Worldwide: Government Contracts, Procurement & PPP

The California Legislature passed SB 886 (Padilla), the California Technology Innovation and Ratepayer Protection Act, which requires the California Public Utilities Commission (Commission) to adopt new tariffs and update existing electric rules to ensure that electric utility costs for serving data centers are not shifted to ratepayers. Governor Newsom has until the end of September to sign or veto this bill and the accompanying data center power regulation bill, AB 2383 (Zbur).

President Trump signed the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, extending EPA's authority to levy fees under the Toxic Substances Control Act until December 11, 2026. Congress postponed targeted amendments to TSCA as mid-term elections approach, despite earlier hearings in both the House and Senate on draft legislation to modernize the law.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or “Commission”) has proposed to rescind Rule 206(4)-5 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940[1] (the “Advisers Act”), commonly known as the “Pay-to-Play Rule”.[2] Issued on September 3, 2026, the proposal (the “Proposal”) follows years of industry advocacy and statements from Commissioners critical of the rule; notably, in the months leading up to the Proposal, Chairman Atkins characterized the rule as “a trap for the unwary.”

President Trump's Executive Order 14420 declares a national emergency over foreign-produced bulk-power system equipment, authorizing the Department of Energy to prohibit or condition transactions involving certain electric infrastructure. The order establishes a framework for procurement restrictions and vendor qualification requirements, with implementing regulations required within 120 days. How will this impact utilities, data center operators, and equipment vendors navigating supply chain vulnerabilitie

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has proposed a rule that would prohibit U.S. financial institutions from opening or maintaining correspondent accounts for...

On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Deloitte LLP and several of its subsidiaries agreed to pay, collectively, $21.5 million to resolve allegations that Deloitte violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by failing to comply with new anti-discrimination requirements incorporated into its federal contracts, by discriminating against employees and applicants on the basis of race and sex, and by allocating and seeking reimbursement for costs related to those practices under its federal government contracts. This resolution is the second of its kind under DOJ’s recently launched Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, following a similar settlement by IBM in April 2026.

On August 25, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ or the Department) announced a $21.5 million settlement with Deloitte LLP and four affiliated entities (collectively, Deloitte), marking the second False Claims Act (FCA) settlement under the Department’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative launched in May 2025.

Designates the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in recognition of American history, commerce and national significance.

Declares a national emergency over foreign threats to the U.S. bulk-power system and restricts certain transactions involving foreign-produced grid equipment that post national security...