Bill Overview
Title: Clarity Act
Description: This bill requires additional transparency in federal procurement of food during supply chain disruptions. Specifically, the bill requires each executive agency, during a period in which there is a disruption in the supply chain of an item of food, to transmit in a timely manner information concerning the procurement of such item by the agency to the General Services Administration for entry into the Federal Procurement Data System.
Sponsors: Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19]
Target Audience
Population: People relying on federal food procurement during supply chain disruptions
Estimated Size: 3000000
- The bill targets federal procurement processes specifically during supply chain disruptions.
- Federal procurement processes involve federal agencies and may directly involve contractors and suppliers of food to the government.
- The General Services Administration oversees federal procurement and is involved in monitoring data related to procurement.
- During supply chain disruptions, the transparency of procurement processes can affect the efficiency and fairness of how necessities like food are distributed and contracted.
- Improved transparency can increase accountability and potentially deter corrupt or unfair practices in procurement.
Reasoning
- The target population includes those directly and indirectly involved in the federal food procurement processes, such as agency employees, contractors, and ultimately the end-users of food procured under federal programs. Thus, the interviews cover a diverse set of individuals, ranging from suppliers and logistics personnel to beneficiaries of federal food programs.
- The policy aims to increase transparency, thereby potentially improving efficiency and accountability. However, individuals who are not directly involved but are reliant on the outcomes of the procurement processes during disruptions may see only indirect or minimal impacts.
- The budget constraints suggest that this policy would need to be effectively implemented to bring noticeable efficiency improvements within the first few years, given the large size of the potentially affected population.
- To reflect accurately on the diverse impact range, the interviews include cases where the policy might have significant benefits, moderate to low impact, and cases where it would potentially have negligible effects.
Simulated Interviews
Federal Procurement Officer (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy will add more layers of reporting, which could cause some delays if not handled efficiently.
- It might help us get more information to plan purchases better during disruptions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Logistics Coordinator (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transparency would help understand how decisions are made when supply drops.
- However, without increased budgets, transparency alone won't fix the logistic issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
School District Nutrition Director (Houston, TX)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I expect more reliable information to base our food service decisions, especially during disruptions.
- The potential I see is mainly in reducing unexpected supply shortfalls.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Food Supplier Liaison (Chicago, IL)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Greater transparency should hopefully lead to more predictable contracts and interactions.
- I'm cautiously optimistic but also worried about the administrative burdens it might add.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Military Commissary Manager (San Antonio, TX)
Age: 63 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any improvement in transparency will help coordinate with suppliers.
- The impact might be minor unless accompanied by policy shifts in logistics and supply stability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Policy Advocate (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy aligns with better governance standards.
- Increased transparency can lead to improved trust in the system.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Humanitarian Logistician (Seattle, WA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If the policy can streamline procurement processes during emergencies, it will be beneficial.
- However, I see it only helping marginally right now.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Food Banks Coordinator (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The potential for better data could help forecast food availability.
- Still, without addressing root causes of supply issues, changes could be minimal.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Government Auditor (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transparency is always beneficial but enforcing compliance is another layer.
- More clarity should ideally help reduce minor lapses and quicken audits.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Federal Contractor (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 41 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this leads to strategic improvements in contracts during constraints.
- Long-term, this could align procurement with practical needs better.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $8000000)
Year 2: $3500000 (Low: $2500000, High: $6000000)
Year 3: $3500000 (Low: $2500000, High: $6000000)
Year 5: $3500000 (Low: $2500000, High: $6000000)
Year 10: $3500000 (Low: $2500000, High: $6000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Implementation challenges in data integration across agencies and the General Services Administration could affect the effectiveness of the bill.
- The scope of transparency during disruptions needs clear definition to avoid continuous and unnecessary administrative workload.
- The policy aims to increase the accountability of procurement processes, which may resist pressures from established procurement practices.