I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5908 
To require the Federal Government to buy paper and paper products from 
American sources. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 7, 2012 
Ms. BALDWIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To require the Federal Government to buy paper and paper 
products from American sources. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Purchasing American 
Generates Employment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO BUY PAPER AND PAPER PROD-
UCTS FROM AMERICAN SOURCES; EXCEP-
TIONS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Except as provided in sub-
sections (c) through (f), funds appropriated or otherwise 
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available to a Federal department or agency may not be 
used for the procurement of an item described in sub-
section (b) if the item is not grown, reprocessed, reused, 
or produced in the United States. 
(b) COVERED ITEMS.—An item referred to in sub-
section (a) is any article or item of paper or paper prod-
ucts, including any of the following: 
(1) Xerographic paper. 
(2) Printer paper. 
(3) Copier paper. 
(4) Fax paper. 
(5) Envelopes. 
(6) Toilet tissue. 
(7) Paper towels. 
(8) Toilet seat covers. 
(9) Facial tissues. 
(10) Thermal paper. 
(11) Thermal receipt paper. 
(12) Security paper. 
(13) Carbonless paper. 
(c) AVAILABILITY EXCEPTION.—Subsection (a) does 
not apply to the extent that the head of the Federal de-
partment or agency concerned determines that satisfac-
tory quality and sufficient quantity of any such article or 
item described in subsection (b) grown, reprocessed, re-
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used, or produced in the United States cannot be procured 
as and when needed at United States market prices. 
(d) EXCEPTION
FOR CERTAIN PROCUREMENTS.— 
Subsection (a) does not apply to the following: 
(1) Procurements outside the United States in 
support of combat operations or procurements of 
any item listed in subsection (b) in support of con-
tingency operations. 
(2) Procurements by vessels in foreign waters. 
(e) EXCEPTION
FOR COMMISSARIES, EXCHANGES, 
AND OTHER NONAPPROPRIATED FUND INSTRUMENTAL-
ITIES.—Subsection (a) does not apply to items purchased 
for resale purposes in commissaries, exchanges, or non-
appropriated fund instrumentalities operated by the De-
partment of Defense. 
(f) APPLICABILITY
TO
CONTRACTS
AND
SUB-
CONTRACTS
FOR
PROCUREMENT
OF
COMMERCIAL 
ITEMS.—This section is applicable to contracts and sub-
contracts for the procurement of commercial items not-
withstanding section 1906 of title 41, United States Code. 
(g) GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘United States’’ includes the possessions of the 
United States. 
(h) NOTIFICATION
REQUIRED
WITHIN
7 DAYS 
AFTER CONTRACT AWARD IF CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS AP-
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PLIED.—In the case of any contract for the procurement 
of an item described in subsection (b), if the head of the 
Federal department or agency concerned applies an excep-
tion set forth in subsection (c) with respect to that con-
tract, the head shall, not later than 7 days after the award 
of the contract, post a notification that the exception has 
been applied on the Internet site maintained by the Gen-
eral Services Administration known as www.fbo.gov. 
(i) FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY DEFINED.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘Federal department or agency’’ 
has the meaning provided the term ‘‘Executive agency’’ 
in section 105 of title 5, United States Code. 
Æ 
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