The primary aim of HB 1897 is to improve participation by minority and women-owned and controlled businesses in public works contracts. It does this by:
- Requiring the Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises (OMWBE) to annually identify state agencies and educational institutions with low levels of participation by minority and women-owned businesses in the execution of public contracts.
- Moving enforcement of compliance with certain requirements regarding contracts with minority and women-owned businesses from the Attorney General to the OMWBE.
- Modifying small-works roster and limited public-works process requirements which can allow more projects to go to smaller minority and women-owned businesses. Specifically, it raises the project-cost threshold for the small works roster process from $300,000 to $500,000 and the project-cost threshold for the limited public works process from $35,000 to $150,000.
It is this last provision that is particularly helpful to cities since these smaller project public works processes are less administratively burdensome for cities and contractors. AWC registered our support for the bill at the public hearing on January 10.