View Rule

The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (Committee), which is responsible for administering the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act through the AbilityOne Program, proposes to amend its regulations by adding guidelines for Federal agencies' use in determining whether commercial commodities are "essentially the same" as items on the Procurement List. The Procurement List is the official list of commodities and services that the Committee has determined to be suitable for provision to the Government by nonprofit agencies employing people who are blind or who have other severe disabilities and that must be purchased from the source designated by the Committee, pursuant to the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act and the regulations. The guidelines for Federal agencies would clarify the meaning and applicability of the term "essentially the same," which currently appears but is not defined in the Committee's regulations. As such, the guidelines would assist Federal employees who make purchasing decisions in compliance with the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act.