On April 15, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at reforming the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which are procedures guiding acquisitions across executive departments. The order, entitled Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement, mandates the Administrator of the Office of Federal Public Procurement Policy (Administrator) take “appropriate actions to amend the FAR to ensure that it contains only provisions that are required by statute or that are otherwise necessary to support simplicity and usability, strengthen the efficacy of the procurement system, or protect economic or national security interests.”

The order also requires these actions, which must be made in the next 180 days, be taken in coordination with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), the heads of federal executive branch agencies, and appropriate senior acquisition and procurement officials from agencies.

Additionally, in the next 15 days, each agency exercising procurement authority pursuant to the FAR must designate a senior acquisition or procurement official to work with the Administrator and the FAR Council. Within 20 days, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget must issue a memorandum to agencies providing guidance regarding implementation of the order.

As described in a prior order issued by the president in January, this order requires that for each new regulation issued, at least 10 prior regulations be identified for elimination.

In an Executive Order recently issued by President Donald J. Trump relating to voting in federal elections, the president also directed the U.S. Attorney General to prioritize the enforcement of existing laws both preventing foreign nationals from making political contributions in U.S. elections and prohibiting lobbying by organizations or entities that have received any federal funds.

The majority of the order, entitled Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections, concerns various aspects of voter registration, verification of citizenship of voters, illegal voting, and substantiation of state compliance with federal voting laws.

The order, issued on March 25, directs the U.S. Attorney General to act in consultation with the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

On January 20, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order revoking mandated enhanced ethics rules for executive branch appointees implemented on January 20, 2021, by former President Joseph R. Biden. President Trump’s Executive Order, entitled “Executive Order—Initial Rescissions Of Harmful Executive Orders And Actions,” revoked over 60 prior presidential Executive orders issued in the last four years.

The rescinded order, Executive Order 13989 entitled “Executive Order on Ethic Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel,” required new appointees to sign and be contractually committed to the ethics pledge outlined in the order. Appointees were prohibited from accepting gifts, with limited exceptions, from registered lobbyists and lobbying organizations for the duration of their service as appointees. Appointees were also prohibited from participating in matters involving specific parties directly and substantially related to a former employer for two years after the date of appointment.

Federal lobbyists and individuals registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act could not seek or accept employment with any executive agency with respect to which he or she lobbied within the two years before the date of the appointment. The order also prohibited certain golden parachutes from former employers and includes a general two-year prohibition on lobbying after leaving a position. Covered appointees included every full-time, non-career Presidential or Vice-Presidential appointee, non-career appointees in the Senior Executive Service, and appointees to certain positions excepted from the competitive service. It did not include any person appointed as a member of the Senior Foreign Service or solely as a uniformed service commissioned officer.

President Trump, who issued an Executive Order concerning the ethics of appointed officials in 2017, and rescinded it on January 19, 2021, could still issue another related Executive Order.

For 2025, the minimum wage required to be paid by US Federal Contractors under Executive Order 14026 increases to $17.75 an hour. Beginning January 30, 2022, all federal agencies were required to incorporate a $15 minimum wage in new contract solicitations pursuant to an executive order signed by President Joseph R. Biden on April 27, 2021. Since January 1, 2024, tipped workers must also receive 100% of the wage received by non-tipped workers, eliminating the difference between the type of workers. Contractors covered by Executive Order 14026 must ensure that workers receive no less than the minimum wage rates in effect during each calendar year in which a covered contract is performed. Based on an order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on September 26, 2023, the minimum wage requirements of the final rule implementing Executive Order 14026 are not currently being enforced as to contracts or subcontracts to which the states of Texas, Louisiana, or Mississippi (including their agencies) are a party.

On April 27, President Joseph R. Biden signed an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay $15 per hour for employees working on or in connection with a federal government contract.

Beginning January 30, 2022, all federal agencies are required to incorporate a $15 minimum wage in new contract solicitations. By March 30, 2022, all agencies will need to implement the minimum wage into new contracts. Federal agencies are also directed to implement the higher wage into existing contracts when the parties exercise their option to extend such contracts.

Contractors and subcontractors must certify they will meet this condition requiring the minimum wage. This certification is a condition of payment to the contractors from the government.

The order applies, with certain exceptions, to any new contract; new contract-like instrument; new solicitation; extension or renewal of an existing contract or contract-like instrument; or exercise of an option on an existing contract or contract-like instrument. This order does not apply to grants; contracts, contract-like instruments, or certain specific type of agreements with Indian Tribes.

Starting January 1, 2023, the minimum wage will be adjusted annually, but not lowered, by the U.S. secretary of labor based on a consumer price index formula and rounded to the nearest multiple of $0.05. For tipped workers, the minimum wage mandated by the order is $10.50 per hour beginning January 30, 2022. Beginning January 1, 2023, tipped workers must receive 85% of the wage rate in effect for non-tipped employees, rounded to the nearest multiple of $0.05. Then beginning January 1, 2024, and for each subsequent year, tipped workers must receive 100% of the wage received by non-tipped worker, eliminating the difference between the type of workers. Adjustments must be considered by employers of tipped workers who do not receive a sufficient additional amount on account of tips to equal to the minimum wage of non-tipped workers.

If a state or municipality has a higher minimum wage, the Executive Order does not excuse noncompliance with the laws requiring the higher wage. The secretary of labor is ordered to issue regulations by November 24, implementing this order.

President Trump signed an executive order today for the purpose of allowing religious institutions to engage more directly in political activity without losing their tax-exempt status.

Federal law prohibits tax-exempt religious and charitable institutions from specifically supporting, opposing, or endorsing political candidates or risk losing their tax-exempt status. Today’s order, named the Presidential Executive Order Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty, does not address charitable institutions covered under the same federal law.

The executive order directs the Department of the Treasury to “not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship, or other religious organization on the basis that such individual or organization speaks or has spoken about moral or political issues from a religious perspective, where speech of similar character has, consistent with law, not ordinarily been treated as participation or intervention in a political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) a candidate for public office by the Department of the Treasury.” The order defines “adverse action” as “the imposition of any tax or tax penalty; the delay or denial of tax-exempt status; the disallowance of tax deductions for contributions made to entities exempted from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of title 26, United States Code; or any other action that makes unavailable or denies any tax deduction, exemption, credit, or benefit.”

Additionally, the order directs the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “consider issuing amended regulations, consistent with applicable law, to address conscience-based objections to the preventive-care mandate promulgated under” the Affordable Care Act.

President Obama marked Labor Day by signing an Executive Order requiring federal contractors to offer their employees up to seven days of paid sick leave per year. The order also allows employees  to use paid sick leave to care for themselves,  a  family member, a domestic  partner, or another loved one, and grants leave for absences resulting from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, according to a White House press release.

The While House hopes the Executive Order will set a standard prodding “lawmakers, private employers, and state and local governments to expand their leave policies,” according to the New York Times. The order’s requirements will take effect with new contracts starting in 2017.