Posted: | May 1, 2014 09:16 AM |
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From: | Senator Lisa Baker |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Legislation to Help Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Small Diverse Businesses |
Please join me in co-sponsoring legislation to include “veteran-owned small businesses” and “small diverse businesses” in the state’s small business procurement program. While these changes were made via Executive Orders 9 and 10 of 2011, my bill will place these changes into statute. Veteran-owned small businesses are now part of the Small Diverse Business Program (once called the “Small Disadvantaged Business Program”), thanks to the approval of Act 185 of 2012. The Small Business Procurement Initiative reserves some agency procurements for competition among only self-certified small businesses. These contracting opportunities include goods, services, information technology, construction and professional design. The bill amends Chapter 21 of the Procurement Code to reflect these expanded programs. It also amends Chapter 9 to allow the Department of General Services (DGS) to procure certain small business professional design services by allowing the Secretary or designee to review the qualifications and work of small design businesses for small projects as an alternative to the selections committee process. This bill is designed to create expanded opportunities for Pennsylvania’s 300,000 small businesses, and especially our veteran-owned small businesses and small diverse businesses. Thank you for considering this legislation. |
Introduced as SB1399