Contracting Out Targeted in DoD Bill

By: fedweek

Meanwhile, a House-passed DoD authorization measure (HR-1585): continues the general policy that contractors could not gain an advantage in bidding by paying less toward health benefits than the government does for federal employees, and adds a similar requirement regarding retirement benefits; eliminates automatic recompetition of work after the in-house side wins; beefs up the policy of allowing federal employees to compete for new work or work currently performed by contractors in some circumstances; allows employees to appeal contracting decisions to GAO in the same way that contractors now may; and applies government-wide the requirement now applying to DoD that work could be converted only if the contractor showed savings of at least 10 percent or $10 million.