Steny Hoyer

The American Procurement Improvement Act of 2026 modernizes and expands the federal government's 50-year-old procurement program that requires agencies to purchase goods and services from nonprofit organizations employing people who are blind or have significant disabilities. The bill expands eligibility beyond blind individuals to include all people with significant disabilities, broadens what counts as qualifying work to include supervisory and administrative roles, and establishes new requirements for employee professional development and career growth. It updates federal purchasing procedures by allowing temporary listings of new products and services for up to five years, requires public notice before adding or removing items from the procurement list, and directs the government to balance fair pricing with maximizing employment opportunities rather than always choosing the lowest cost. The bill also renames the oversight committee to better reflect its mission and establishes performance accountability measures with documented notice requirements. This legislation aims to modernize a program that has successfully created over 41,000 jobs while addressing persistent employment barriers faced by people with disabilities, whose current employment rate stands at only 22.7 percent.