[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 23 (Friday, February 2, 1996)] [Notices] [Page 3910] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-2266] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This action adds to the Procurement List man's brown undershirts to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities. EFFECTIVE DATE: March 4, 1996. ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, Crystal Square 3, Suite 403, 1735 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202-3461. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly Milkman (703) 603-7740. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 23, 1995, the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled published notice (60 F.R. 64421) of proposed addition to the Procurement List. Comments were received from the current contractor and from agents of the Puerto Rican government opposing the proposed addition to the Procurement List. The commenters noted that the addition, together with the declining Defense Department buys and the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement, would severely impair the contractor's competitive position and the Puerto Rican textile industry, and would cause the loss of a substantial number of jobs in an area of high unemployment. The Defense Personnel Support Center (DPSC), which purchases the undershirts for the Government, has informed the Committee that it plans to divide future buys between the Committee's program and the Federal Prison Industries on the one hand, and commercial industry on the other, in approximately equal proportions subject to the statutory priorities of Federal Prison Industries and the Committee. DPSC has also informed the Committee that it intends to conduct its next commercial buys of the undershirt as directed purchases from companies other than the current contractor. Consequently, any impact on the current contractor which results from DPSC's purchasing decisions would occur whether or not the Committee added a portion of the Government requirements for the undershirt to the Procurement List. In this situation, the Committee has concluded that adding the requirement to the Procurement List would not, in itself, constitute a severe adverse impact on the contractor, its employees, or the Puerto Rican textile industry. 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 will not 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: Undershirt, Man's, Brown 8420-01-112-1472 8420-01-112-1473 8420-01-112-1474 8420-01-112-1475 8420-01-112-1476 8420-01-112-1477 8420-01-112-1478 8420-01-112-1479 (Between 1,000,000 and 1,600,000 annually) 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. 96-2266 Filed 2-1-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6820-33-P