The proposed bill establishes the Minority and Women-Owned Businesses State Contractor Remedies Act and amends the Set-Aside Act for Small Businesses, Female Businesses, and Minority Businesses. It requires state agencies to develop annual plans to encourage minority and women-owned businesses to submit proposals and to set contract utilization goals based on the New Jersey Disparity Study. The bill mandates that state agencies make a good faith effort to meet these goals, with consequences for non-compliance, including potential procurement oversight by another agency. Additionally, it establishes a goal for state agencies to award at least 30 percent of contracts to socially and economically disadvantaged businesses.

Significant changes in the bill include the removal of specific references to female and minority-owned businesses, consolidating the focus on small businesses. The set-aside goal for small businesses is increased from 15 percent to 25 percent, while previous separate goals for minority and women-owned businesses are eliminated. The bill also shifts responsibilities from the Office of Small Business Assistance to the Chief Diversity Officer and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and it repeals previous laws related to compliance calculations for minority and women-owned businesses and the consideration of veteran-owned businesses in state procurement. Overall, the legislation aims to streamline support for small businesses in state contracting processes while addressing historical disparities.

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