Final answer:
Affirmative action plans for federal contractors are required by Executive Order 11246, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and are enforced by the EEOC for contractors that have faced discrimination lawsuits. These laws form the basis for ensuring equal employment opportunities and promoting diversity among federal contractors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Three laws that require affirmative action plans from federal contractors are: the Executive Order 11246 issued in 1965, which forbade employment discrimination by federal contractors and required them to take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act which prohibits discrimination in employment on various grounds including race and gender, and the development of affirmative action policies by the federal government which are enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for those contractors who have lost discrimination lawsuits.
These laws and policies have been instrumental in encouraging diversity and making an effort to reach out to a broader range of minority candidates for jobs within organizations that work with the federal government.
The framework of affirmative action has evolved over time, facing legal challenges with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against certain state affirmative action laws, leading to a more focused application of such policies on federal contractors as a form of redress for past discrimination.