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President Biden Signs New Legislation to Identify and Mitigate Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition

Client Alert | 1 min read | 01.03.23

On December 27, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act (S.3905) to strengthen the current rules relating to identification and mitigation of organizational conflicts of interest (OCIs) in federal acquisition. The Act focuses on updating the current FAR provision, Subpart 9.5, to provide clear definitions, examples, and guidance on potential OCIs and to consider expanding the Subpart to cover certain commercial and foreign relationships.

As currently drafted, FAR Subpart 9.5 provides general rules governing OCIs. Case law at the Court of Federal Claims and the Government Accountability Office have further identified three types of OCIs, “biased ground rules,” “impaired objectivity,” and “unequal access to information.” Under the Act, the FAR Council is meant to provide specific definitions and examples of the three types of OCIs.

The Act also instructs the FAR Council to provide executive agencies with standard solicitation provisions and contract clauses to address OCIs. Executive agencies will be able to tailor the solicitation provisions and contract clauses as necessary to address concerns associated with conflicts of interest and any considerations unique to the executive agency.

The Act directs the FAR Council to update the FAR’s OCI provisions in the next 18 months.  We are expecting the FAR Council to issue proposed regulations, and contractors should be prepared to review the proposed changes and modify practices if needed once the final rules are issued.

Insights

Client Alert | 6 min read | 03.26.24

California Office of Health Care Affordability Notice Requirement for Material Change Transactions Closing on or After April 1, 2024

Starting next week, on April 1st, health care entities in California closing “material change transactions” will be required to notify California’s new Office of Health Care Affordability (“OHCA”) and potentially undergo an extensive review process prior to closing. The new review process will impact a broad range of providers, payers, delivery systems, and pharmacy benefit managers with either a current California footprint or a plan to expand into the California market. While health care service plans in California are already subject to an extensive transaction approval process by the Department of Managed Health Care, other health care entities in California have not been required to file notices of transactions historically, and so the notice requirement will have a significant impact on how health care entities need to structure and close deals in California, and the timing on which closing is permitted to occur....