Friday Flash 10/2/26

Far and Beyond Blog

Announcing the Fall Training Conference Day Two Agenda: What’s Next for Healthcare Procurement?

The Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement (Coalition) is excited to release the Day Two healthcare agenda for the 2026 Fall Training Conference: The Acquisition Exchange, taking place November 18–19 at the Fairview Park Marriott in Falls Church, Virginia.

Day Two, “The Acquisition Exchange: What’s Next for Healthcare Procurement?” will bring together government and industry leaders on November 19 for a full day of discussions focused on the latest priorities, policies, and developments shaping the federal healthcare marketplace. Attendees will hear perspectives from senior acquisition officials and healthcare procurement experts on key initiatives across the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Defense Health Agency (DHA), and other federal agencies.

The program will explore acquisition leadership priorities, procurement operations and policies, domestic sourcing initiatives, and legislative developments impacting federal healthcare contracting. The day will also feature focused breakout sessions and opportunities for attendees to engage directly with government representatives on important healthcare acquisition programs.

Please note that all speakers listed on the agenda are invited unless otherwise noted as confirmed.

Day Two Main Stage

Keynote Address – Post Election Brief: Budget & Legislative Developments on the Hill

Following welcome remarks, the healthcare program will begin with a keynote address from Moshe Schwartz, President of Etherton and Associates, who will present “Post Election Brief: Budget & Legislative Developments on the Hill.” Schwartz will provide attendees with a timely look at the 2026 election results and the latest budgetary and legislative developments impacting federal healthcare procurement and government contractors.

VA Acquisition Leadership Panel

Next, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from senior VA acquisition leaders during the “VA Acquisition Leadership Panel.” Invited speakers include:

Phil Christy, Principal Executive Director of the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction (OALC) and Chief Acquisition Officer, VA
Christopher Parker, Deputy Principal Executive Director of OALC and Deputy Chief Acquisition Officer, VA
Michael Logue, Senior Advisor to the Principal Executive Director and Chief Acquisition Officer, OALC, VA

This panel will provide an opportunity to hear directly from VA leadership about the Department’s acquisition priorities, ongoing initiatives, and the direction of its procurement programs.

VA Acquisition Operations & Policy

The morning program will continue with “VA Acquisition Operations & Policy.” Invited speakers include:

Curtis Jordan, Executive Director, Service Area Office West, VA
Jeff Neil, Executive Director of the Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OAL) and Senior Procurement Executive, VA
Jerry Jacobs, Associate Executive Director, Enterprise Procurement Office (EPO), VA
Daryl Berg, Executive Director, Regional Procurement Office Central, Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

The panel will explore the latest developments in VA acquisition operations and procurement policy, providing attendees with perspectives on the Department’s contracting priorities and initiatives impacting the healthcare acquisition community.

Healthcare Made in America

Following the networking lunch, the afternoon main-stage program will begin with “Healthcare Made in America.” Invited speakers include:

Michael Stumo, Associate Director for Economic Policy and the Made in America Office, Office of Management and Budget
Matthew Beebe, Director of Acquisition (J7), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
Phil Christy, Principal Executive Director of OALC and Chief Acquisition Officer, VA
Michael Logue, Senior Advisor to the Principal Executive Director and Chief Acquisition Officer, OALC, VA
Dr. Matt Clark, Assistant Director for Research, Development, and Acquisition and Component Acquisition Executive, DHA

This panel will examine the growing emphasis on domestic sourcing and manufacturing in federal healthcare procurement. Speakers will share perspectives on Made in America initiatives, domestic supply chain considerations, and the implications of federal sourcing policies for agencies and industry partners supporting healthcare missions.

Healthcare Developments on the Hill

The main-stage program will conclude with “Healthcare Developments on the Hill.” Invited speakers include:

Moderator: Tim Brennan, Executive Director, Center for Procurement Advocacy
Katie Adams, Counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Brian Newbold, Senior Policy Advisor to Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS), Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

This panel will provide attendees with perspectives on the latest legislative developments and congressional priorities affecting federal healthcare procurement, including issues impacting VA healthcare programs and the broader government contracting community.

‘Nuts & Bolts’ Breakout Sessions

Following the main-stage program, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a series of focused breakout sessions designed to provide a closer look at important federal healthcare procurement programs, policies, and operational priorities.

The first round of breakout sessions will feature:

VA and Indian Health Service Pharmacy Programs
Healthcare Cybersecurity

A second round will feature:

DHA Pharmaceutical Program
VA Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) Program
VA Medical/Surgical Procurement

To view the full Day Two healthcare agenda, click here. Please note that all speakers are invited unless otherwise noted as confirmed.

VA MSPV One-on-One Meetings

We are excited to announce that the VA Medical/Surgical Prime Vendor (MSPV) program team will once again hold one-on-one meetings with attendees on Wednesday, November 18 (Day One of the conference)! These meetings provide attendees with an opportunity to engage directly with the VA MSPV program team, ask questions, and discuss key program priorities and developments.

Stay tuned for additional details on how to schedule a meeting with the VA MSPV team.

Next Week! Invest in Success: Coalition Compliance Training Conference

Next Wednesday, October 7, join the Coalition for the inaugural Invest in Success: Compliance Training Conference, hosted by CGI Federal in Arlington, Virginia, with virtual attendance also available.

Why Invest in Success?

The federal marketplace is highly regulated and constantly changing. Understanding your compliance responsibilities and the government’s expectations is fundamental to successfully doing business with the federal government.

The Compliance Training Conference will bring together leading government, industry, and legal experts to examine some of the key compliance issues facing government contractors today.

Attendees will hear insights on AI-related ethics and compliance risks, including emerging risks across the procurement lifecycle and supply chain; the Civil False Claims Act and key considerations for government contractors; and active bystandership and its role in corporate risk reduction.

The program will provide practical perspectives on how the government views key compliance issues and what contractors should be considering as they manage risk and meet their responsibilities.

View the Agenda!

Procurement in the Age of AI: Ethics & Compliance in a Changing Federal Marketplace

The conference will feature a keynote session, “Procurement in the Age of AI: Ethics & Compliance in a Changing Federal Marketplace,” presented by Jessica Tillipman, Associate Dean for Government Procurement Law Studies at The George Washington University Law School. The session will examine emerging AI-related risks across the procurement lifecycle and supply chain, including organizational conflicts of interest, AI-enabled fraud and False Claims Act exposure, algorithmic collusion, system manipulation, and over-reliance on automated judgment. It will also explore practical compliance considerations for contractors as AI becomes increasingly integrated into their organizations, subcontractors, and federal procurement activities.

Active Bystandership: The Missing Link in Corporate Risk Reduction

Attendees will also hear from Jonathan Aronie, Partner at Sheppard, during “Active Bystandership: The Missing Link in Corporate Risk Reduction.” Active Bystandership is a practical approach that equips employees with the skills and confidence to intervene early when they see a colleague moving toward a potential mistake or compliance problem. Already used in high-stakes environments including aviation, healthcare, law enforcement, and the military, the approach offers contractors another tool for strengthening organizational culture and preventing problems before they result in costly compliance or enforcement issues.

Compliance and the Civil False Claims Act

Chris Terranova, Assistant Director, Civil Fraud Section, Commercial Litigation Branch, Department of Justice; Alex Canizares, Partner at Vinson & Elkins; Terra Fulham, Special Counsel at Covington; and Tirzah Lollar, Partner at Arnold & Porter, will provide perspectives on the False Claims Act and key compliance considerations for government contractors.

There’s still time to register and join us on October 7 in Arlington or virtually! To learn more and register, click here.

Join Us for the AInAcquisition Exchange Forum! Nov. 17

Artificial intelligence is already transforming how federal agencies operate, manage technology, and approach acquisition. As AI adoption continues to expand across government, new opportunities and considerations are emerging for both government and industry.

On November 17, the Coalition invites you to join us for its inaugural AInAcquisition Exchange Forum: The Future is Now, a half-day event bringing together government and industry leaders to discuss the evolving role of AI across the federal marketplace.

Featured SessionsGSA’s AI Strategy and the Road Ahead
Explore GSA’s approach to AI, including the agency’s evolving strategies and priorities for leveraging the technology to support its mission.

IT Management and the Role of AI
Examine how federal agencies are incorporating AI into their broader IT strategies to support operations, improve efficiency, and advance mission objectives.

The Evolving AI Acquisition Landscape
Discuss the latest acquisition policy developments and considerations shaping how the federal government acquires and adopts AI.

View the Full Agenda

Thank You to Our Sponsor!

The AInAcquisition Exchange Forum takes place immediately before the Coalition’s 2026 Fall Training Conference, November 18–19, at the Fairview Park Marriott.

Registration for the November 17 forum is complimentary for all Fall Training Conference registrants! Already registered for the Fall Training Conference? Simply log in and update your registration to indicate that you plan to attend the forum.

For any questions about registration for the AInAcquisition Exchange Forum, please contact Mady Whiting at mady.whiting@thecgp.org.

GSA Launches AI-Powered America.gov

This week, The General Services Administration (GSA) announced the launch of America.gov, a new digital gateway developed in partnership with the White House’s National Design Studio. The platform combines information from more than 29,000 government websites with AI-enhanced search technology to provide a centralized “front door” for accessing federal services and information. America.gov is designed to simplify common tasks, including finding benefits, renewing passports, and accessing Social Security information. GSA’s Technology Transformation Services will house and support the platform.

VA Expands AI Across Healthcare, Benefits, and IT

MeriTalk reports that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Acting Chief AI Officer Kimberly McManus is focused on scaling AI across clinical care, benefits, Information technology (IT) operations, and software modernization. More than 12,000 providers are using ambient clinical documentation tools, while other applications support fraud detection and IT incident triage.

As adoption expands, VA is increasing AI training and workforce enablement and exploring AI agents. McManus emphasized that deployment would continue with security, privacy, and human oversight, with the goal of improving services for veterans.

Revised AI and New Evergreen Clauses in Latest GSAR Deviation

GSA has issued its latest set of deviations to the GSA Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) as part of the Revolutionary GSAR Overhaul (RGO).

The latest updates include several provisions and clauses, including:

GSAR 552.239-7001, Basic Safeguarding of Data within Large Language Model Artificial Intelligence Systems (See pg. 129)

GSAR 552.238 -116, Option to Extend the Term of the FSS Contract (See pg. 122)

The updated AI clause comes after GSA hosted a public listening session and sought public comments on its previous AI clause. To read the Coalition’s previous feedback on the clause, click here. We are in the process of reviewing the current version in the deviation and welcome members’ feedback.

The option to extend the term of the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract permits GSA to extend the term of Federal Supply Schedule contract for up to an additional 5 year period an unlimited number of times. Previously, FSS contracts extensions were limited to three additional five-year option periods.

The deviations are available in the January 15, 2026, memo, RGO-2026-01, GSA Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) Class Deviations in Response to Executive Order 14275, issued by GSA Senior Procurement Executive Jeff Koses. Attachment A to the memorandum identifies the GSAR parts covered by the deviations, along with their effective dates and dates signed.

The corresponding GSAR regulations within the memo have also been updated to reflect the latest deviation language.

Members can review the updated RGO memo and deviations here.

OpenAI Pauses Latest Model after Agents Probed Government Websites

The Associated Press reports that OpenAI has paused development of its latest large language models after multiple reports of the company’s agents interacting with government websites in unforeseen ways. OpenAI recently disclosed “misaligned” attempts by its most advanced AI agents to gather data from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Census Bureau, and Education Department. These actions were “misaligned” as they conflicted with OpenAI’s intended behavioral constraints for the agents. While the agents acted outside of their stated constraints, they were only able to access publicly available information. The agents were able to find Application Programming Interface (API) “developer keys” to access specific Department of Education and Census Bureau data, but all the data accessed was publicly available. AI evaluator Transluce stated that OpenAI agents also attempted to hack the Department of Education website, though OpenAI has not confirmed the incident. Together, these events highlight the accelerating cyber risk brought about by AI models and their agents.

2GIT BPA Officially Sunsets

The latest GSA blog by Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Office of Acquisition Solutions Development Assistant Commissioner Larry Hale highlights that the 2nd Generation Information Technology (2GIT) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) sunset effective September 30, 2026. Mr. Hale notes that items previously purchased through the 2GIT BPA may now be acquired through GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). The decision to rely on the MAS program aligns with Executive Order (EO) 14240, which directed the government to eliminate duplicative contract vehicles. GSA has taken lessons learned from the 2GIT BPA, including enhanced Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) and Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM) practices, and applied them across the MAS program. Finally, the blog highlights alternative BPA’s available for routine technology buys. These include the Governmentwide Printer BPAs, Governmentwide Rugged Laptops and Tablets BPAs, and Laptops and Desktops BPAs.

Coalition Collecting Comments on RFO Proposed Rules

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council published four proposed rules on September 18 as part of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO), which aims to remove non-statutory requirements from the FAR and streamline federal procurement. The Coalition is collecting comments on the four proposed rules that codify updates to 16 FAR parts.

FAR Case 2026-00 3 FAR Parts 8 (Required Sources of Supplies and Services), 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services), 13 (Simplified Procedures for Noncommercial Acquisitions), 15 (Contracting by Negotiation), 38 [Removed and Reserved], 44 (Subcontracting Policies and Procedures), & 51 [Reserved].

FAR Case 2026-00 6 FAR Parts 16 (Types of Contracts), 17 (Special Contracting Methods), & 35 (Research and Development Contracting).

FAR Case 2026-0 10 FAR Parts 14 (Sealed Bidding), 28 (Bonds and Insurance), & 36 (Construction and Architect-Engineer Contracts).

FAR Case 2026-0 11 FAR Parts 9 (Contractor Qualifications), 27 (Patents, Data, and Copyrights), & 47 (Transportation).

Please submit any comments or feedback to Greg Waldron at gwaldron@thecgp.org by the close of business October 5.

Legal Corner:

U.S. – Canada Trade War: Public Procurement

With the author’s permission: Christopher Yukins, Public Procurement International

The Legal Corner provides the procurement community with an opportunity to share insights and comments on Legal issues of the day. The comments herein do not necessarily reflect the views of The Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement.

On September 8, 2026, President Trump announced on his “Truth Social” platform that he would direct that Canadian-origin products be removed from the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). However, on September 16, 2026, the White House announced a broader review of Canadian access to U.S. government procurement — a new approach, focused on civilian agency procurements, which appeared to fold procurement issues into broader negotiations between the two nations. It is not yet clear weather GSA will proceeed independently to remove Canadian-origin items from the MAS or will await a government-wide rulemaking as the President’s memorandum suggests. George Washington University Law Professor Christopher Yukins reviews these developments in this article.

Healthcare Spotlight:

VA-FSS September 2026 Contracting Updates

The VA’s Enterprise Procurement Office, Acquisition Service 5 Federal Schedule (VA-FSS), has released its September 2026 contracting notification, highlighting new contracts, drug availability, and recent program activity.

VA-FSS reported that 15 new contracts were added in August 2026, bringing FY26 year-to-date totals to 194 new contracts, 78 exercised options, and 9,191 contract modifications. Three drugs, Lumvoa, Papzimeos, and Dehydrated Alcohol, are also now available through Interim Agreements.

The VA-FSS program currently manages 1,585 Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts covering nearly 1 million medical-related products, pharmaceuticals, and services. The August 2026 contract awards are available for review, with vendor information and contract details also accessible through the Contract Catalog Search Tool (CCST), including pricing, delivery information, points of contact, and socioeconomic status.

GSA Briefing on Highly Configurable Items and FCP, October 14

The Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement will host a virtual meeting with GSA on October 14, 2026, from 12:00–1:00 PM (ET) to discuss the reporting and uploading of Highly Configurable Products (HCPs) in the FAS Catalog Platform (FCP).

Designed for members of the Imaging Equipment, Furniture and Furnishings, and IT/Services Committees, the meeting will feature Holly Caputo, Supervisory Contract Specialist, and Peter Han, Director of the Office of Acquisition Solutions Development. GSA will provide an overview of the preferred process for reporting and uploading HCPs, including guidance on HCP pricing structures.

To facilitate discussion, members are encouraged to submit their questions ahead of time to Joseph Snyderwine at JSnyderwine@thecgp.org.

To register, click here. For any assistance with registration, please contact Mady Whiting at mady.whiting@thecgp.org.

Note: This is a members-only event. If you see a message that says “Registration Not Available” please log in using your member account.

Coalition Annual Holiday Reception, December 15

The holiday season will be here before we know it! We hope to have you join us on December 15 from 5:00–8:00 PM ET at the Tower Club in Tysons Corner for our annual holiday reception.

As we wrap up another busy and event-filled year, we invite you to take a break, reconnect with friends and colleagues, and celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together. Enjoy an evening of food, beverages, and good company as we toast to the year behind us and the year ahead.

Thank You to Our Sponsor!

To register, click here. For any assistance with registration, please contact Mady Whiting at mady.whiting@thecgp.org.

Note: This is a member-only event. Registration is complimentary but required for food and beverage purposes.