G. K. Butterfield: “H.R. 752 codifies Executive Order 12999, making many of the provisions permanent law, but also adds provisions making…”

“H.R. 752 codifies Executive Order 12999, making many of the provisions permanent law, but also adds provisions making this much-needed equipment far more accessible to poor and underserved regions of our country. The FEED Act, as we refer to it, would streamline the process for donating excess and surplus electronic equipment to small cities and towns and counties and school districts and libraries and community-based educational nonprofit organizations. This legislation gives preference to poorer communities, which often have the greatest needs. This act would direct Federal agencies to transfer excess equipment to the GSA for transfer to the qualifying recipient at little or no cost. The current system, Mr. Speaker, of acquiring Federal surplus equipment is flawed. It is riddled with governmental redtape. Many times it can take months or even years to receive requested equipment. There was one such case in my district, which was actually the impetus for the introduction of this bill, where GSA only began working on fulfilling the request after direct congressional action.”