Some Attention Still Coming

Although those provisions were enacted only late in 2005, the contracting issue likely will get at least some attention in 2006 since the language was added to annual spending bills that expire at the end of the current fiscal year, September 30. Thus, the language would have to be passed again this year. In many cases, however, once certain language is accepted in an appropriations bill, it is made part of the measure each succeeding year routinely. It remains to be seen whether that will be the case with the contracting provisions; one telling factor could be a report that OMB is supposed to produce assessing the impact of those changes on the contracting out program.