[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 104 (Friday, May 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29327-29328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14179]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 commodities and 
services to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who 
are blind or have other severe disabilities.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 30, 1997.

ADDRESS: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled, Crystal Square 3, Suite 403, 1735 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Arlington, VA 22202-3461.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 7, 17, 21 and April 4, 1997, the 
Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled 
published notices (62 F.R. 10519, 12596, 13591 and 16135) of proposed 
additions to the Procurement List.
    The following comments pertain to Janitorial/Custodial, Veterans 
Center, Roanoke, VA. Comments were received from the previous 
contractor in response to a request for sales data. The contractor 
declined to provide the data, and claimed that it would be severely 
impacted by the addition of this service to the Procurement List. The 
contractor indicated that two of its eight janitorial employees would 
be discharged as a result of the Committee's actions. The contractor 
questioned the capability of people who are blind or have other severe 
disabilities to perform the janitorial service. The contractor also 
claimed that veterans in the facility are easily distressed and would 
not react well to a new contractor.
    The nonprofit agency is currently performing the service, and no 
problems have been experienced in dealing with the veterans at the 
facility, which is a small outpatient counseling center. The service is 
projected to require only 260 hours of direct labor a year, so its 
addition to the Procurement List could not be the cause for the 
contractor

[[Page 29328]]

discharging two employees. The nonprofit agency successfully performs 
several other janitorial contracts using people with severe 
disabilities, and the Government contracting activity waived its 
opportunity to assess the agency's capability before the service was 
added to the Procurement List. No blind persons will be involved in 
cleaning this facility. The Government pays a very small price for the 
service. While the contractor's refusal to provide sales data prevents 
the Committee from determining precisely the impact this Procurement 
List addition will have on the company, the Committee does not believe 
the impact will be severe, for the reasons just stated.
    After consideration of the material presented to it concerning 
capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the commodities 
and services and impact of the additions on the current or most recent 
contractors, the Committee has determined that the commodities and 
services 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 and 
services to the Government.
    2. The action will not have a severe economic impact on current 
contractors for the commodities and services.
    3. The action will result in authorizing small entities to furnish 
the commodities and services 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 and services proposed for 
addition to the Procurement List.
    Accordingly, the following commodities and services are hereby 
added to the Procurement List:

Commodities

Tape, Electronic Data Processing
7045-01-354-3517

Cover, Helmet, Reversible
8415-00-NIB-0064 (camouflage)
(Requirements for the U.S. Soldier Systems Command, Natick, MA)

Services

Food Service
Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX
Janitorial/Custodial
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Outpatient Clinic
Pensacola, FL

Janitorial/Custodial
Veterans Center
Roanoke, VA

Medical Transcription
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Alexandria, LA.

    This action does not affect current contracts awarded prior to the 
effective date of this addition or options that may be exercised under 
those contracts.
Beverly L. Milkman,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 97-14179 Filed 5-29-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P