Procurement
New contracting rule targets confidentiality agreements
- By Zach Noble
- Jan 25, 2016
The federal government is advancing a crackdown on contractor confidentiality agreements with a proposed amendment to the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
The amendment, called for by the 2015 appropriations law, would block contractors that required employees or subcontractors to sign confidentiality agreements, should those internal agreements keep workers from reporting waste, fraud and abuse to the government. The ban would apply to contacts paid with appropriated funding for fiscal year 2015 and beyond.
In recent years, restrictive confidentiality agreements sparked investigations of such contractors as Kellogg Brown & Root and International Relief and Development, both major players in Iraq and Afghanistan work.
The proposed FAR amendment would further codify what such investigative bodies as the Securities and Exchange Commission have determined -- that contractors can’t slap gag orders on workers to keep them from blowing the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse. Comments on the proposed amendment are due March 22.
About the Author
Zach Noble is a staff writer covering digital citizen services, workforce issues and a range of civilian federal agencies.
Before joining FCW in 2015, Noble served as assistant editor at the viral news site TheBlaze, where he wrote a mix of business, political and breaking news stories and managed weekend news coverage. He has also written for online and print publications including The Washington Free Beacon, The Santa Barbara News-Press, The Federalist and Washington Technology.
Noble is a graduate of Saint Vincent College, where he studied English, economics and mathematics.
Click here for previous articles by Noble, or connect with him on Twitter: @thezachnoble.