The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the school meal programs that provide nutritious, lowcost meals to about 30 million children each day, according to USDA fiscal year 2019 data. School food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program must comply…

The Department of Defense (DOD) spends hundreds of billions of dollars annually acquiring products and services. Since 1990, Congress and DOD have taken numerous steps to address issues related to the quality of DOD's acquisition workforce, which consists of contracting officers, cost estimators, and personnel in several other career fields. But…

Describes letters of credit and their usefulness in financing computer systems acquisition. Relevant legal policies and the different types and applications of letters of credit are discussed. (1 reference) (MES)

Following a letter of transmittal, this document presents General Agent of Education in Alaska, Sheldon Jackson's ninth annual report on the introduction of reindeer into Alaska. Jackson notes that 1899 saw an unusually large number of employees connected to the herds. The discovery and opening of the Cape Nome gold mines created reindeer…

Presents revision of Book Industry Systems Advisory Committee (BISAC) format designed specifically for electronic transmission of purchase orders for monograph or series titles combining fixed and variable length data fields which was approved in January 1983. Special characters, sample address descriptions, summary of fixed records, glossary, and…

Maryland has passed legislation requiring school districts to structure their purchasing procedures to attempt to reach a goal of purchasing at least 10 percent of the dollar value of goods and/or services from minority enterprises when funds are provided through the Public School Construction Program (PSCP). (Author/MLF)

This updated, two-volume document provides guidance for those involved in the educational facilities procurement process, and includes recent legislative changes affecting the state of Florida's building code. The first volume is organized by the sequence of steps required in the facilities procurement process and presents state requirements for…

Three papers consider various aspects of the AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph Company) court-ordered divestiture. The first paper, "InterLATA Toll Alternatives for the Bell Regional Holding Companies" (Elizabeth A. La Blanc, Ann M. Wolf, and Richard M. Wolf), examines six options available to the RHCs (regional holding…

This discussion of the legal aspects of acquiring a computer system emphasizes the buyer's rights. Guidelines are provided for drafting a contract specific to the individual buyer's needs and modifying the vendor's standard form contract. (EM)

Answers questions on software copyright pertaining to teacher/media specialist responsibilities, use of purchased and leased software, backup copies, public domain software, warranties, defective goods, and software lending policies. Information on an existing public domain software-exchange program and a policy statement of International Council…

Examines state law and court cases concerning self-dealing and conflict of interest in North Carolina. (IRT)

This model policy is designed to help local school officials provide vendors with the greatest reasonable opportunity to compete for access to the school community, while protecting the school's need for reasonable control of that access, so that students, parents, and staff can obtain the best goods and services at the best price. It is offered…

The views of private industry and government are offered in this report of a hearing on the Federal Audiovisual Policy Act, which would establish an office to coordinate federal audiovisual activity and require most audiovisual material produced for federal agencies to be acquired under contract from private producers. Testimony is included from…

The most overlooked facet of school construction is the dovetailing of permanent construction insurance and technology construction insurance. Advice is provided about technology and technology purchases, highlighting problems associated with costs, copyright infringements, delivery delays, electrical wiring, hardware, student records, vendors,…

This hearing report covers three bills: (1) H.R. 3750, which would authorize grants to local educational agencies to purchase computer equipment; (2) H.R. 1134, which would provide funds to establish and operate model centers for computers in education; and (3) H.R. 4628, which would establish a government corporation to promote the development…