Baldrige Not-for-Profit Bill Passes Senate

September 24, 2004 — Last night the United States Senate passed by unanimous consent H.R. 3389, the bill that establishes a not-for-profit category for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The same bill had passed the U.S. House of Representatives in March of this year by a vote of 408-0. It will now be sent to President Bush for his signature into law.

"This is great news for the entire country as well as the quality community and the American Society for Quality, which has been the driving force behind the effort to expand Baldrige to the not-for-profit sector," said ASQ President Danny Duhan.

Passage of the legislation caps a two-year effort by a broad base of supporters for the new category. Working through its Washington consultants—Sellery Associates, Inc.—ASQ assembled these supporters into a coalition that worked patiently to get the new category established. Key to the effort was a grassroots campaign by the coalition members, including many ASQ members, aimed at gathering support from key legislators. The lawmakers included Representatives Brad Miller (D-NC) and Melissa Hart (R-PA), who introduced the original legislation in the House, as well as Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), and Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI), and Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Ernest Hollings (D-SC).

ASQ Delegation Makes Case in Washington for Baldrige ASQ member Michael Williamson (front row right) and Amy Kimball of Sellery Associates (front row left) lead a delegation of North Carolina state officials to thank Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) for sponsoring the bill establishing the Baldrige not-for-profit category. Between Kimball and Williamson are Debra Bryan and Pam Deardorff of the North Carolina Retirement Systems Division and, in the back row, Rep. Miller’s legislative aide Bryan Mitchell and chief of staff Mark Harkins.