing sentiments expressed in an agency leader’s remarks last week. 

“I think the major change in OneGov from this year to last is going to be working to put in more longer-term OneGov agreements, things that are still going to be very competitively priced,” the same person said. “

Washington Technology Editor-in-Chief Nick Wakeman contributed to this report.

https://www.nextgov.com/acquisition/2026/05/gsa-preparing-ai-specific-acquisition-reform-rule/413855

Federal Cyber Experts Thought Microsoft’s Cloud Was “A Pile Of Shit.” They Approved It Anyway.

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/04/01/federal-cyber-experts-thought-microsofts-cloud-was-a-pile-of-shit-they-approved-it-anyway/

🚨 A major change in federal cybersecurity quietly took place. The General Services Administration, which handles government purchasing, has updated its IT security rules to match the Department of Defense’s strict CMMC standards. For federal contractors, simply checking boxes isn’t enough. 🛡️

If you work with Controlled Unclassified Information, strong security is now a must for government contracts. The GSA now expects Zero Trust principles 🔒, including proof of encryption, multi-factor authentication, and ongoing monitoring. This change also carries legal risks ⚖️ if you can't demonstrate real compliance, your company could face lawsuits under the False Claims Act.

📑 The GSA now requires CMMC-level security documentation for contracts with civilian agencies.
⏱️ These compliance requirements apply right away to new contract opportunities and awards.
⚠️ Federal contractors now face greater legal risk if they misrepresent their cybersecurity readiness.
✅ Zero Trust data principles are no longer just a best practice; they're now required as the standard.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilsayegh/2026/02/07/a-quiet-policy-shift-just-redefined-entire-federal-cybersecurity-landscape/
#FederalContracting #ZeroTrust #CyberCompliance #GSA #security #privacy #cloud #infosec #cybersecurity

Cops Criticize Flock Safety After It’s Caught Handing Out Access To Federal Agencies

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/02/13/cops-criticize-flock-safety-after-its-caught-handing-out-access-to-federal-agencies/

Trump administration withdraws U.S. from global open government initiative – FedScoop

• Federal

Trump administration withdraws U.S. from global open government initiative

The General Services Administration cited the organization’s support for “LGBTQ+ advocacy, feminism, and climate alarmism” among its reasons the nation dropped its membership.

By Madison Alder, January 30, 2026

Listen to this article, 3:59

The U.S. government has backed out of an organization it helped found that’s aimed at improving how governments can better serve their citizens.

The Open Government Partnership announced Wednesday that the U.S. had formally withdrawn its membership, adding to a growing list of organizations the administration has departed. 

Despite the U.S. being one of the founding nations of the organization in 2011, the General Services Administration’s head, Edward Forst, wrote to the group’s leadership this month to notify them of the decision. 

Per a copy of that letter published by OGP, Forst said the country’s participation in the organization “has become at best ineffective and at worst detrimental to advancing” principles outlined in the nation’s founding documents, though he didn’t cite specific documents.

Forst implied that the body “seeks to erode U.S. national sovereignty” and went on to blame its “embrace of divisive ideological agendas” as a reason the nation dropped its membership. 

“Racial identity politics, anti-police bias, LGBTQ+ advocacy, feminism, and climate alarmism have increasingly dominated OGP’s policy agenda,” Forst wrote. “These divisive agendas, driven by extreme ideological cliques, have destroyed the ability of OGP to credibly operate as a voice for transparency.”

That rhetoric echoes the Trump administration’s controversial efforts to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, from the federal government — whether through the termination of grants, positions, organizations, or data points. The withdrawal also comes after the organization reported that the Trump administration had weakened the U.S. government’s existing progress toward open government goals. 

In a December report, OGP pointed to the Trump administration’s repeal and replacement of executive orders “related to equity, data transparency, and law enforcement accountability” and disbanding a federal advisory committee on open government as examples of weakened progress.

The U.S. withdrawal was met with disappointment and criticism from the organization’s leadership as well as civil society leaders, though none expressed surprise. 

“Anyone who has followed developments over the last year will not be surprised by this decision of the US government,” Aidan Eyakuze, OGP’s CEO, said in a statement included in the release. 

Eyakuze commended efforts by government leaders and civil society to advance accountability goals and expressed hope the U.S. would return to the organization one day. 

Daniel Schuman, executive director of the nonprofit American Governance Institute who previously led the now-disbanded Open Government Federal Advisory Committee, said the administration’s decision is part of “a broader pattern of opacity.”

“The Trump administration is not only the least transparent government in American history; its policies are antithetical to democracy, of which transparency is an essential element,” Schuman said in a written statement. 

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Trump administration withdraws U.S. from global open government initiative | FedScoop