View Rule

The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (Committee), which administers the AbilityOne Program, is proposing clarifications amending the Committee’s authority to place a commodity (product) or service on the Procurement List in whole or in part; to authorize a nonprofit agency to serve as a mandatory source; to enhance the Committee’s ability to determine limitations on commodities (products) and services added to the Procurement List; and to permit the Committee to reconsider such determinations when appropriate. The rule will update the criteria for the Committee to consider when determining whether a product or service is suitable for addition to the Procurement List, including the impact of the proposed Procurement List addition on the domestic commercial market. It will also update the criteria regarding the employment potential for people who are blind or have significant disabilities and the qualifications and capabilities of the nonprofit agencies available to provide the product or service. Specific criteria will be proposed by the Committee when assessing the suitability of transferring work performed by one nonprofit agency (NPA) to another NPA within the Program. These changes will allow the Committee to better consider the holistic impact of additions to the Procurement List, the suitability of a product or service for the Procurement List, and what portion, if less than the total overall requirement, is appropriate for inclusion in the AbilityOne Program given the capabilities of the nonprofit agencies in the Program.