Federal Acquisition Regulation; Reform of Affirmative Action in Federal Procurement

The Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have agreed to issue Federal Acquisition Circular 97-07, as an interim rule to make amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) concerning programs for small disadvantaged business (SDB) concerns. These amendments conform to a Department of Justice (DoJ) proposal to reform affirmative action in Federal procurement. DoJ's proposal is designed to ensure compliance with the constitutional standards established by the Supreme Court in Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 115 S. Ct. 2097 (1995). This regulatory action was subject to Office of Management and Budget review under Executive Order 12866, dated September 30, 1993. This is a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804.