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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Jake Wheatley |
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Legislators unveil bills to boost small business,
diversity in state contracts, purchasing
HARRISBURG, Jan. 26 – State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, and several House and Senate colleagues today unveiled bipartisan legislation that is designed to ensure participation in state contracts and purchasing from minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged-owned businesses and small businesses.
The lawmakers were joined by more than 100 businesspeople from across the state who came to the Capitol today to lobby in support of the 10-bill package.
"These bills would help small businesses to grow. This package of legislation would ensure that small businesses and minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged-owned businesses across Pennsylvania would receive a fair share of the state work funded by the taxes they and their employees pay," said Wheatley, who served as chairman of the House Select Committee on Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Inclusion. The select committee issued recommendations in September that led to the new legislation.
Senate versions of the bills are expected to be introduced. The House bills all have been referred to the House State Government Committee:
- Comprehensive bill: H.B. 2140, introduced by Wheatley, includes the language of H.B.s 2141 through 2149, except for H.B. 2144 which statutorily must be separate.
- Changing small business definition: H.B. 2141, introduced by Rep. Ron Buxton, D-Dauphin, would change the definition of "small business" in the Procurement Code (Title 62) by increasing the employee limit from 100 to 250 and adding a gross revenue limit of up to $45 million.
- Statewide bonding program: H.B. 2142, introduced by Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, D-Phila., would create a statewide bonding program, which would enable small businesses and disadvantaged businesses to build capacity and to bid competitively on state and other public contracts.
- Agency oversight and responsibility: H.B. 2143, introduced by Rep. Cherelle Parker, D-Phila., would require state agencies and state-affiliated agencies and state-owned universities to follow nine best practices to significantly increase contracting opportunities for disadvantaged businesses. The entities also would have to establish an aspirational target of 25 percent of their procurement and construction dollars going to disadvantaged businesses in all state contracts and grants.
- Cabinet-level secretary: H.B. 2144, introduced by Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., would create the cabinet level position of secretary of minority and women business development.
- Mentor/protégé program: H.B. 2145, introduced by Rep. Kenyatta Johnson, D-Phila., would establish a mentor/protégé program that would help small businesses to compete successfully for prime and subcontract awards by partnering with large companies as their mentors in state contracts.
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- Reciprocity of certifications: H.B. 2146, introduced by Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Phila., would add a reciprocity of certifications section to the Procurement Code to create greater uniformity and consistency in the Commonwealth's certification process for minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises.
- Small business reserve: H.B. 2147, introduced by Rep. Tony Payton, D-Phila., would require state agencies and state-affiliated agencies and state-owned universities to set 10 percent of their procurement dollars into a small business reserve for award to qualified small businesses.
- Prime contractors' performance: H.B. 2148, introduced by Rep. Karen Beyer, R-Lehigh/Northampton, would require prime contractors doing business with the state to provide documentation of a good-faith effort, including 13 such activities, to ensure their genuine attempt at meeting the state’s disadvantaged business subcontractor participation requirements.
- Prompter payment: H.B. 2149, introduced by Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Allegheny, would tighten the prompt payment requirement for contractors and subcontractors in the Procurement Code by shortening the time frame from 14 days to five.
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