[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 9631]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2657]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


Small Business Size Standards: Waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule

AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration.

ACTION: Notice of intent to waive the Nonmanufacturer Rule for 
Furniture.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is considering 
granting a request for a waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for 
Furniture (except drafting tables, hospital beds, medical furniture) 
Merchant Wholesalers; Office Furniture Merchant Wholesalers; Furniture 
(except wood), Office-Type, Padded, Upholstered, or Plain, 
Manufacturing; Furniture Design Services; Furniture Frames and Parts, 
Metal, Manufacturing; Furniture Frames, Wood, Manufacturing; Furniture 
Parts, Finished Metal, Manufacturing; Furniture Parts, Finished 
Plastics, Manufacturing; Furniture Parts, Finished Wood, Manufacturing; 
Furniture, Factory-type (e.g., cabinets, stools, tool stands, work 
benches), Manufacturing; Furniture, Hospital (e.g., hospital beds, 
operating room furniture), Manufacturing; and Furniture, Laboratory-
type (e.g., benches, cabinets, stools, tables), Manufacturing. 
According to the request, no small business manufacturers are supplying 
this class of product to the Federal government. If granted, the waiver 
would allow otherwise qualified regular dealers to supply the products 
of any domestic manufacturer on a Federal contract set aside for small 
businesses; service-disabled veteran-owned small business or SBA's 8(a) 
Business Development Program.

DATES: Comments and source information must be submitted by March 13, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments and source information to Edith 
Butler, Program Analyst, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of 
Government Contracting, 409 3rd Street, SW., Suite 8800, Washington, DC 
20416.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATI0N CONTACT: Edith Butler, Program Analyst, by 
telephone at (202) 619-0422; by FAX at (202) 481-1788; or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 8(a)(17) of the Small Business Act 
(Act), 15 U.S.C. 637(a)(17), requires that recipients of Federal 
contracts set aside for small businesses, service-disabled veteran-
owned small businesses, or SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program 
provide the product of a small business manufacturer or processor, if 
the recipient is other than the actual manufacturer or processor of the 
product. This requirement is commonly referred to as the 
Nonmanufacturer Rule. The SBA regulations imposing this requirement are 
found at 13 CFR 121.406(b). Section 8(a)(17)(b)(iv) of the Act 
authorizes SBA to waive the Nonmanufacturer Rule for any ``class of 
products'' for which there are no small business manufacturers or 
processors available to participate in the Federal market.
    As implemented in SBA's regulations at 13 CFR 121.1202(c), in order 
to be considered available to participate in the Federal market for a 
class of products, a small business manufacturer must have submitted a 
proposal for a contract solicitation or received a contract from the 
Federal government within the last 24 months. The SBA defines ``class 
of products'' based on a six digit coding systems.
    The coding system is the Office of Management and Budget North 
American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
    The SBA is currently processing a request to waive the 
Nonmanufacturer Rule for Furniture (except drafting tables, hospital 
beds, medical furniture) merchant wholesalers; Office Furniture 
Merchant Wholesalers; Furniture (except wood), Office-Type, Padded, 
Upholstered, or Plain, Manufacturing; Furniture Design Services; 
Furniture Frames and Parts, Metal, Manufacturing; Furniture Frames, 
Wood, Manufacturing; Furniture Parts, Finished Metal, Manufacturing; 
Furniture Parts, Finished Plastics, Manufacturing; Furniture Parts, 
Finished Wood, Manufacturing; Furniture, Factory-type (e.g., cabinets, 
stools, tool stands, work benches), Manufacturing; Furniture, Hospital 
(e.g., hospital beds, operating room furniture), Manufacturing; and 
Furniture, Laboratory-type (e.g., benches, cabinets, stools, tables), 
Manufacturing, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 
423210. The public is invited to comment or provide source information 
to SBA on the proposed waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for this 
class of NAICS code within 15 days after date of publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Dated: February 14, 2006.
Karen C. Hontz,
Associate Administrator for Government Contracting.
 [FR Doc. E6-2657 Filed 2-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8025-01-P