[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 36 (Friday, February 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9766-9768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3329]


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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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[[Page 9767]]

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 23, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
Disabled, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800, 1421 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Arlington, Virginia 22202-3259.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly M. Zeich, Telephone: (703) 
603-7740, Fax: (703) 603-0655, or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additions

    On December 7 and December 21, 2007, the Committee for Purchase 
From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled published notice (72 FR 
69181; 72666) of proposed additions to the Procurement List.
    After consideration of the material presented to it concerning 
capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the product and 
service and impact of the additions on the current or most recent 
contractors, the Committee has determined that the product and service 
listed below are suitable for procurement by the Federal Government 
under 41 U.S.C. 46-48c and 41 CFR 51-2.4.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    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 product and service 
to the Government.
    2. The action will result in authorizing small entities to furnish 
the product and service to the Government.
    3. 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 product and service proposed for addition 
to the Procurement List.

End of Certification

    Accordingly, the following product and service are added to the 
Procurement List:

Product

Pallet, Demo Sideboard

NSN: 3990CAAA9243--30'' x 44''
Coverage: C-List for the requirements of the Crane Army Ammunition 
Activity, Crane, IN
NPA: Bona Vista Programs, Inc., Kokomo, IN
Contracting Activity: U.S. Department of the Defense, Crane Army 
Ammunition Activity, Crane, IN

Service

Service Type/Location: Supply Store Operation
    U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Rockville, MD
NPA: Blind Industries & Services of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Contracting Activity: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC
    Comments were received from a reseller of office products in the 
Washington, DC area. The commenter objected to the opening of the 
supply store because existing supply stores operated under the 
AbilityOne (formerly JWOD) Program at other Federal agencies or 
installations have already reduced commercial resellers' ability to 
compete for the Government's business. The commenter said that 
announcements and guidance issued by Federal agencies or installations 
with such stores often emphasize that the use of AbilityOne products is 
mandatory, which leaves an impression that use of the store is 
mandatory or that failure to use the store may result in loss of 
purchasing authority. The commenter said that the opening of the 
AbilityOne store at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will 
eliminate its opportunity to do business with the agency. The commenter 
also said that the AbilityOne Program's past addition of products to 
its Procurement List has resulted in a significant cumulative loss of 
sales for his company.
    The Committee, in accordance with its regulations, considers impact 
on a situation-specific basis, looking at whether the action currently 
proposed would result in a severe adverse impact on the current or most 
recent contractor. The Committee found that there was no current 
contractor for the operation of a supply store on the NRC campus, and 
that none of the primary office supply resellers already doing business 
with the NRC were providing walk-in store service. The Committee's 
addition of the NRC's requirement for operation of a supply store to 
its Procurement List, on its own, does not make the customers' use of 
the supply store mandatory, nor does it preclude the NRC's continued 
purchases from online retailers in accordance with the agency's own 
procurement rules. The Committee defers purchasing guidance for NRC 
employees to the NRC officials involved. Regarding past Procurement 
List additions affecting the commenter, the Committee's records show 
that each action was taken into consideration by the Committee in 
accordance with its suitability criteria and was deemed not to 
constitute a severe adverse impact on the current contractor.

Deletions

    On December 14 and December 21, 2007, the Committee for Purchase 
From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled published notice (72 FR 
71114; 72667) of proposed deletions to the Procurement List.
    After consideration of the relevant matter presented, the Committee 
has determined that the product and service 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.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    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 should not result in additional reporting, 
recordkeeping or other compliance requirements for small entities.
    2. The action may result in authorizing small entities to furnish 
the product and service to the Government.
    3. 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 product and service deleted from the 
Procurement List.

End of Certification

    Accordingly, the following product and service are deleted from the 
Procurement List:

Product

Paper, Kraft Wrapping
    NSN: 8135-00-160-7758
    NSN: 8135-00-160-7772
    NSN: 8135-00-160-7778
    NSN: 8135-00-286-7317
    NSN: 8135-00-290-3407
    NPA: Cincinnati Association for the Blind, Cincinnati, OH
Contracting Activity: General Services Administration, Office Supplies 
& Paper Products Acquisition Ctr, New York, NY

Service

Service Type/Location: Microfilming

[[Page 9768]]

    U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC
NPA: Business Technology Career Opportunities (BTCO), Wichita, KS
Contracting Activity: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC

Kimberly M. Zeich,
Director, Program Operations.
 [FR Doc. E8-3329 Filed 2-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P