[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6699-H6700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               FEDERAL SUPPLY SCHEDULES USAGE ACT OF 2010

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 2868) to provide increased access to the General 
Services Administration's Schedules Program by the American Red Cross 
and State and local governments, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the amendments is as follows:

       Amendments:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Supply Schedules 
     Usage Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AND OTHER 
                   QUALIFIED ORGANIZATIONS TO USE FEDERAL SUPPLY 
                   SCHEDULES FOR CERTAIN GOODS AND SERVICES.

       Section 502 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(e) Use of Supply Schedules by the Red Cross and Other 
     Qualified Organizations.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Administrator may provide for the 
     use by the American National Red Cross and other qualified 
     organizations of Federal supply schedules. Purchases under 
     this authority by the American National Red Cross shall be 
     used in furtherance of the purposes of the American National 
     Red Cross set forth in section 300102 of title 36, United 
     States Code. Purchases under this authority by other 
     qualified organizations shall be used in furtherance of 
     purposes determined to be appropriate to facilitate emergency 
     preparedness and disaster relief and set forth in guidance by 
     the Administrator of General Services, in consultation with 
     the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
       ``(2) Limitation.--The authority under this subsection may 
     not be used to purchase supplies for resale.
       ``(3) Qualified organization.--In this subsection, the term 
     `qualified organization' means a relief or disaster 
     assistance organization as described in section 309 of the 
     Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 5152).''.

     SEC. 3. DUTY OF USERS REGARDING USE OF FEDERAL SUPPLY 
                   SCHEDULES.

       Section 502 of title 40, United States Code, as amended by 
     section 2, is further amended by adding at the end the 
     following new subsection:
       ``(f) Duty of Users Regarding Use of Supply Schedules.--All 
     users of Federal supply schedules, including non-Federal 
     users, shall use the schedules in accordance with the 
     ordering guidance provided by the Administrator of General 
     Services.''.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORITY OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO USE 
                   SUPPLY SCHEDULES FOR CERTAIN GOODS AND 
                   SERVICES.

       Subsection (d)(1) of section 502 of title 40, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting ``, to facilitate disaster 
     preparedness or response,'' after ``Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 
     et seq.)''.

     SEC. 5. PAYGO COMPLIANCE.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
       Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to provide 
     increased access to the Federal supply schedules of the 
     General Services Administration to the American Red Cross, 
     other qualified organizations, and State and local 
     governments.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cao) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay).


                             General Leave

  Mr. CLAY. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 
legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CLAY. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, from Hurricane Katrina to the wildfires in California to 
the 9/11 attacks, our country faces disasters that try our people and 
our ability to help them. S. 2868, the Federal Supply Schedules Usage 
Act of 2009, provides the necessary tools to the organizations that 
respond to such disasters in a more efficient and effective manner. 
This bill will help our country's citizens during the times when they 
need it most.
  S. 2868 was introduced by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman on December 12, 
2009, and was reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs without amendment on May 17, 2010. The Senate 
passed S. 2868 by unanimous consent on May 24, 2010. The bill was then 
referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 
where we worked in a bipartisan manner to get this important 
legislation to the House floor.
  S. 2868 authorizes the Administrator of the GSA to provide for the 
use of the Federal supply schedules by the American National Red Cross, 
qualified disaster relief organizations, and State and local 
governments for disaster preparedness and response.

                              {time}  1130

  This bill seeks to enhance the ability of the American National Red 
Cross, all qualified disaster relief organizations, and State and local 
governments to effectively prepare for and respond to disasters by 
giving them the ability to purchase specific goods and services through 
the pre-negotiated contracts of the Federal Supply Schedules. This will 
save them the administrative costs of negotiating individual 
agreements,

[[Page H6700]]

and allow them to leverage the economies of scale of the Federal 
Government's buying power. By saving these important organizations 
money, more money can be put directly towards helping people.
  All the disaster relief groups would be barred from the resale of any 
products purchased off the Schedules, and all of their purchases would 
be required to be in accordance with the ordering guidance of GSA.
  At the end of the day, S. 2868 provides the necessary tools to 
organizations that help people in their most desperate times. This bill 
allows these essential organizations to focus their finances and 
resources to directly help people, instead of spending time, energy, 
and money negotiating for products and services at costs that are 
higher than the government would pay for them.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 2868, the Federal 
Supply Schedules Usage Act of 2010. Mr. Speaker, the Federal Supply 
Schedules Usage Act of 2010 will allow the American Red Cross and other 
qualified nonprofits that engage in disaster relief and preparedness to 
leverage the purchasing power of the Federal Government. More 
specifically, this bill grants the General Services Administration the 
authority to allow the American Red Cross and other organizations, such 
as the Salvation Army and Catholic Relief Services, the ability to 
purchase goods from the Federal Supply Schedules. There is precedence 
for allowing government entities, quasi-government entities, and 
certain private entities to buy goods and services from the Federal 
Supply Schedules. Over the years, Congress has given GSA statutory 
authority to broaden access to the Supply Schedules.
  Currently, all executive agencies, the legislative branch, the 
District of Columbia, tribes and tribal organizations, certain foreign 
governments, and quasi-governmental and government chartered agencies 
such as the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, the Bonneville 
Power Administration, and the Civil Air Patrol are eligible to use the 
Schedules for certain purposes or under certain circumstances.
  When this bill came over from the Senate, it was limited to the 
American Red Cross. But during our committee markup, I offered an 
amendment expanding S. 2868 to make all qualified nonprofit 
organizations, nationwide and local, eligible to purchase from the 
Federal Supply Schedules.
  My district, Louisiana's Second Congressional District, located in 
New Orleans, was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the wake 
of the hurricane, I observed the multitude of nonprofit organizations 
beyond the American Red Cross that provided disaster relief to the 
city.
  In addition to widely recognized national organizations, local relief 
organizations are also invaluable. They have on-the-ground knowledge of 
the greatest local needs and how to fulfill those needs. Under the 
Stafford Act, contracts for disaster relief are to be awarded to local 
contractors to the extent possible. That is why I introduced my 
amendment to extend access to the Federal Supply Schedules to these 
local organizations.
  After the tragic earthquake in Haiti, The New York Times listed at 
least 41 large-scale disaster relief organizations to which Americans 
could contribute. These organizations were filling a multitude of roles 
in Haiti and supporting the U.S. Government's presence there. They also 
should be eligible to purchase goods and services from the Schedules. 
My amendment and the bill in its entirety received unanimous support in 
committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2868.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 2868, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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