H. R. 1107—159 
(8) SEVERELY DISABLED INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘severely dis-
abled individual’’ means an individual or class of individuals 
under a physical or mental disability, other than blindness, 
which (according to criteria established by the Committee after 
consultation with appropriate entities of the Federal Govern-
ment and taking into account the views of non-Federal Govern-
ment entities representing the disabled) constitutes a substan-
tial handicap to employment and is of a nature that prevents 
the individual from currently engaging in normal competitive 
employment. 
(9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ includes the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. 
§ 8502. Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind 
or Severely Disabled 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is a Committee for Purchase From 
People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. 
(b) COMPOSITION.—The Committee consists of 15 members 
appointed by the President as follows: 
(1) One officer or employee from each of the following, nomi-
nated by the head of the department or agency: 
(A) The Department of Agriculture. 
(B) The Department of Defense. 
(C) The Department of the Army. 
(D) The Department of the Navy. 
(E) The Department of the Air Force. 
(F) The Department of Education. 
(G) The Department of Commerce. 
(H) The Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(I) The Department of Justice. 
(J) The Department of Labor. 
(K) The General Services Administration. 
(2) One member from individuals who are not officers or 
employees of the Federal Government and who are conversant 
with the problems incident to the employment of the blind. 
(3) One member from individuals who are not officers or 
employees of the Federal Government and who are conversant 
with the problems incident to the employment of other severely 
disabled individuals. 
(4) One member from individuals who are not officers or 
employees of the Federal Government and who represent blind 
individuals employed in qualified nonprofit agencies for the 
blind. 
(5) One member from individuals who are not officers or 
employees of the Federal Government and who represent 
severely disabled individuals (other than blind individuals) 
employed in qualified nonprofit agencies for other severely dis-
abled individuals. 
(c) TERMS OF OFFICE.—Members appointed under paragraph (2), 
(3), (4), or (5) of subsection (b) shall be appointed for terms of 
5 years and may be reappointed if the member meets the qualifica-
tions prescribed by those paragraphs. 
(d) CHAIRMAN.—The members of the Committee shall elect one 
of the members to be Chairman. 
(e) VACANCY.—
H. R. 1107—160 
(1) MANNER IN WHICH FILLED.—A vacancy in the membership 
of the Committee shall be filled in the manner in which the 
original appointment was made. 
(2) UNFULFILLED TERM.—A member appointed under para-
graph (2), (3), (4), or (5) of subsection (b) to fill a vacancy 
occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the 
predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the 
remainder of the term. The member may serve after the expira-
tion of a term until a successor takes office. 
(f) PAY AND TRAVEL EXPENSES.— 
(1) AMOUNT TO WHICH MEMBERS ARE ENTITLED.—Except as 
provided in paragraph (2), members of the Committee are enti-
tled to receive the daily equivalent of the maximum annual 
rate of basic pay payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule 
for each day (including travel-time) during which they perform 
services for the Committee. A member is entitled to travel 
expenses, including a per diem allowance instead of subsistence, 
as provided under section 5703 of title 5. 
(2) OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.— 
Members who are officers or employees of the Federal Govern-
ment may not receive additional pay because of their service 
on the Committee. 
(g) STAFF.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT AND COMPENSATION.—Subject to rules the 
Committee may adopt and to chapters 33 and 51 and sub-
chapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, the Chairman may appoint 
and fix the pay of personnel the Committee determines are 
necessary to assist it in carrying out this chapter. 
(2) PERSONNEL FROM OTHER ENTITIES.—On request of the 
Committee, the head of an entity of the Federal Government 
may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any personnel of the 
entity to the Committee to assist it in carrying out this chapter. 
(h) OBTAINING OFFICIAL INFORMATION.—The Committee may 
secure directly from an entity of the Federal Government informa-
tion necessary to enable it to carry out this chapter. On request 
of the Chairman, the head of the entity shall furnish the information 
to the Committee. 
(i) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—The Administrator of 
General Services shall provide to the Committee, on a reimbursable 
basis, administrative support services the Committee requests. 
(j) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than December 31 of each year, 
the Committee shall transmit to the President a report that includes 
the names of the Committee members serving in the prior fiscal 
year, the dates of Committee meetings in that year, a description 
of the activities of the Committee under this chapter in that year, 
and any recommendations for changes in this chapter which the 
Committee determines are necessary. 
§ 8503. Duties and powers of the Committee 
(a) PROCUREMENT LIST.— 
(1) MAINTENANCE OF LIST.—The Committee shall maintain 
and publish in the Federal Register a procurement list. The 
list shall include the following products and services determined 
by the Committee to be suitable for the Federal Government 
to procure pursuant to this chapter: 
(A) Products produced by a qualified nonprofit agency 
for the blind or by a qualified nonprofit agency for other 
severely disabled.
H. R. 1107—161 
(B) The services those agencies provide. 
(2) CHANGES TO LIST.—The Committee may, by rule made 
in accordance with the requirements of section 553(b) to (e) 
of title 5, add to and remove from the procurement list products 
so produced and services so provided. 
(b) FAIR MARKET PRICE.—The Committee shall determine the 
fair market price of products and services contained on the procure-
ment list that are offered for sale to the Federal Government 
by a qualified nonprofit agency for the blind or a qualified nonprofit 
agency for other severely disabled. The Committee from time to 
time shall revise its price determinations with respect to those 
products and services in accordance with changing market condi-
tions. 
(c) CENTRAL NONPROFIT AGENCY OR AGENCIES.—The Committee 
shall designate a central nonprofit agency or agencies to facilitate 
the distribution, by direct allocation, subcontract, or any other 
means, of orders of the Federal Government for products and serv-
ices on the procurement list among qualified nonprofit agencies 
for the blind or qualified nonprofit agencies for other severely 
disabled. 
(d) REGULATIONS.—The Committee— 
(1) may prescribe regulations regarding specifications for 
products and services on the procurement list, the time of 
their delivery, and other matters as necessary to carry out 
this chapter; and 
(2) shall prescribe regulations providing that when the Fed-
eral Government purchases products produced and offered for 
sale by qualified nonprofit agencies for the blind or qualified 
nonprofit agencies for other severely disabled, priority shall 
be given to products produced and offered for sale by qualified 
nonprofit agencies for the blind. 
(e) STUDY AND EVALUATION OF ACTIVITIES.—The Committee shall 
make a continuing study and evaluation of its activities under 
this chapter to ensure effective and efficient administration of this 
chapter. The Committee on its own or in cooperation with other 
public or nonprofit private agencies may study— 
(1) problems related to the employment of the blind and 
other severely disabled individuals; and 
(2) the development and adaptation of production methods 
that would enable a greater utilization of the blind and other 
severely disabled individuals. 
§ 8504. Procurement requirements for the Federal Govern-
ment 
(a) IN GENERAL.—An entity of the Federal Government intending 
to procure a product or service on the procurement list referred 
to in section 8503 of this title shall procure the product or service 
from a qualified nonprofit agency for the blind or a qualified non-
profit agency for other severely disabled in accordance with regula-
tions of the Committee and at the price the Committee establishes 
if the product or service is available within the period required 
by the entity. 
(b) EXCEPTION.—This section does not apply to the procurement 
of a product that is available from an industry established under 
chapter 307 of title 18 and that is required under section 4124 
of title 18 to be procured from that industry.