On Monday, November 18, 2019, ASA became a member of the Business Coalition for Fair Competition (BCFC), a national coalition of businesses, associations, taxpayer organizations and think tanks that are committed to reducing all forms of unfair government created, sponsored and provided competition with the private sector. BCFC believes the free enterprise system is the most productive and efficient provider of goods and services and strongly supports the Federal government utilizing the private sector for commercially available products and services to the maximum extent possible.      Our alliance with the BCFC organically grow out of our work regarding the Government Accountability Office (GAO)’s   audit of the Federal Prison Industries (FPI) authorized by Congress with the passage of the FIRST STEP Act of 2018 (P.L.115-391) signed into law on December 21, 2018.  On August 29, 2019, ASA met with the GAO regarding the following questions: 

• Please identify the challenges, if any, private companies face in competing with FPI. 
• FPI’s sales have declined when compared to the early 2000s. Has the extent of the burden, if any, FPI places on the private sector declined commensurately? 
• Please identify those elements of prior reform efforts that remain relevant today? 
• What are the primary differences in the cost structure between FPI and private sector (non-profit, as applicable) producers and how are these differences reflected in product prices? 
• To what extent have you analyzed the effect of the First Step Act’s expansion of markets available to FPI? Are there any recent analyses of FPI of which we should be aware?

Currently, ASA members working in prison construction are unfairly competing with the FPI.  We will continue to update you on our BCFC relationship and progress on this important issue.