Scott M. Pechaitis

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A newly released Government Accountability Office (GAO) report calls on the Department of Labor (DOL) to strengthen its oversight of federal contractors’ compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and provide more guidance to help them meet their obligations. DOL agreed with six of GAO’s eight recommendations but neither agreed nor disagreed with the…

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has finalized changes to its regulations under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, eliminating several longstanding disability-related affirmative action requirements for federal contractors. The final rule is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Aug. 21, 2026.

Under the Section…

The annual VETS-4212 filing season is underway. The Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) began accepting reports on Aug. 1, 2026, and covered federal contractors and subcontractors must submit their reports by Sept. 30, 2026.

VETS-4212 Reporting at a Glance

Under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, covered federal…

On July 16, 2026, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved a three-year extension of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ (OFCCP) information collection requirements under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The approval covers the CC-305 Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability form and related recordkeeping requirements for federal contractors. It continues…

The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule rescinding portions of its Title VI regulations that addressed disparate impact liability for recipients of federal financial assistance. The rule took effect July 2, 2026.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs…

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s rollout of Executive Order (EO) 14398, “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors.” The coalition of plaintiff states challenges the EO and federal agency actions taken to implement what they allege are unclear requirements across new and existing contracts. Filed…

Government contractors and recipients of federal financial assistance are once again seeing agencies revisit guidance documents as part of broader efforts to reduce administrative requirements for regulated entities. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has withdrawn Circular 4704.1A, its Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements and guidelines for recipients of FTA financial assistance. The withdrawal took…

On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) submitted a proposal to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) concerning federal equal employment opportunity reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

According to the OIRA entry, the proposal concerns the rescission of EEO-1, EEO-2, EEO-3, EEO-4, EEO-5, and reporting requirements under Title VII, the…

Kenneth J. Wolfe is the new director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), according to the agency’s website. He assumes the role after Director Ashley Romanias recently stepped down.

Director Wolfe also serves as the director of the Center for Faith at the U.S. Department of Labor, where he leads initiatives…

Federal contractors have new insight into how the government may implement and enforce Executive Order (EO) 14398, which aims to prevent federal contractors and subcontractors from engaging in discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) activities related to race and ethnicity. Recent Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council guidance and its request for emergency approval for…