Update of Federal Acquisition Regulation Proposed
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council has proposed an update to its regulations governing federal procurements to incorporate the Board’s updated Section 508 Standards. These standards address the accessibility of information and communication technology in the federal sector. The FAR Council’s proposed rule would amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to ensure that the revised 508 Standards are appropriately considered in Federal ICT acquisitions.
The Federal Acquisition Regulations System, which is overseen by the FAR Council, codifies and publishes uniform policies and procedures for acquisition of supplies and services by all executive agencies. The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council is responsible for incorporating the 508 Standards and updates of the standards. The Council is comprised of representatives from the Department of Defense (DOD), the General Services Administration (GAS), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which jointly issued the proposed notice. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy within the Office of Management and Budget is also represented on the Council.
The proposed rule and instructions for submitting comments are posted on regulations.gov. Comments are due June 1, 2020. For further information, contact Camara Francis of GSA’s Office of Government-wide Acquisition Policy at (202)550-0935.