Treasury wants more women, minorities as contract employees

Treasury Department officials want contractors to make a “good-faith effort” to have women and minorities in their workforce, a clause that may be in future Treasury contracts, according to a Federal Register notice published Aug. 21.

Officials are proposing an amendment to the Department of the Treasury Acquisition Regulation, the supplement to the governmentwide Federal Acquisition Regulation, to include the contract clause, as required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The bill became law in July 2010.

Treasury officials consider that a company has made a good-faith effort if they eliminate employment barriers, widely publish notices of employment, and find ways to reach out directly to minorities and women.

The department proposes to apply the clause to service contracts.

The proposal is open for comments through Oct. 22.