2.  What is the legal basis for this interim rule?

On December 21, 2000, Congress enacted the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000 ("Act") (Pub. L. 106-554). Section 811 of Appendix I of the Act amended the Small Business Act to include section 8(m), which authorized the restriction of competition for Federal contracts in certain industries to economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) concerns or WOSB concerns eligible under the WOSB Program. The Small Business Administration published its WOSB final rule in the Federal Register October 7, 2010 (75 FR 62258).