Bob Dylan’s 1964 hit song “The Times They Are a-Changin’” is called to mind upon reading the OFCCP’s final rule about sex discrimination. (The OFCCP is the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the agency within the U.S. Department of Labor that enforces various anti-discrimination policies imposed on government contractors.)

On April 22, 2016, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced proposed rule changes about award fees. The proposed changes are a result of the NASA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) audit report, “NASA’s Use of Award Fee Contracts” (Report IG-14-003). The changes will be made in Parts 1816 and 1852 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

In the 1998 movie Armageddon, oil drillers are launched into space to destroy a Texas-sized asteroid hurtling toward Earth. Their special skills are needed to drill a hole into the asteroid to plant a nuclear device that will destroy the asteroid and save Earth. Before they are launched into space, one of the drillers wryly remarks: “You know we’re sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon, and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good, doesn’t it?”

On January 22, 2016, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FARC) published a proposed rule about contractor and subcontractor whistleblowers.

If you are a government contractor that operates on a calendar-year basis (January 1 to December 31), don’t forget to review and update your affirmative action plan (AAP).