Key Takeaways: 2026 PCS Rules Call

Last week, the PCS Task Force held an industry call to review its proposed 2026 Business Rules and gather feedback. The discussion was constructive, with movers raising practical concerns about how the updates will affect operations and the families they serve.

A key change is the shift from two performance periods back to four. While the data window remains nine months, several stakeholders stressed the need for a broader timeframe to produce more accurate performance scores.

The Task Force also unveiled a new award category, “Offer to All: Non-Short-Fuse,” which would allow manual awards to any approved business with a rate on file. Many warned this could turn these tight-turaround moves into a “fastest click wins” scenario, opening the door to bot-driven bidding. Industry leaders encouraged the Task Force to keep awards tied to performance, not clicks. 

On Inconvenience Claims, the biggest change is the inclusion of dependents. Movers urged the Task Force to provide dependent counts early in the award process to enable better planning and more efficient moves. 

Finally, the Task Force sent a new advisory that Phase 1 of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program will take effect in March 2026, and Phase 2 compliance is slated to take effect March 2027. While guidance on compliance and timelines is available HERE, stakeholders again noted the heavy burden this places on small businesses and every subcontractor involved in a move. (New advisory below):

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NEXT SHORT FUSE

How do the proposed business rules align with the realities of the industry? We sit down with two industry professionals to walk through the 2026 Proposed Business Rules. 

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