The proposed bill establishes the Minority and Women-Owned Businesses State Contractor Remedies Act, which aims to enhance the participation of minority and women-owned businesses in state contracting. It requires state agencies to develop programs that facilitate this participation, set specific contracting goals based on recent disparity studies, and implement good faith efforts to achieve these goals. The Chief Diversity Officer will oversee compliance and may require remedial action plans from agencies that do not meet their established goals. The bill emphasizes the state's commitment to equitable contracting opportunities and reducing barriers for underrepresented businesses.

Significant amendments include the removal of specific references to "minority business" and "female business," streamlining the focus to small businesses in general. The bill increases the set-aside goal for state contracts awarded to small businesses from 15% to 25%, while eliminating specific goals for minority and women-owned businesses. It also transfers responsibilities from the Office of Small Business Assistance to the Chief Diversity Officer and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and sets a new target for state agencies to award at least 30% of contracts to socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. Overall, the legislation aims to simplify the regulatory framework while enhancing opportunities for small businesses in state contracts.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 5:10-21.1, 52:32-17, 52:32-18, 52:32-19, 52:32-20, 52:32-21, 52:32-22, 52:32-23, 52:32-24, 52:32-25, 52:32-26, 52:32-27, 52:32-28, 52:32-30, 52:32-31.17