U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 47. Duties and powers of the Committee

(a) Procurement list: publication in Federal Register; additions and removals

(1) The Committee shall establish and publish in the Federal Register a list (hereafter in sections 46 to 48c of this title referred to as the “procurement list”) of—

(A) the commodities produced by any qualified nonprofit agency for the blind or by any qualified nonprofit agency for other severely handicapped, and

(B) the services provided by any such agency,

which the Committee determines are suitable for procurement by the Government pursuant to sections 46 to 48c of this title. Such list shall be established and published in the Federal Register before the expiration of the thirty-day period beginning on Aug. 1, 1971, and shall initially consist of the commodities contained, on such date, in the schedule of blind-made products issued by the former Committee on Purchases of Blind-Made Products under its regulations.

(2) The Committee may, by rule made in accordance with the requirements of subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) of section 553 of title 5, add to and remove from the procurement list commodities so produced and services so provided.

(b) Fair market price; price revisions

The Committee shall determine the fair market price of commodities and services which are contained on the procurement list and which are offered for sale to the Government by any qualified nonprofit agency for the blind or any such agency for other severely handicapped. The Committee shall also revise from time to time in accordance with changing market conditions its price determinations with respect to such commodities and services.

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 Government for commodities and services on the procurement list among qualified nonprofit agencies for the blind or such agencies for other severely handicapped.

(d) Rules and regulations; blind-made products, priority

(1) The Committee may make rules and regulations regarding

(A) specifications for commodities and services on the procurement list,

(B) the time of their delivery, and

(2) The Committee shall prescribe regulations providing that—

(A) in the purchase by the Government of commodities produced and offered for sale by qualified nonprofit agencies for the blind or such agencies for other severely handicapped, priority shall be accorded to commodities produced and offered for sale by qualified nonprofit agencies for the blind, and

(B) in the purchase by the Government of services offered by nonprofit agencies for the blind or such agencies for other severely handicapped, priority shall, until the end of the calendar year ending December 31, 1976, be accorded to services offered for sale by qualified nonprofit agencies for the blind.

(e) Problems and production methods; study and evaluation

The Committee shall make a continuing study and evaluation of its activities under sections 46 to 48c of this title for the purpose of assuring effective and efficient administration of sections 46 to 48c of this title. The Committee may study (on its own or in cooperation with other public or nonprofit private agencies)

(1) problems related to the employment of the blind and of other severely handicapped individuals, and

(2) the development and adaptation of production methods which would enable a greater utilization of the blind and other severely handicapped individuals.

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