[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 7 (Friday, January 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 1428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-660]



[[Page 1428]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


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: Addition to the Procurement List

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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: February 10, 1997.

ADDRESSES: 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 October 25, 1996, the Committee for 
Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled published 
notice (61 FR 55268) of proposed additions to the Procurement List. 
Comments were received from the current contractor for the Air Force 
women's garrison caps. That contractor described its position as 
precarious and attributed the reductions in its workforce over the past 
six years to Committee decisions to place several other military caps 
on its Procurement List. The contractor advised that the addition of 
the cap to the Procurement List would put an end to its enterprise.
    The Committee is aware that substantial reductions in troop 
strength in all military services in recent years have decreased the 
requirements for these caps and other types of headgear. In fact, the 
nonprofit agency that would produce these caps has experienced 
significant reductions in orders for the Air Force men's caps, which is 
why it is seeking the additional work represented by the women's caps.
    The Committee believes it is primarily the changes in troop 
strength and the current contractor's failure to secure other Federal 
and commercial business that have led to the decline in that firm's 
workforce and sales and not previous actions by the Committee. This 
belief is supported by the fact that the current annual value of the 
types of caps made under the JWOD Program that have been made in the 
past by the current contractor is substantially less than the decline 
in the current contractor's sales over the past six years.
    The Committee also noted that while it has placed the Air Force 
men's garrison caps and a small portion of the Army men's garrison caps 
on its Procurement List, the current contractor will continue to have 
the ability to bid on substantial other Government business. This 
business includes the vast majority of the Army men's garrison caps, 
the Army women's garrison caps, and all the Marine and Coast Guard 
garrison caps. The current contractor will also have the opportunity to 
continue to bid on all service cap covers. Moreover, the Committee will 
not be adding any more caps of this type or any service cap covers to 
the Procurement List for at least five years without the prior approval 
of the current contractor and another firm that makes these types of 
caps.
    The Committee also noted that the caps in question did not 
represent a substantial portion of the current contractor's business 
during the past year and prior to August of 1996 had not been supplied 
by the current contractor for several years.
    Since it has remained in business without sales of this cap or the 
Air Force men's cap tor three to five years, the firm is not, in the 
Committee's opinion, dependent on the sales of either cap for its 
continued survival.
    Overall, the Committee has concluded that because of the 
significant opportunities that will continue to be available to the 
current contractor to bid on other caps and cap covers and the firm's 
lack of dependence on this particular item, addition of these caps is 
not likely to result in an end to the enterprise. However, to give the 
current contractor additional time to adjust to the market changes, the 
Committee has decided to permit half of the initial FY 1997 requirement 
for the caps in question to be procured competitively.
    After consideration of the material presented to it concerning 
capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the commodities 
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.
    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:

Cap, Garrison, Women's (USAF)

8410-01-381-5481
8410-01-381-5559
8410-01-381-5544
8410-01-381-5566
8410-01-381-5521
8410-01-381-5536
8410-01-381-5507
8410-01-381-5612
8410-01-381-5627
8410-01-381-5647
8410-01-381-5504

    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. 97-660 Filed 1-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P