Sen. Mark Begich, D-AK, is urging the Defense Department to ease up on new restrictions to 8(a) contracts related to the recent “DynaLantic Corp.” federal court decision.

The court ruled that while the 8(a) program is constitutional, its application to military simulator contracts is not. Richard Ginman, director for defense procurement and acquisition policy at DOD, subsequently ordered that DOD not award 8(a) contracts for simulator programs.

Begich said he has written to Ginman asking for reconsideration of that order.

“There are already cases where 8(a) businesses have lost contracts as a result of the court order and memo,” Begich said in a news release. “Given how important the 8(a) program is in Alaska, I’m asking the DOD to take a more conservative approach in its interpretation.”

The top human resources official for the Veterans Affairs Department resigned after a federal audit of two VA conferences in Florida found $762,000 in questionable spending.

The VA inspector general reported that John Sepulveda, assistant secretary for human resources and administration, exercised “weak” oversight and “abdicated his responsibilities” over the training events. The investigation also found that 11 VA employees managing the conferences accepted questionable gifts including spa treatments and lodging.

The Small Business Administration proposed size standard revisions in three industry sectors: Management of companies; Finance/insurance; and Agriculture (including forestry, fishing and hunting).

Up to 7,500 more firms in the agriculture sector would be eligible, along with 5,400 more firms in the other two sectors.

The SBA also made final changes in size standards, effective Oct. 24, to businesses in the real estate, educational services and health care sectors.

More information: http://www.sba.gov/content/what%E2%80%99s-new-with-size-standards

Construction on the Homeland Security Department’s new headquarters in Washington is being hit with budget cuts again.

The continuing resolution provides only $56 million for the DHS headquarters in fiscal 2013, while the president had asked for $89 million.

Total projected costs are $4 billion.

The Veterans Affairs Department misreported the bulk of the $1.1 billion savings it claimed under a White House acquisition savings initiative, according to an audit by the department’s Office of Inspector General.

The auditors said $710 million was likely miscounted due to duplicate transactions and a lack of sufficient documentation.

“The overstatement occurred due to incomplete guidance or inadequate oversight. We recommended improved policy and controls to ensure more effective responses to future savings reforms and initiatives,” the OIG said.

The Veterans Affairs Department awarded a high-profile contract to Longview International Technology Solutions Inc. of Rockville, MD to build a secure mobile device management system for up to 100,000 devices, according to Federal News Radio.

The initial task order to the service-disabled veteran-owned business was valued at $4.2 million. Longview will partner with Agilex Technologies, Federal News Radio said.

The Homeland Security Department did not always document the required information when it selected contracts other than firm-fixed-price contracts, according to an audit by the DHS Office of Inspector General.

Under Federal Acquisition Regulation Case 2008-030, federal agencies must follow guidance over the use and management of cost-reimbursement, time-and-material, and labor-hour contracts.

DHS officials did not always comply because the departmental rules are not always in alignment with the case regulations, or because in some cases the contracting officials did not follow existing rules, the inspector general said.

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization published a fiscal 2013 procurement forecast to help small firms look for opportunities.

For example, the Federal Highway Administration is looking for a small vendor to manage a summer internship program, along with 175 other procurements. The Maritime Administration is seeking vendors to provide drydocking services, along with 73 other opportunities.

More information: http://osdbu.dot.gov/Procurement/index.cfm