[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45959-45960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22036]


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

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800, Arlington, VA 22202-3259.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Louis R. Bartalot (703) 603-7740

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 2, April 13, June 15, June 29, July 
13, 2001 the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or 
Severely Disabled published notices (66 F.R.13041, 19136, 32598, 36741, 
34611, 34612) of proposed additions to the Procurement List.
    The following comments pertain to Microfilming, U.S. Bureau of the 
Census, Washington, D.C. Comments were received from a microfilming 
corporation. The commenter raised several issues in objecting to the 
Committee's proposal to add this microfilming service for the Bureau of 
the Census to the Procurement List.
    The commenter first questioned the Committee's certification that 
the proposed addition to the Procurement List will not have a 
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.
    The commenter indicated that the proposed addition would have a 
severe impact on small business entities in the computer output 
archival microfilm industry. The commenter also indicated that this 
Procurement List addition would set a precedent for other Government 
microfilm conversion projects in the future.
    The commenter did not provide any information to indicate how many 
small business entities would be affected by this Procurement List 
addition. Without this information, the Committee cannot conclude that 
a substantial number of small business entities would be adversely 
affected. Any negative impact would probably be countered by the 
positive impact on the two small nonprofit entities that will be 
performing the service. The Committee is required to conduct a separate 
rulemaking proceeding, including an adverse impact determination, for 
each Procurement List addition, so this addition cannot be a precedent 
for later additions.
    The commenter also indicated that a fair market price for the 
microfilming service may only be determined by a competitive 
procurement. The Committee believes that its fair market pricing 
procedures, which include price negotiations between the Bureau of the 
Census and the producing nonprofit agencies, will result in a fair 
market price that will represent a best value to the Government.
    The commenter questioned the capability of the nonprofit agencies 
to perform the service, noting that time is of the essence because of 
potential deterioration of the magnetic media in which the census 
information is being stored. The nonprofit agencies have been found 
technically capable of performing the service, and the Bureau of the 
Census has accepted this finding.
    The commenter, in questioning the Committee's certification that 
the proposed Procurement List addition would not result in additional 
reporting, recordkeeping, or compliance requirements for entities other 
than the producing nonprofit agencies, asked the Committee to conduct a 
study of the relative merits of the commenter's microfilming method and 
the other commercially available microfilming process. The Committee 
does not think such a study is necessary to support the addition of 
this service to the Procurement List, as it will provide no information 
needed to support the Committee's determination that the service is 
suitable for addition to the Procurement List that would justify the 
cost and delay which a study would entail. Finally, the commenter asked 
the Committee to consider an alternative approach by expanding the 
Committee's program to include for-profit entities as employers of 
people with severe disabilities. To the extent this alternative would 
involve for-profit entities as program participants, it is prohibited 
by the Committee's statute, which limits participation to nonprofit 
agencies. However, these nonprofit agencies are encouraged to 
subcontract with for-profit entities to obtain goods and services that 
do not create work for

[[Page 45960]]

people with severe disabilities. In this situation, the designated 
nonprofit agencies have communicated with the commenter as a possible 
subcontractor on this or other projects to be added to the Procurement 
List. Consequently, the Committee believes that it is complying with 
the commenter's alternative approach to the extent it is permitted to 
do so.
    The following material pertains to all of the items being added to 
the Procurement List. 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 entities other 
than the small organizations that will furnish the commodity and 
services to the Government.
    2. The action will not 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:

Commodities

Custom Planners & Accessory Kit
    7510-00-NIB-0565
    7510-00-NIB-0566
    7510-00-NIB-0567
    7510-00-NIB-0568
    7510-00-NIB-0569
    7510-00-NIB-0570
    7510-00-NIB-0571
    7510-00-NIB-0572
    7510-00-NIB-0573
    7510-00-NIB-0574
    7510-00-NIB-0575
    7510-00-NIB-0576
    7510-00-NIB-0577
    7510-00-NIB-0578

Services

Janitorial/Custodial, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, 
Visitors Center, Bloomington, MN
Janitorial/Custodial, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Santa Ana 
National Wildlife Refuge, Alamo, TX
Janitorial/Grounds Maintenance, U.S. Border Patrol Sector 
Headquarters, El Paso, TX
U.S. Border Patrol Station One, El Paso, TX
U.S. Border Patrol, Ysleta Border Patrol Station, El Paso, TX
U.S. Border Patrol, Ysleta Traffic Checkpoint, Highway 62/108, El 
Paso, TX
Laundry Service, Fort Lee, Fort Lee, VA
Mailing Services, Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, 
Argonne, IL
Microfilming, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC

    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.

Sheryl D. Kennerly,
Director, Information Management.
[FR Doc. 01-22036 Filed 8-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P