Big Changes Coming to GSA’s Popular Shopping Program

The General Services Administration (GSA) is planning to update its Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program, which is a giant system agencies use to buy everyday products and services. This new update is called Refresh 31, and it aims to change how companies report their sales and how the government handles new technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The GSA is currently asking for feedback on these ideas and wants people to send in their comments by March 20.

New Rules for Sales Data

One of the biggest parts of Refresh 31 is making "transactional data reporting" (TDR) mandatory for everyone. Right now, some companies don't have to report every detail of what they sell, but this change would add 112 categories that were previously left out.

If this happens, companies will have to send a detailed report of their sales to the GSA every three months. While that sounds like more work, there is a trade-off: the government will get rid of the "Price Reductions Clause". This old rule forced companies to tell the GSA every time they gave a better price to a regular customer. Removing it means companies won't have to track those price changes anymore, which could help them avoid certain legal headaches.

Setting Rules for AI

For the first time, the government wants to create standard rules for buying Artificial Intelligence. These new rules are based on a memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent out in early 2025.

Under these rules:

• Data Ownership: Companies must ask for permission before using private government data to train their AI programs. The government wants to make sure it keeps total control over its own information.

• Performance Checks: The government will have the right to constantly test and monitor AI systems to make sure they are working correctly.

Changes to Extra Items

The GSA is also changing how "open market" items—things not originally on a company’s price list—are added to orders. In the past, officials had a lot of freedom to add extra items to a contract. Now, the GSA wants a more organized process. They are encouraging companies to add a specific category called the "Order-Level Materials" (OLM) section to their contracts to handle these extras.

What Happens Next?

Once these rules are finalized, companies that already have contracts will have to accept the changes. Most will have 90 days to agree to the new sales reporting rules and 60 days for other parts of the update.

If you want to share your thoughts on these changes, you can email the GSA directly at [email protected].