[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8002-8003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4342]


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

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 24, 1997.

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

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 30, 1996, the Committee for 
Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled published 
notice (61 F.R. 30223) of proposed addition to the Procurement List. 
Comments were received from one current contractor for patient 
examining gloves. The contractor took issue with the statement 
concerning impact on small entities that appeared in the notice of 
proposed rulemaking and with the idea of nonprofit agencies employing 
people who are blind or have other severe disabilities having 
preference over other contractors.
    The statement in the notice of proposed rulemaking to which the 
first contractor objected was a conclusion by the Committee, required 
by the Regulatory Flexibility Act, that it did not appear that the 
proposed addition to the Procurement List would have a severe impact on 
a significant number of small entities. Because the addition will only 
affect a small number of contractors, the Committee believes this 
statement was correct. As for the contractor's objection to the JWOD 
Program, it should be noted that the Program was created by statute to 
help the large number of people who are blind or have other severe 
disabilities and who cannot obtain or have difficulty obtaining other 
employment. By creating the JWOD Program, the Congress recognized that 
some other Government contractors would lose business opportunities.
    The Committee is only adding a portion of the Government 
requirement covered by this MAS to the Procurement List. Other 
contractors will continue to be able to supply gloves using the MAS, 
under which no contractor has any guarantee of receiving a specific 
level of sales. The Committee will monitor the number of gloves sold by 
the nonprofit agency to assure the maximum annual amount set aside for 
the JWOD Program is not exceeded. If that point is reached, the 
nonprofit agency will be instructed to discontinue marketing its gloves 
under the JWOD name. Under these circumstances, the Committee does not 
believe that this addition will have a severe adverse impact on any 
current contractor.
    After consideration of the material presented to it concerning 
capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the commodity and 
impact of the addition on the current or most recent contractors, the 
Committee has determined that the commodities 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 to the 
Government.

[[Page 8003]]

    2. The action will not have a severe economic impact on current 
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 proposed for addition to the 
Procurement List.
    Accordingly, the following commodities are hereby added to the 
Procurement List:

Gloves, Patient Examining
    6515-01-373-8306
    6515-01-411-4796
    6515-01-441-6103
(25% of VA purchases of powdered gloves inspected to the highest 
standard (e.g., Aladan's ``Classic'' glove))

    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. 97-4342 Filed 2-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P