[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 123 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 123

Directing legislative branch support offices to take certain actions to 
   promote the procurement of goods and services from the AbilityOne 
 program established under chapter 85 of title 41, United States Code 
    (commonly known as the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act), and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 2024

   Ms. Crockett (for herself, Mr. Molinaro, Mr. Loudermilk, and Mr. 
Thompson of California) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
      which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Directing legislative branch support offices to take certain actions to 
   promote the procurement of goods and services from the AbilityOne 
 program established under chapter 85 of title 41, United States Code 
    (commonly known as the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act), and for other 
                               purposes.

Whereas in 1971, Congress passed the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act to advance 
        employment opportunities for Americans who are blind or who have 
        significant disabilities by requiring the Federal Government, including 
        legislative entities, when seeking to procure a product or service, to 
        first assess whether their needs can be met by products or services 
        provided by Ability One Participating Agencies and included on the 
        AbilityOne Procurement List maintained by the AbilityOne Commission; and
Whereas, as a result of the AbilityOne Program, tens of thousands of Americans 
        who are blind or who have significant disabilities, including a large 
        and growing number of returning veterans, are employed at competitive 
        wages providing products and services to the Federal Government, greatly 
        enhancing their self-sufficiency and providing critical career skills: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

SECTION 1. APPOINTMENT OF ABILITYONE REPRESENTATIVE.

    (a) Designation of Position.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
of the adoption of this resolution, the head of each Legislative Branch 
Support Office shall designate an employee in the Office to serve in a 
position to be known as the ``AbilityOne Representative''.
    (b) Duties.--The employee serving as the AbilityOne Representative 
of a Legislative Branch Support Office shall carry out the following 
duties:
            (1) Promoting the purchase and use of AbilityOne products 
        and services within the office.
            (2) Providing the data required for preparing the annual 
        report required under section 2.
            (3) Ensuring compliance with AbilityOne Commission 
        regulations, as applicable.
            (4) Serving as a liaison to Members of Congress, AbilityOne 
        Participating Agencies, the AbilityOne Commission, and the 
        Commission's designated central nonprofit agencies on matters 
        in the Office which relate to the AbilityOne program.
            (5) Developing and monitoring the implementation of a 
        written strategic plan for increasing procurement by the Office 
        from the AbilityOne program.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT.

    Not later than January 1 of each calendar year, beginning with 
2025, the head of each Legislative Branch Support Office shall submit 
to Congress a report on--
            (1) the total amount spent on the procurement of products 
        and services by the office during the previous fiscal year;
            (2) of the amount described in paragraph (1), the total 
        amount spent on AbilityOne products and services;
            (3) of the products and services described in paragraph 
        (1), a description of the products or services which were 
        purchased from the AbilityOne program and which were not;
            (4) for each product and service described in paragraph (3) 
        which was not purchased from the AbilityOne program, an 
        explanation of why the product or service was procured from a 
        source outside of the AbilityOne program;
            (5) qualitative information on efforts to increase 
        procurement through the AbilityOne program; and
            (6) qualitative information on any obstacles faced in 
        increasing procurement from the AbilityOne program.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this resolution, the following definitions apply:
            (1) The term ``AbilityOne Commission'' means the Committee 
        for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled 
        established under section 8502 of title 41, United States Code.
            (2) The term ``AbilityOne Participating Agency'' means a 
        nonprofit agency for the blind or a nonprofit agency employing 
        persons with significant disabilities which is authorized by 
        the AbilityOne Commission to provide products or services 
        pursuant to chapter 85 of title 41, United States Code 
        (commonly known as the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act), and associated 
        regulations.
            (3) The term ``AbilityOne Procurement List'' means the list 
        of products and services determined by the AbilityOne 
        Commission to be suitable to be procured by the Federal 
        Government from AbilityOne Participating Agencies pursuant to 
        section 8503 of title 41, United States Code.
            (4) The term ``AbilityOne program'' means the program 
        established under chapter 85 of title 41, United States Code 
        (commonly known as the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act).
            (5) The term ``Legislative Branch Support Office'' means an 
        office for which appropriations for salaries and expenses for a 
        fiscal year are provided by the Legislative Branch 
        Appropriations Act for such fiscal year, except that such term 
        does not include any office of the House of Representatives or 
        Senate.
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