SIPS Act

The Stop Ineffective Paper Straws Act (SIPS Act) would codify a Federal Acquisition Regulation Council rule that ends the procurement and forced use of paper straws within a defined set of federal agencies. The bill requires that any straw used in performance of contracts at facilities owned or leased by these agencies have the strength and durability of a plastic straw. It also requires bidders or offerors to certify that they do not promote paper straw policies, will not provide paper straws in contract performance, and will supply straws with plastic-straw-like durability. The targeted agencies are the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), the Department of Defense (DOD), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In short, the bill would formally place a policy against paper straws in the procurement rules of these agencies, effectively mandating plastic-straw-like alternatives for contracts performed in agency facilities and requiring bid representations to support that requirement.