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Congress Pressures DHS To Expedite Safety Act Approvals

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 10.06.06

During House Homeland Security Subcommittee hearings on DHS implementation of the SAFETY Act, C&M's David Bodenheimer testified that the new regulations (71 Fed. Reg. 33147) and application kit (available at https://www.safetyact.gov/) have simplified the process, but further improvements are needed to (1) assure confidentiality of SAFETY application data, (2) encourage breakthrough technologies, (3) synchronize procurements and SAFETY Act approvals, (4) extend the duration of protection, and (5) establish an appeals process. In these same hearings, the new DHS Under Secretary (Science & Technology) identified additional initiatives to encourage new anti-terrorism technologies by reducing the application cycle to 120 days and identifying more technologies suitable for block approvals.

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Client Alert | 4 min read | 09.15.26

GAO Indicates Reasonable Conflict of Interest Investigation Must Include Inquiry of Involved Firm

The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent decision in Viderity Inc.—Costs, B-424422.5, Sept. 1, 2026, offers useful insight into what constitutes a legally sufficient conflict of interest investigation. The decision arose in an unusual procedural posture: Viderity initially protested, alleging that an agency evaluator had a personal conflict of interest. After the agency took corrective action, Viderity filed a cost entitlement claim requesting that GAO direct the agency to reimburse Viderity’s protest costs. In evaluating that claim, GAO assessed whether Viderity’s underlying protest ground was “clearly meritorious.”...