[Federal Register: November 27, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 227)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 68492-68494]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27no06-13]
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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED
41 CFR Parts 51-1, 51-2, 51-3, 51-4, and 51-6
RIN 3037-AA07
AbilityOne Program
AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled.
ACTION: Final rule; change to program name.
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SUMMARY: The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or
Severely Disabled (the Committee) has deliberated and voted to change
the name of the JWOD Program to the AbilityOne Program. The name of the
program is being changed to AbilityOne to give a stronger, more unified
identity to the program and to show a connection between the program
name and the abilities of those who are blind or have other severe
disabilities.
DATES: Effective Date: November 27, 2006.
ADDRESSES: The Committee office is located at Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite
10800, 1421 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202-3259.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Zeich, Director, JWOD Business
Development, by telephone (703) 603-7740, or by facsimile at (703) 603-
0030, or by mail at the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are
Blind or Severely Disabled, 1421 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Suite 10800,
Arlington, VA 22202-3259.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Committee's statutory authority includes
making rules and regulations necessary to carry out the Javits-Wagner-
O'Day (JWOD) Act (41 U.S.C. 46-48c). The program implementing the Act
provides employment opportunities for people who are blind or have
other severe disabilities in the manufacture and delivery of products
and services to the Federal Government. The Committee has designated
two Central Nonprofit Agencies (CNAs), National Industries for the
Blind (NIB) and NISH (serving people with a wide range of disabilities)
to provide technical and financial assistance to qualified nonprofit
agencies nationwide. These qualified nonprofit agencies employ the
blind or severely disabled in the fulfillment of product and service
requirements deemed suitable by the Committee and placed on its
Procurement List.
In the 1980s, the Committee informally adopted the ``JWOD'' acronym
to serve as a program and umbrella name, and subsequently made changes
to its regulations referencing the JWOD Program. However, the Committee
has long recognized that confusion regarding the JWOD Program and the
roles and identities of the governing and participating organizations
continues to exist among Federal customers and other key audiences,
including advocates for people with disabilities, the business
[[Page 68493]]
community, elected representatives and the workforce. The Committee
believes that a more unified program identity, as part of a strategic
communications plan, would be more effective in communicating the
program's mission and benefits to many diverse stakeholders. The
Committee intends to establish a national program identity or
affiliation that participating nonprofit agencies can use in
conjunction with their local identities and existing name recognition.
Working closely with its CNAs, the Committee conducted a strategic
program identity exploration, to include name research with several
stakeholder groups. The study found that the JWOD acronym is not a
descriptive or compelling name, and it does not clearly communicate
information about the program, its workforce or its benefits. The JWOD
acronym had relatively high recognition among Government employees who
make small purchases with purchase cards, but not as high as the
recognition of SKILCRAFT[supreg], the registered trademark licensed and
managed by National Industries for the Blind. The SKILCRAFT[supreg]
name is used on most of the common, retail-type items in the JWOD
Program and is not affected by this rulemaking. The JWOD name did not
have high levels of recognition among Government program managers, or
audiences outside of the Executive Branch such as Congress, the
disability community or the public. It was further noted that the JWOD
Act is scheduled to be routinely codified in the U.S. Code, which would
result in a repeal of the underlying legislation and which would
further distance the acronym ``JWOD'' from the employment program that
will continue.
The Committee considered the strengths and weaknesses of the
current program name, the estimated benefits and costs of a name
change, and the risk mitigation strategies that would minimize both the
potential for loss of current program familiarity and the potential
financial burden on participating nonprofit agencies that currently use
the JWOD name on their business materials. It also looked at the
availability of appropriate naming alternatives from an effective
communication and trademark perspective. After an informed and
deliberative process, and with full participation, a majority of
Committee members voted in favor of changing the JWOD Program name.
In deciding to change the JWOD name, the Committee recognized that
success in the 21st century requires an improved ability to communicate
the employment mission and the customer value delivered by the program.
While the enabling Act remains critical to success, changes in the
competitive and Federal procurement environment require the Committee
to build a program brand identity beyond that legislation in order to
fulfill its mission. The Committee sought a new program name that would
best reflect the workforce comprised of people who are blind or who
have other severe disabilities; a name that would sound more official
or professional than ``JWOD,'' that would align with the program's
value proposition and that would be expansive enough to cover all
participating organizations, among other criteria. In September 2006,
the Committee selected ``AbilityOne'' to be the future program name.
AbilityOne has a much closer linkage to the program's workforce and
capabilities, and alludes to the intersection of all program
participants into one umbrella organization and one total solution.
In order to ensure that all program stakeholders who are familiar
with the JWOD name are able to recognize and transfer their support to
the new program name, the Committee will continue to use the JWOD
acronym as a part of the program name for a transition period of at
least 18 months. The transition period will enable participating
organizations to deplete business materials that contain the JWOD name
and to begin using the new name voluntarily when they refresh their
materials as part of the normal supply cycle.
Executive Order 12866: This agency has made the determination that
this rule is not significant for the purposes of EO 12866.
Administrative Procedure Act: The Committee finds under 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(3)(A) that the statute does not apply to interpretive rules,
general statements of policy, or rules of agency organization,
procedure, or practice. This final rule simply changes the name of the
program from the JWOD Program to the AbilityOne Program. Further,
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 (b)(3)(A), this rule of agency organization,
procedure and practice is not subject to the requirement to provide
prior notice and an opportunity for public comment. The Committee also
finds that the 30-day delay in effectiveness, required under 5 U.S.C.
553(d), is inapplicable because this rule is not a substantive rule.
Regulatory Flexibility Act: Because notice and opportunity for
comment are not required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the
analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601
et seq.) are inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis
is not required and has not been prepared.
List of Subjects
41 CFR Part 51-1
Government procurement, Individuals with disabilities.
41 CFR Part 51-2
Government procurement, Individuals with disabilities, Organization
and functions (Government agencies).
41 CFR Part 51-3
Government procurement, Individuals with disabilities.
41 CFR Part 51-4
Government procurement, Individuals with disabilities, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements.
41 CFR Part 51-6
Government procurement, Individuals with disabilities.
0
For the reasons set out in the preamble, Parts 51-1, 51-2, 51-3, 51-4,
51-6 of Title 41, Chapter 51 of the Code of Federal Regulations are
amended as follows:
PART 51-1--GENERAL
0
1. The authority citation for part 51-1 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 41 U.S.C. 46-48c
Sec. 51-1.3 [Amended]
0
2. In Sec. 51-1.3, revise the definition heading ``JWOD Program'' to
read ``AbilityOne Program''.
PART 51-2--COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR
SEVERELY DISABLED
0
3. The authority citation for part 51-2 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 41 U.S.C. 46-48c
Sec. 51-2.2 [Amended]
0
4. Remove the words ``JWOD Program'' and add in their place the words
``AbilityOne Program'' wherever they occur in the following places:
0
a. Section 51-2.2(e); and
0
b. Section 51-2.2(f).
PART 51-3--CENTRAL NONPROFIT AGENCIES
0
5. The authority citation for part 51-3 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 41 U.S.C. 46-48c
Sec. 51-3.2 [Amended]
0
6. Remove the words ``JWOD Program'' from the heading of Sec. 51-3.2
[[Page 68494]]
and add in their place the words ``AbilityOne Program''.
Sec. 51-3.5 [Amended]
0
7. In Sec. 51-3.5, remove the words ``JWOD Program'' and add in their
place ``AbilityOne Program''.
PART 51-4--NONPROFIT AGENCIES
0
8. The authority citation for part 51-4 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 41 U.S.C. 46-48c
Sec. 51-4.1 [Amended]
0
9. In Sec. 54-4.1, remove the words ``JWOD Program'' and add in their
place the words ``AbilityOne Program''.
Sec. 51-4.3 [Amended]
0
10. In Sec. 51-4.3, remove the words ``JWOD Program'' and add in their
place the words ``AbilityOne Program'' in paragraphs (b) introductory
text, (b)(9), and (c) introductory text.
PART 51-6--PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES
0
11. The authority citation for part 51-6 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 41 U.S.C. 46-48c
Sec. 51-6.3 [Amended]
0
12. In Sec. 51-6.3(b), remove the words ``JWOD Program'' and add in
their place the words ``AbilityOne Program''.
Sec. 51-6.8 [Amended]
0
13. In Sec. 51-6.8(e), remove the words ``JWOD Program'' and add in
their place the words ``AbilityOne Program''.
Dated: November 20, 2006.
Leon A. Wilson, Jr.,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. E6-19971 Filed 11-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P