November 17, 2003—H.R. 1829, the Hoekstra-Frank-Collins-Maloney-Sensenbrenner-Conyers Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003 recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives, reports the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA).
The long sought reform of Federal Prison Industries (FPI) passed on a vote of 350 to 65 by the full House of Representatives. BIFMA supports this fundamental and comprehensive legislative reform of FPI and encourages the U.S. Senate to pass its similar version of FPI reform, S. 346, introduced on 2/11/03.
Elimination of FPI’s mandatory source power will end their monopoly power in the Federal marketplace. Federal prison factories will no longer be able to demand that customers take products at prices the agency sets itself. FPI will have to offer customers products like any other vendor. Federal customers will be set free to choose products that best meet their needs.
The legislation allows that this transition will occur over a five-year phase-in period. Over that time frame, the bill also provides FPI with new education and training resources to assure that prison workers are rehabilitated with skills that are needed in the workplace upon release.
