Two bills have recently been introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature which would assist minority, women and veteran-owned small businesses (also referred to as small, diverse businesses, or SDBs) in state and municipal contracting.
SB 900 builds on the 2015 establishment of the Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities (BDISBO) and the 2018 completion of a disparity study into Pennsylvania contracting. The bill would authorize minimum SDB participation levels on contracts and would also mandate that a new disparity study take place every five years. It would also lift the current 100-employee cap on eligibility for being considered an SDB, allowing for size and revenue caps to be set contextually, industry by industry.
HB 1887 substantially reproduces the provisions of SB 900.
“Minority, women and veteran-owned small businesses historically have encountered discriminatory roadblocks that impede their ability to compete fairly for small business opportunities in Commonwealth procurement,” Rep. Jake Wheatley said. “This legislation will make it so small, minority-owned businesses aren’t pushed to the bottom of the list when the commonwealth seeks companies to complete any construction and/or design projects. This legislation will make sure all companies are considered by the commonwealth, regardless of size or who the owner is.”
Read the text of SB900 at https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=s&type=b&bn=900.
Read a press release on HB 1887 at https://www.pahouse.com/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=121226.
Read the text of HB 1887 at https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=h&type=b&bn=1887.
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