DoD is issuing a final rule to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement section 823 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which establishes a requirement for use of the best available information regarding past performance of subcontractors and joint venture partners when awarding DoD construction and architect-engineer (A&E) contracts. Section 823 requires annual performance evaluations for first-tier subcontractors and individual partners of joint venture construction and A&E contracts valued at either $750,000 or more, or 20 percent of the value of the prime contract (whichever is higher), in accordance with specified conditions. In addition, processes for exceptions from the annual evaluation requirement will be established for construction and A&E contracts where submission of annual evaluations would not provide the best representation of the performance of a contractor, including subcontractors and joint venture partners under specified conditions. This rule will amend DFARS part 242 to incorporate these new requirements and processes.