Bill Text: NJ A885 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires State Chief Diversity Officer to conduct study of utilization of disabled veteran-owned businesses in State procurement process.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [A885 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A885-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State Chief Diversity Officer to conduct study of utilization of disabled veteran-owned businesses in State procurement process.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act requiring the State Chief Diversity Officer to study the utilization of disabled veteran-owned businesses in the State procurement process, and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Chief Diversity Officer shall conduct a study concerning the utilization of disabled veteran-owned businesses in the procurement of goods and services for State agencies to determine whether disparities exist between the availability and utilization of disabled veteran-owned businesses.
b. Within 12 months after the date of enactment of this act, P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Chief Diversity Officer shall prepare and submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a report containing the study's findings and recommendations for legislative or other actions that can be taken to promote opportunities for disabled veteran-owned businesses in the procurement of goods and services for the State.
c. The Chief Diversity Officer may prepare and submit additional reports as the officer deems appropriate, and each report, with the exception of the first report prepared under this section, shall additionally identify the extent to which the officer's prior recommendations have been successfully implemented and the impact that the implementation of such recommended changes have had on the procurement of goods and services for State agencies in the preceding years.
d. For purposes of this section, "State agency" means any of the principal departments in the Executive Branch of the State government, and any division, board, bureau, office, commission or other instrumentality within or created by such department; the Legislature of the State and any office, board, bureau or commission within or created by the Legislative Branch; and any independent State authority, commission, instrumentality or agency which is authorized by law to award public contracts.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Chief Diversity Officer to study disabled veteran-owned businesses to determine whether disparities exist between the availability and utilization of disabled veteran-owned businesses in the State procurement process.
The Chief Diversity Officer will prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature a report containing the study's findings and recommendations for legislative or other actions that can be taken to promote opportunities for disabled veteran-owned businesses in the procurement of goods and services for the State.
After the disparity study is submitted, the Chief Diversity Officer may, in the officer's discretion, prepare and submit additional reports identifying the extent to which previous recommendations have been successfully implemented and any impact the implementation of such recommendations have had on State procurement in the preceding years.
Studies which demonstrate the disparity between the availability and utilization of disabled veteran-owned businesses in the State procurement process can help provide the basis for goal-based procurement programs.
