Contractors at the Department of Homeland Security are required to sign agreements promising not to disclose information that is deemed sensitive but unclassified.

DHS employees also sign the agreements, but congressional staff members refused, The Washington Post reported Nov. 16.

The agreement says information is sensitive if it could “adversely affect the national security or the conduct of federal programs” or violate an individual’s privacy. Critics told the newspaper the definition is so broad that any bureaucrat could declare any information sensitive.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) “appointed a panel of experts to advise the state on keeping its military bases open” in the 2005 round of base closings and realignments, the Sacramento Bee reported Nov. 10. Former Rep. Leon Panetta (D) heads the 18-member council that will recommend strategies for convincing the Pentagon that it makes sense to keep the state’s 62 installations open. The newspaper said the state’s Office of Military Support has estimated that California could lose 15 bases and 68,000 jobs in the upcoming round.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation councils are hosting a public meeting Nov. 23 in Washington to discuss proposed amendments to the FAR regarding hazardous material safety data. For details and to see the draft final rule, go to http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/coming.htm

A new study shows small businesses may face problems if they try to export their products or services.

Nine small exporters from South Carolina were interviewed in the study for SBA’s Office of Advocacy. Most of them said they began exporting at the request of customers, not because they made a decision to enter overseas markets.

The companies said the time and effort involved in exporting may distract from core domestic business.

SBA is granting a waiver of the nonmanufacturer rule for Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing, NAICS code 339920. The agency said no small business manufacturers are supplying these products to the federal government.

The waiver, effective Nov. 30, will allow dealers to supply the products of any domestic manufacturer on a federal contract set aside for small businesses.

SBA also waived the nonmanufacturer rule for Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing, NAICS code 334290, effective Dec. 1.

The Defense Department has issued several final rules amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement to update text, as part of its initiatives to rewrite the supplement:

DFARS Case 2003-D074 updates text related to the acquisition of commercial items.

DFARS Case 2003-D011 deletes text pertaining to contractor qualification requirements.

DFARS Case 2003-D037 updates text pertaining to insurance requirements.

DFARS Case 2003-D067 updates text pertaining to R&D contracting.

DFARS Case 2003-D076 updates text pertaining to sealed bidding.