The Trump administration has kicked off a major overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation to cut red tape and give contracting officers more room to make decisions.
Proposed updates to FAR Part 1 and Part 34 — both released May 2 — mark the first wave of this rewrite. Backed by the executive order on restoring common sense to procurement, the effort is led by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy and the FAR Council. The goal: faster acquisitions, stronger competition and better results.
What’s Changing
The FAR is getting stripped down and rewritten in plain English. Legalese, duplicative rules and decades of bloat are on the way out.
Most non-statutory requirements are being removed. Instead, practical buying strategies will be published in separate guides, giving contracting officers more flexibility to use good judgment.
The focus is on outcomes, not box-checking. The new rules push decision-making down to the lowest level possible and make it clear: managing risk doesn’t mean eliminating it.
Part 1: Resetting the Foundation
Part 1 lays the groundwork for how agencies buy. The update re-centers the FAR on what matters: empowering teams, reducing risk aversion and encouraging smarter, faster acquisition. It also clarifies how and when agencies can propose deviations if they improve value, speed or alignment with mission.
Part 34: Targeting key modernization areas
The changes to Part 34 focus on two things: how government-backed materials get tested and how Earned Value Management Systems are used in major programs.
Title III Resources (Subpart 34.1)
Title III of the Defense Production Act helps U.S. companies develop critical components for national defense. This update streamlines how those parts get tested and approved for use in major systems.
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If a contractor wants to use a Title III-backed component, the government typically covers testing costs.
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Contracting officers assess if testing is justified based on relevance and supply.
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If approved, the contract is modified and materials are delivered by the Title III program.
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Contracts must now include FAR clause 52.201.
Earned Value Management System (Subpart 34.2)
EVMS is the tool agencies use to track cost, schedule and performance in large-scale programs. The updates reinforce its use but cut down on unnecessary documentation.
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Required for major development efforts under OMB Circular A-11
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Monthly performance reporting stays mandatory
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Subcontractors follow the same EVMS rules
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Agencies must review contractor EVMS plans before award
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Contracts must include a clause based on FAR 52.234-4
What’s Next
These revisions are still moving through formal rulemaking. But class deviations have already been issued so agencies can start using the changes now. In the meantime, OFPP is asking for informal feedback from the acquisition community.