New Jersey State Assembly Members Yvonne Lopez, Linda S. Carter, and William W. Spearman have introduced a bill, Assembly Bill A3496, which, if passed, would set a 30 participation goal for minority- and woman-owned businesses (MWBEs) specifically for purchases made without advertisement.
The bill is applicable to all state agencies, and directs them to make a good-faith effort to hit the 30 percent participation figure over the five years from the effective date of the bill, should it be passed. It also directs the State Treasurer to develop "guidelines and directives" for use in achieving the goal, and directs state agencies to report to the Treasurer regarding their progress towards the goal every 30 days. The Treasurer is then required to submit a report on progress made towards the goal to the Governor and the Legislature every six months.
Under current law, state agencies are authorized to award contracts of $250,000 or less without using the competitive bid process, as long as the contract satisfies various criteria around record-keeping, verification of funds availability, and other requirements.
Find the bill at https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A3496.
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