Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 10 OCTOBER 2023

Defense Department Program Enshrines Innovation Into Law

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Explore more from Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

Todd R. Overman and Richard W. Arnholt of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC discuss Commercial Solutions Openings, a contracting mechanism through the Department of Defense, which seeks innovative...

United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Todd Overman
Todd Overman
Richard W. Arnholt
Richard W. Arnholt

(October 5, 2023) - Todd R. Overman and Richard W. Arnholt of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC discuss Commercial Solutions Openings, a contracting mechanism through the Department of Defense, which seeks innovative commercial technologies or services.

On Aug. 28, Department of Defense (DoD) Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced a new, ambitious initiative that would leverage autonomous systems, such as drones and other unmanned vehicles, in all domains. The initiative, dubbed Replicator, aims to field "multiple thousands of autonomous systems across multiple domains, within the next 18-to-24 months." After acknowledging the cynics who will ultimately cast doubt on this ambitious plan, Deputy Secretary Hicks highlighted some of the obstacles to innovation that the DoD has already attempted to address.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

See more popular content from

Article

SBA Extends Deadline For Comments On Historic Overhaul Of Size Standards

The Small Business Administration has extended the comment period for two proposed rules that could dramatically reshape federal government contracting by significantly expanding the pool of entities eligible for small business set-aside procurements. With some size standard thresholds proposed to increase as much as tenfold, these changes would fundamentally alter the makeup of the small business contractor base.
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Crowell & Moring LLP
Crowell & Moring LLP
Article

Tennessee 2026 Midterm Election Results: Blackburn Wins Governor’s Race Amid Congressional And Legislative Upsets

Tennessee's 2026 midterm elections brought unexpected shifts to the state's political landscape, with Marsha Blackburn winning the governorship by the narrowest margin in over a century and Democrats flipping six House seats despite Republican supermajority retention. The results set the stage for significant leadership changes and new policy priorities when the 115th General Assembly convenes in January 2027.
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

D.C. Circuit Rules Pentagon Can Exclude Anthropic From Supply Chain

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled that the Department of War can exclude Anthropic from its supply chain under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act, finding that the AI company's ability to manipulate its Claude model creates a supply chain risk. This decision contrasts with an earlier California district court ruling that blocked a similar designation under a different statute, creating a complex legal landscape for AI providers and government contractors.
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Article

State AG News: Consumer Fraud And Deceptive Practices (October 1-7, 2026)

State attorneys general across the nation are taking decisive legal action on multiple fronts, from challenging federal fuel economy rollbacks to pursuing pharmaceutical companies over misleading drug claims. This week's enforcement activities reveal coordinated multistate efforts alongside individual state actions targeting consumer protection, national security concerns, and social media platform accountability.
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Crowell & Moring LLP
Crowell & Moring LLP
Article

BIOSECURE Act Update: Court Enjoins WuXi AppTec’s 1260H Designation, but Strategic and Compliance Clocks Keep Running

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has preliminarily enjoined the Department of War from enforcing WuXi AppTec's Section 1260H designation, finding the agency misread its evidence on state and military affiliation. However, this ruling does not close alternative pathways to biotechnology company of concern (BCC) designation under the BIOSECURE Act, and earlier supply-chain restrictions continue to drive near-term compliance decisions with a critical June 30, 2027 deadline for sub-tier supp
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Greenberg Traurig
Greenberg Traurig
Article

FMCSA MOTUS Implementation – Common Motor Carrier Concerns

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration launched MOTUS in May 2026, replacing legacy registration platforms and fundamentally changing how motor carriers, freight brokers, and surface freight forwarders handle operating authority applications and license maintenance. While designed to combat fraud and streamline registration activities, the transition has created significant user experience challenges that threaten operating authority status and customer relationships for transportation service prov
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
Article

FCC Replaces TCPA “Revoke All” Rule: New Category-Specific Opt-Out Rules For Robocalls And Robotexts

The Federal Communications Commission has fundamentally altered how businesses must handle consumer opt-out requests under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, replacing the broad "revoke all" mandate with a more nuanced, category-specific approach for informational messages. This regulatory shift allows companies to maintain separate consent tracks for different types of non-marketing communications while preserving stricter opt-out requirements for telemarketing messages. The Updated Order introduces ne
United StatesConsumer Protection
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

Tennessee 2026 Midterm Election Results: Blackburn Wins Governor’s Race Amid Congressional And Legislative Upsets

Tennessee's 2026 midterm elections brought unexpected shifts to the state's political landscape, with Marsha Blackburn winning the governorship by the narrowest margin in over a century and Democrats flipping six House seats despite Republican supermajority retention. The results set the stage for significant leadership changes and new policy priorities when the 115th General Assembly convenes in January 2027.
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

Healthcare Trends & Transactions Q2 2026

Healthcare M&A activity maintained steady momentum through Q2 2026, driven by physician practice consolidation, AI-enabled technology acquisitions, and strategic outpatient expansion. Private equity investment persisted despite intensifying regulatory scrutiny of MSO arrangements, while digital health buyers paid significant premiums for platforms demonstrating production-grade AI capabilities and proprietary data assets.
United StatesCorporate/Commercial Law
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

DOJ Continues DEI False Claims Act Enforcement With $25 Million Accenture Settlement

The Department of Justice announced a $25 million settlement with Accenture Federal Services over allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying compliance with anti-discrimination requirements while allegedly using race or sex in hiring, promotion, and access to professional development programs. This marks the third major DEI-related FCA enforcement action in 2026, following similar settlements with IBM and Deloitte.
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

State Department Pauses Immigrant Visa Appointments Worldwide: What HR Teams Need To Know

The State Department's indefinite pause on immigrant visa appointments has created uncertainty for employers and HR teams managing international talent. While most employment-based green card applications processed within the U.S. remain unaffected, employees awaiting consular processing abroad face significant delays and unanswered questions. Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Nora Katz provides strategic guidance on how HR departments can proactively prepare for this challenging immigration landscape.
United StatesEmployment and HR
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

DOJ's $2 Million Honeywell Settlement Under The Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative: What Compliance Failures Mean For Defense Contractors

The Department of Justice secured a $2 million settlement with Honeywell Aerospace for allegedly failing to comply with NIST SP 800-171 cybersecurity requirements under a Department of War contract. This case demonstrates how cybersecurity compliance failures can trigger False Claims Act liability even without an actual data breach or cyberattack, and highlights the growing role of whistleblowers in exposing contractors' gaps between contractual obligations and actual security practices.
United StatesGovernment, Public Sector
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

Healthcare Trends & Transactions Q3 2026

Healthcare M&A activity in Q3 2026 maintained steady momentum across multiple sectors, driven by consolidation, portfolio optimization, and the continued migration of care to lower-cost outpatient and home-based settings. While regulatory pressures and financing conditions tempered activity in physician practice management, large strategic buyers increasingly competed with private equity sponsors, highlighted by McKesson's $2.25 billion acquisition of Precision Medicine Group and a Warburg Pincus-led group'
United StatesFinance and Banking
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

Still Tracking, Still Suing: Website Privacy Litigation After SB 690

California's SB 690 eliminates private lawsuits under CIPA for pen register and trap-and-trace device theories, but website tracking litigation continues under federal wiretapping statutes, ECPA's crime-tort exception, and sector-specific claims. Businesses face ongoing risk from cookies, pixels, and tracking technologies that may unlawfully intercept visitor communications or collect routing data without proper consent.
United StatesPrivacy
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

CAS Board Raises Contract Thresholds To $35 Million And Eliminates CAS 407: What Federal Contractors Need To Know As DoW Demands Cost And Pricing Transparency

The CAS Board has raised contract thresholds to $35 million and eliminated CAS 407, fundamentally changing cost accounting requirements for federal contractors. At the same time, the Department of War is demanding unprecedented cost and pricing transparency through new memoranda requiring actual cost information for negotiations valued at $10 million or more, creating a complex landscape where contractors face fewer formal CAS requirements but heightened scrutiny of their pricing data.
United StatesAccounting and Audit
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Article

No More SEC Responses To Rule 14a-8 No-Action Requests: What Public Companies Should Know For The Upcoming Proxy Season

The SEC's Division of Corporation Finance has announced it will no longer respond to Rule 14a-8 no-action requests, marking a significant shift in the shareholder proposal process. Companies must still comply with notification requirements under Rule 14a-8(j), but without staff guidance on exclusion decisions, they will need to rely on existing SEC guidance, precedent, and judicial decisions.
United StatesCorporate/Commercial Law
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC