This bill modifies the title and responsibilities of the Chief Diversity Officer, changing it to the Chief Equity Officer, and establishes the New Jersey Office of Supplier Diversity and Business Opportunities within the Department of the Treasury. The Chief Equity Officer will now monitor and publicly report on the state's public contracting process, focusing on the awarding of contracts to small and diverse business enterprises, which includes minority-owned, female, economically disadvantaged, socially disadvantaged, and disabled veterans businesses. Each state agency is required to provide necessary data and information to the Chief Equity Officer, who will report directly to the State Treasurer.

Additionally, the newly established Office of Supplier Diversity and Business Opportunities will operate under the supervision of the Chief Equity Officer and will be responsible for supporting the Chief Equity Officer's mission, reviewing state procurement policies, expanding outreach to small and diverse businesses, managing business certifications, monitoring contract awards, providing training to state agencies, and evaluating the feasibility of a cloud-based data management system for state contracts. Each state agency must also submit an annual plan to comply with certification programs for small and diverse business enterprises, which the office will analyze and provide feedback on.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 52:32-18.1