Number: RS22968
Title: The Randolph-Sheppard Act: Major Judicial Decisions
Authors: Carol Toland, American Law Division 
Abstract: The Randolph-Sheppard Act requires that blind individuals receive priority for the operation of vending facilities on federal property. "Vending facilities" include automatic vending machines, cafeterias, and snack bars. This report will discuss several significant court decisions and recent legislation related to the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Two federal court of appeals decisions, NISH v. Cohen and NISH v. Rumsfeld, held that military troop dining facilities are "cafeterias" under the Randolph-Sheppard Act and that the act controlled over the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, which provides employment opportunities for the severely disabled. Other cases have analyzed the scope of the Randolph-Sheppard Act's application to military troop dining facilities. S. 3112, which was introduced on June 11, 2008, would amend the Javits-Wagner-O'Day and Randolph-Sheppard Acts and address several issues raised by these judicial decisions.
Pages: 6
Date: October 9, 2008