For the second time in three years, the House has approved a bill forcing prisons to compete with small businesses for federal contracts.
The Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act, which passed the House by 362-57, allows small private-sector manufacturers to vie for formerly non-competitive government contracts for office furniture, electronics, and other products and services.
Private-sector businesses, trade groups, and labor unions have long complained that the agency’s preferred procurement status is unfair and bad for business.
A similar bill introduced in the Senate in April 2005 is currently in the committee stage.
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Greg Balanko-Dickson on September 19th, 2006 at 7:33 am
Talk about adding insult to injury. Small businesses are targets fr criminals looking for easy money. Now with a bill like this they will be forced to compete with them again?!