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Part offederal-procurement →
HR1829FEDERALin_committee
High Impact

Federal bill requires prison industries to compete for government contracts

Original title: Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003

November 7, 2003

federal-procurementprison-laborgovernment-contractingbusiness-competition

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.Nov 7, 2003

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

This bill shifts the procurement process for federal agencies, potentially reducing the market share of prison-made goods and increasing competition for private businesses that bid on federal contracts.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Federal Prison Industries

The agency must transition from a non-competitive contract model to a competitive bidding model.

Private-sector businesses

These businesses may face increased competition for federal contracts if prison-made goods are no longer prioritized.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

The Competition in Contracting Act of 2003 requires Federal Prison Industries (FPI) to compete for federal contracts rather than receiving them through . This change aims to place prison-made goods on a level playing field with private-sector businesses.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

This bill shifts the procurement process for federal agencies, potentially reducing the market share of prison-made goods and increasing competition for private businesses that bid on federal contracts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Federal Prison Industries?
It is a government-owned corporation that uses inmate labor to manufacture products and provide services for federal government agencies.
How does this bill change current procurement rules?
Currently, often receives federal contracts without having to compete against private companies; this bill would require them to participate in the competitive bidding process.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Transition to Competitive Procurement

The bill represents a clear legislative attempt to move federal prison labor from a protected market status to a competitive market status.

Federal Prison Industries

Connected Entities

organizationFederal Prison Industries“The government-owned corporation that employs inmates to produce goods and servi”Map →
organizationCommittee on the Judiciary“The Senate committee currently reviewing the bill.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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