[Federal Register: October 21, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 203)]
[Notices]
[Page 61247-61249]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21oc05-21]
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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED
Procurement List; Additions and Deletion
AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who are Blind or Severely
Disabled.
ACTION: Additions to and deletions from Procurement List.
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SUMMARY: This action adds to the Procurement List products to be
furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have
other severe disabilities, and deletes from the Procurement List a
product previously furnished by such agencies.
EFFECTIVE DATE: November 20, 2005.
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: Sheryl D. Kennerly, Telephone: (703)
603-7740, Fax: (703) 603-0655, or email SKennerly@jwod.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Additions
On August 19, and August 26, 2005, the Committee for Purchase From
People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled published notice (70 FR
48667, and 50299) of proposed additions to the Procurement List.
The following comments pertain to Stamp 2000 Plus and Accustamp
7520-00-419-5949 & 7529-01-324-6955:
Comments were received from 21 persons in support of the nonprofit
agency, urging addition of these products to the Procurement List, as
they consider the addition to be critical to the nonprofit agency's
plan to expand services for people with disabilities. The Committee
agrees with these commenters that this addition will create jobs for
such people.
Comments were also received from one of the current contractors for
these stamps. The commenter claimed that the stamps the nonprofit
agency will be providing under the Committee's program are made in
China, as opposed to the stamps the commenter assembles in the U.S.
from components made in Japan and China, and that the Committee should
not permit its program to displace U.S. products with Chinese products.
The commenter claimed that it has been a Government supplier of the
stamps for over 30 years, and has become reliant on these sales, which
constitute a small minority of its total sales. The same contractor
claimed the nonprofit agency's stamps are inferior to its own. The
commenter asked the Committee to consider whether it could create more
jobs by having workers with disabilities package the commenter's stamps
rather than those it intends to produce.
Contrary to the commenter's claims, the nonprofit agency will be
using its employees with severe disabilities to assemble and package
the stamps in the U.S. from components made in Austria, which is a
designated country under the Trade Agreements Act, 19 U.S.C. 2501 et
seq. Like the workers they may displace, the persons with severe
disabilities who will produce the stamps are U.S. workers, but with an
unemployment rate which is well above other groups, so the Committee
believes that creating jobs for them, which is the mission of the
Committee's program, is justified in this situation.
The commenter, which claimed a long-term reliance on Government
sales of these stamps, failed to provide the Committee with total sales
data which would enable the Committee to assess the severity of impact
of this Procurement List addition, despite being cautioned that the
Committee
[[Page 61248]]
would interpret a failure to provide data as an indication that the
contractor did not consider the impact severe. As for the commenter's
claim that the nonprofit agency's stamps are inferior, the nonprofit
agency has shown the Committee that its stamps meet Government
specifications. At this time, it is not feasible for the Committee to
require the nonprofit agency to replace its stamp component supplier,
as the commenter suggests.
The following comments pertain to Stamp Pad Ink and Accustamp
(Applies to all other identified stamp NSNs not listed above:
Comments were received from 21 persons in support of the nonprofit
agency, urging addition of these products to the Procurement List, as
they consider the addition to be critical to the nonprofit agency's
plan to expand services for people with disabilities. The Committee
agrees with these commenters that this addition will create jobs for
such people.
Comments were also received from a stamp manufacturer. The
commenter claimed that the stamps the nonprofit agency will be
providing under the Committee's program are made in China, as opposed
to the stamps the commenter assembles in the U.S. from components made
in Japan and China, and that the Committee should not permit its
program to displace U.S. products with Chinese products. The commenter
claimed that it has been a Government supplier of the stamps for over
30 years, and has become reliant on these sales, which constitute a
small minority of its total sales. The same contractor claimed the
nonprofit agency's stamps are inferior to its own. The commenter asked
the Committee to consider whether it could create more jobs by having
workers with disabilities package the commenter's stamps rather than
those it intends to produce.
Contrary to the commenter's claims, the nonprofit agency will be
using its employees with severe disabilities to assemble and package
the stamps in the U.S. from components made in Austria, which is a
designated country under the Trade Agreements Act, 19 U.S.C. 2501 et
seq. Like the workers they may displace, the persons with severe
disabilities who will produce the stamps are U.S. workers, but with an
unemployment rate which is well above other groups, so the Committee
believes that creating jobs for them, which is the mission of the
Committee's program, is justified in this situation.
The commenter, which claimed a long-term reliance on Government
sales of these stamps, failed to provide the Committee with total sales
data which would enable the Committee to assess the severity of impact
of this Procurement List addition, despite being cautioned that the
Committee would interpret a failure to provide data as an indication
that the contractor did not consider the impact severe. As for the
commenter's claim that the nonprofit agency's stamps are inferior, the
nonprofit agency has shown the Committee that its stamps meet
Government specifications. At this time, it is not feasible for the
Committee to require the nonprofit agency to replace its stamp
component supplier, as the commenter suggests.
The following material pertains to all of the items being added to
the Procurement List.
After consideration of the material presented to it concerning
capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the products and
impact of the additions on the current or most recent contractors, the
Committee has determined that the products 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 products to the
Government.
2. The action will result in authorizing small entities to furnish
the products 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 products proposed for addition to the
Procurement List.
End of Certification
Accordingly, the following products are added to the Procurement
List:
Products
Product/NSN: Accustamp (For GSA Global Supply ONLY).
NSN: 7520-01-207-4108--COPY--Red.
NSN: 7520-01-207-4116--DRAFT--Red.
NSN: 7520-01-207-4226--RECEIVED--Blue.
NSN: 7520-01-207-4119--SECRET--Red.
NSN: 7520-00-264-3718--Rubber Stamp Printing Set.
NSN: 7520-01-207-4111--COMPLETED--Red.
NSN: 7520-01-324-6955--COMPLETED--Blue.
NSN: 7520-01-419-5949--CONFIDENTIAL--Red.
Product/NSN: Custom Stamp (For GSA Global Supply ONLY).
NSN: 7510-00-386-2444--Custom Stamps.
Product/NSN: Stamp 2000 Plus (For GSA Global Supply ONLY).
NSN: 7520-01-352-3019--Black.
NSN: 7520-01-352-3018--Red.
Product/NSN: Stamp Pad Ink (For GSA Global Supply ONLY).
NSN: 7510-00-782-6257--Black 8 oz.
NSN: 7510-00-161-4240--Red 2 oz/roll-on.
NSN: 7510-01-316-7516--Black 2 oz/roll-on.
NSN: 7510-00-161-4237--Black 2 oz/roll-on.
NPA: The Arbor School, Houston, Texas.
Contracting Activity: Office Supplies & Paper Products Acquisition
Center, New York, NY.
Product/NSN: Shirt, Woman's, Short Sleeve, Tuck-in.
NSN: 8410-01-414-6979--4 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-6980--6 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-6981--8 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-7023--10 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-7105--12 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-7113--14 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-7116--16 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-7118--18 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-7120--20 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-7186--22 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-7232--24 Regular.
NSN: 8410-01-414-7233--26 Regular.
NPA: Middle Georgia Diversified Industries, Inc., Dublin, Georgia.
Contracting Activity: Defense Supply Center Philadelphia,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Deletion
On August 26, 2005, the Committee for Purchase From People Who are
Blind or Severely Disabled published notice (70 FR 50299) of proposed
deletion to the Procurement List.
After consideration of the relevant matter presented, the Committee
has determined that the product listed below is 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 may 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 to the Government.
3. There are no known regulatory alternatives which would
accomplish the objectives of the Javits-Wagner-
[[Page 61249]]
O'Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46-48c) in connection with the product deleted
from the Procurement List.
End of Certification
Accordingly, the following product is deleted from the Procurement
List:
Product
Product/NSN: Pencil, Mechanical.
NSN: 7520-00-724-5606--Pencil, Mechanical.
NPA: San Antonio Lighthouse, San Antonio, Texas.
Contracting Activity: Office Supplies & Paper Products
Acquisition Center, New York, NY.
Sheryl D. Kennerly,
Director, Information Management.
[FR Doc. E5-5799 Filed 10-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P