[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 70 (Thursday, May 19, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3178-S3179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. Vitter):
  S. 1036. A bill to amend title 40, United States Code, to ensure that 
job opportunities for people who are blind and people with significant 
disabilities are met by requiring the application of the Javits-Wagner-
O'Day Act to certain lease agreements entered into by the Federal 
Government for private buildings or improvements; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today Senator Vitter and I are introducing 
legislation to ensure and protect the jobs of thousands of individuals 
who are blind or have significant disabilities and provide important 
services to the U.S. Government and taxpayers alike.
  In 1938, during the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Administration, 
Congress passed the Wagner-O'Day Act to help provide employment 
opportunities for people who are blind. At the time, most of the work 
the Wagner-O'Day Act created was in manufacturing mops and brooms that 
would be sold for use in Federal Government buildings and facilities.
  In 1971, under the leadership of New York Republican Senator Jacob 
Javits, Congress amended the act to include people with significant 
disabilities and expand the program to also include services provided 
to the Federal Government.
  The Javits-Wagner-O'Day Program eventually changed its name to 
``AbilityOne.'' Today, this expanded work program for people who are 
blind or have significant disabilities provides Federal customers, 
including the U.S. Senate, with a wide array of products, like wall 
mounted clocks, paint, military uniforms, hardware and cleaning 
supplies. AbilityOne also helps put people to work in service 
positions, like call center operations, grounds-keeping, food service, 
administration and processing positions, and vehicle fleet maintenance.
  People who are blind or have significant disabilities struggle 
particularly hard to find work. While the current job climate is 
challenging for all Americans, the employment rate for individuals in 
this group hovers around 30 percent. Oftentimes these individuals must 
rely on taxpayer funded government entitlement programs like Medicaid, 
SNAPS--food stamps--supplemental security income, and subsidized 
housing. AbilityOne helps these Americans find jobs and alleviates the 
expenditures of these entitlement programs.
  Recent independent studies of the AbilityOne Program found that in 
just the four business lines analyzed, the AbilityOne Program saved the 
Government $34 million in both reduction of

[[Page S3179]]

entitlements and increases in income and payroll taxes.
  AbilityOne provides nearly 48,000 people who are blind or who have 
significant disabilities with quality job opportunities, to earn a 
living which provides a pathway towards increased independence.
  There are nearly 600 nonprofit organizations across the country 
working to find job opportunities for people who are blind or have 
significant disabilities, through the AbilityOne program. With 
Maryland's proximity to the seat of the Federal Government, AbilityOne 
creates considerable job opportunities in the service sector for 
Marylanders with disabilities.
  However, there is a growing trend among Federal facilities that is 
undoing the progress that the AbilityOne Program has made and in turn 
is contributing to the growth of unemployment for Americans with 
disabilities. The bill Senator Vitter and I are introducing today aims 
to address this problem.
  More and more Federal facilities are moving out of federally owned 
and operated properties and into leased space in privately owned 
buildings and facilities. The General Services Administration estimates 
that the Federal Government leases more than 7,300 buildings in more 
than 2,000 communities across the country. When GSA has sought lease 
space in Maryland I have generally supported these moves.
  Federally leased properties create terrific economic opportunities 
for the business districts they come to. Federally leased properties 
bring revenues for State and local governments, increase the tax base 
of the regions they come to and often provide the backbone for small 
business growth and consulting services around the federally leased 
facilities.
  The economic opportunities a Federal lease on private real estate 
provides for a community are great for everyone except for service 
workers with disabilities who are no longer helped by AbilityOne 
because federally leased space falls outside the scope of the Javits-
Wagner-O'Day Act.
  As the law is written, Javits-Wagner-O'Day only applies to federally 
owned and operated facilities.
  Our bill makes a simple and practical fix to the Javits-Wagner-O'Day 
Act to apply the AbilityOne Program services to federally leased space. 
My bill states that when the Federal Government occupies 60 percent or 
more of the usable space within a private building or facility that the 
Federal Government, the lessor, or property manager must comply with 
the service contract procurement requirements of the Javits-Wagner-
O'Day Act.
  The Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, and the thousands of men and women who 
have found employment opportunities through the AbilityOne Program, 
have a proven track record of success in terms of providing exceptional 
services and products for the Federal Government at rates that make for 
very sound spending of taxpayer dollars.
  Finding job opportunities has always been a challenge for individuals 
who are blind or have significant disabilities. We must maintain the 
Federal Government's commitment to these hard working Americans.
  I urge my colleagues to join Senator Vitter and me in cosponsoring 
the AbilityOne Improvements Act.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1036

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``AbilityOne Improvements 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. APPLICABILITY OF JAVITS-WAGNER-O'DAY ACT.

       Section 585(a) of title 40, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Applicability of javits-wagner-o'day act.--A lease 
     agreement for space under this section for the accommodation 
     of a federal agency as described in paragraph (1) that is 
     issued or renewed after the date of enactment of this 
     paragraph shall require the federal agency, lessor, or 
     property manager to comply with provisions of the Javits-
     Wagner-O'Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46 et seq.) that are applicable 
     to federal buildings if--
       ``(A) the lease is for 60 percent or more of the useable 
     space on the property or improvement in which 1 or more 
     federal agencies are to be accommodated, as determined by the 
     Administrator; or
       ``(B) the federal agency to be accommodated under the lease 
     is, as of the date of the lease, required to contract 
     pursuant to that Act for services being transitioned to the 
     leased space.''.
                                 ______