No FAR Council interim rule on AI acquisition transparency has been published — but GSA does have a real, actively-developing proposed AI clause working through the comment process, and it's the one contractors should actually be tracking. GSAR 552.239-7001, "Basic Safeguarding of Artificial Intelligence Systems," first drafted in January 2026 and substantially revised since, was republished in the Federal Register on June 17, 2026 with public comments due by August 3, 2026. This is a GSA-specific clause, not a government-wide FAR Council rule, and it remains in proposed form — it has not taken effect.
What the Clause Actually Covers
The revised draft narrows the clause's scope to large language models (LLMs) that process government data, rather than AI systems broadly. It specifically exempts LLMs embedded in common commercial products, and exempts cases where LLM functionality is merely incidental to the primary purpose of whatever's actually being procured — a narrower target than the initial January 2026 draft, which drew significant industry pushback over its breadth. The current version also includes liability caps, data-disclosure safeguards, and trade secret protections that weren't as developed in the earlier draft.
The Rulemaking Timeline So Far
GSA's original comment deadline of March 20, 2026 was extended to April 3 after industry requested more time, and GSA confirmed the clause would not be bundled into that spring's MAS Refresh 31. The current, more developed version published in June 2026 resets the clock again, with an August 3, 2026 comment deadline and a public listening session GSA held on July 14, 2026. In short: this is a live, evolving rulemaking, not a finished rule — contractors commenting now can still shape its final form.
What It Means for Contractors
Contractors on GSA Schedule/MAS contracts — particularly those whose products or services incorporate LLM functionality that touches government data — should read the June 2026 draft directly and consider submitting comments before the August 3 deadline rather than waiting for a final rule. Because the clause's scope has already narrowed substantially between drafts in response to industry input, this remains a genuine opportunity to influence what obligations ultimately apply, unlike commenting after a rule is already final.
