[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 194 (Friday, October 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52386-52387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24937]



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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED


Procurement List Additions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled.

ACTION: Additions to the Procurement List.

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SUMMARY: This action adds to the Procurement List paper fasteners to be 
furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have 
other severe disabilities.

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 6, 1995.

ADDRESS: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled, Crystal Square 3, Suite 403,

[[Page 52387]]

1735 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202-3461.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly Milkman, (703) 603-7740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 30, 1995, the Committee for Purchase 
From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled published notice (60 
F.R. 34235) of proposed addition to the Procurement List.
    Comments were received from the current contractor for the 
fasteners. The contractor conceded that Government sales of the 
fasteners comprised a very small portion of its total sales. However, 
it felt the loss of sales would be significant because it would be a 
substantial minority of its total sales of the specific items involved, 
and a somewhat smaller minority of the sales of its office products 
division. The contractor also noted the impact of declining business, 
industry consolidation, and diminishing general small business set-
asides of Government buys, as opposed to set-asides restricted to 
special groups such as minority contractors. The contractor objected to 
the Committee having added other fasteners to the Procurement List in 
1994 without giving it notice. Finally, the contractor noted that it 
had provided work to local organizations employing people with 
disabilities over the years.
    The Committee looks at total sales in judging the impact of a 
Procurement List addition on a contractor because its concern is with 
the overall viability of the corporation. The contractor has conceded 
that the impact of this addition is small when viewed in this light, 
even when the cumulative effect of last year's addition is taken into 
account. The contractor also noted that industry consolidation by 
itself will likely lead to closing of its domestic office products 
plant. Declining business is a fact of life for many office products 
producers, including those participating in the Committee's program 
which have been hit by the effects of Government downsizing. The 
decline in general small business set-asides is probably also related 
to Government downsizing. In light of all these facts, it is unlikely 
that these Procurement List additions are the cause of the problems 
which the contractor foresees.
    The Committee is required by law to follow an administrative 
process which includes notice in the Federal Register when it adds 
items to the Procurement List. This notice is considered legally 
sufficient for all affected parties. The Committee wrote to the 
contractor this year, but not last year, because it was unable to 
obtain current sales data on the contractor from other sources.
    The Committee applauds the contractor for giving work to people 
with disabilities. However, the contractor is free to discontinue this 
work for business or other reasons, such as the union restrictions on 
layoffs which limited the amount of work given to these agencies in the 
past year. In contrast, the jobs created by the Committee's program are 
not subject to being discontinued for such reasons.
    After consideration of the material presented to it concerning 
capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the commodities, 
fair market price, and impact of the addition on the current or most 
recent contractors, the Committee has determined that the commodities 
listed below are suitable for procurement by the Federal Government 
under 41 U.S.C. 46-48c and 41 CFR 51-2.4.
    I certify that the following action will not have a significant 
impact on a substantial number of small entities. The major factors 
considered for this certification were:
    1. The action will not result in any additional reporting, 
recordkeeping or other compliance requirements for small entities other 
than the small organizations that will furnish the commodities to the 
Government.
    2. The action does not appear to have a severe economic impact on 
current contractors for the commodities.
    3. The action will result in authorizing small entities to furnish 
the commodities to the Government.
    4. There are no known regulatory alternatives which would 
accomplish the objectives of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46-
48c) in connection with the commodities proposed for addition to the 
Procurement List.
    Accordingly, the following commodities are hereby added to the 
Procurement List:

Fastener, Paper

7510-00-205-0806
7510-00-235-6046
7510-00-235-6049
7510-00-235-6068
7510-00-244-1169
7510-00-455-7339

    This action does not affect current contracts awarded prior to the 
effective date of this addition or options exercised under those 
contracts.
Beverly L. Milkman,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 95-24937 Filed 10-5-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-33-M