[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 142 (Friday, July 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39811-39812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19872]


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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED


Procurement List; Additions and Deletions

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

ACTION: Additions to and Deletions from the Procurement List.

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SUMMARY: This action adds to the Procurement List a commodity and 
services to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who 
are blind or have other severe disabilities, and deletes from the 
Procurement List commodities previously furnished by such agencies.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled, Crystal Gateway 3, Suite 310, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Arlington, Virginia 22202-4302.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 27 and June 12, 1998, the 
Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled 
published notices (63 FR 9999, 32189 and 32190) of proposed additions 
to and deletions from the Procurement List:

Additions

The Following Comments Pertain to Kit, Fuel & Oil Filter Element

    Comments were received from a previous contractor in response to a 
request for sales data. The commenter challenged the capability of the 
designated nonprofit agency to produce the kit, claiming that the kit 
is a flight safety item which can only be effectively produced by a 
filter element manufacturer with special equipment, including testing 
equipment.
    The Government contracting activity which purchases the kit and is 
familiar with all technical requirements for its production performed a 
plant facility inspection at the nonprofit agency and concluded that 
the agency was capable of producing the kit. Production of the kit is 
an assembly operation, using parts which meet appropriate technical 
criteria. The Committee's industrial engineer reviewed the Government's 
capability report and a similar assessment by an industrial engineer at 
the central nonprofit agency which represents the designated nonprofit 
agency, and the Committee's determination that the nonprofit agency is 
capable of producing the kit is based on these assessments.

The Following Comments Pertain to Mess Attendant, Janitorial/Grounds 
Maintenance, Naval Station, Everett, Washington

    In response to a Committee request for sales data, comments were 
received from one of the three contractors for the services 
consolidated into the service requirement being added to the 
Procurement List. The existing services are being performed by 8(a) 
contractors, and the other two have graduated from the 8(a) Program. 
The commenting contractor indicated that loss of the contract would 
have a severe adverse impact on its sales if some sort of partnering 
arrangement with the designated nonprofit agency does not occur.
    The contracting activity has indicated that the service requirement 
would remain in the 8(a) Program if it is not added to the Procurement 
List. As the other two contractors have graduated from that program, 
they would not be eligible to receive contracts whether or not the 
service requirement is added to the Procurement List, so any impact 
they may suffer would not be caused by the addition.
    The designated nonprofit agency has agreed to subcontract the mess 
attendant portion of the service requirement to the commenting 
contractor for the duration of its eligibility to participate in the 
8(a) Program, if a reasonable price that is consistent with the 
contracting activity's available resources can be agreed upon. This 
arrangement will enable the contractor to continue performing the 
services until it graduates from the 8(a) Program, if its performance 
continues to be satisfactory. As a consequence, the Committee does not 
believe that the addition of the service requirement will have a severe 
adverse impact on that contractor.
    After consideration of the material presented to it concerning 
capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the commodity and 
services and impact of the additions on the current or most recent 
contractors, the Committee has determined that the commodity 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

[[Page 39812]]

entities other than the small organizations that will furnish the 
commodity and services to the Government.
    2. The action does not appear to have a severe economic impact on 
current contractors for the commodity and services.
    3. The action will result in authorizing small entities to furnish 
the commodity 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 commodity and services proposed for 
addition to the Procurement List.
    Accordingly, the following commodity and services are hereby added 
to the Procurement List:

Commodity

Kit, Fuel & Oil Filter Element
    2945-00-019-0280

Services

Janitorial/Custodial, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Emmett J. Bean Center, 
Building 1, Indianapolis, Indiana
Janitorial/Custodial
    Internal Revenue Service, Pendleton Trade Center, 3849 N. 
Richard Street, Indianapolis, Indiana
Mess Attendant, Janitorial/Grounds Maintenance
    Naval Station, Everett, Washington

    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.

Deletions

    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.
    2. The action will not have a severe economic impact on future 
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 deleted from the Procurement 
List.
    After consideration of the relevant matter presented, the Committee 
has determined that the commodities listed below are no longer suitable 
for procurement by the Federal Government under 41 U.S.C. 46-48c and 41 
CFR 51-2.4.
    Accordingly, the following commodities are hereby deleted from the 
Procurement List:

Drape, Surgical, Disposable
    6530-01-032-4089
Pad, Pre-Operative Preparation
    6530-00-457-8193
Towel Pack, Surgical
    6530-00-110-1854
Louis R. Bartalot,
Deputy Director (Operations).
[FR Doc. 98-19872 Filed 7-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P