Sponsored by:
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Scutari, Pou and Turner
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes State Chief Diversity Officer to conduct disparity study concerning utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in State procurement process.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act authorizing the State Chief Diversity Officer to conduct a disparity study concerning the utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the State procurement process and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Chief Diversity Officer shall conduct a study concerning the utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the procurement of goods and services for State agencies to determine whether disparities exist in the availability and utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses.
b. Within one year after the date of enactment of this act, the Chief Diversity Officer shall prepare and submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a report containing the study’s findings and recommendations for legislative or other actions that can be taken to promote opportunities for minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises in the procurement of goods and services for State agencies.
c. The Chief Diversity Officer may prepare and submit additional reports as the officer deems appropriate, and each report, with the exception of the first report prepared under this section, shall additionally identify the extent to which the officer’s prior recommendations have been successfully implemented and the apparent impact that the implementation of such recommended changes have had on the procurement of goods and services for State agencies in the preceding years.
d. For purposes of this section, "State agency" means any of the principal departments in the Executive Branch of the State government, and any division, board, bureau, office, commission or other instrumentality within or created by such department, the Legislature of the State and any office, board, bureau or commission within or created by the Legislative Branch, and any independent State authority, commission, instrumentality or agency which is authorized by law to award public contracts.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the State Chief Diversity Officer to conduct a disparity study to determine whether disparities exist in the availability and utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the State procurement process.
The Chief Diversity Officer would have one year from the date this bill is enacted to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature detailing the officer’s findings and making recommendations for legislative or other actions that can be taken to promote opportunities for minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises in the procurement of goods and services for State agencies. After the disparity study is submitted, the Chief Diversity Officer may, in his or her discretion, prepare and submit additional reports identifying the extent to which previous recommendations have been successfully implemented and any apparent impact the implementation of such recommendations have had on State procurement in the preceding years.
Studies which demonstrate the disparity between the availability and utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the State procurement process can help provide the basis for goal-based procurement programs to alleviate historic discrimination against minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises.