S-1715               _______________________________________________

 

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4291

                        _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

 

By Senators Lee and Zimmerman

 

 

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor.

 

 


AN ACT Relating to small business development; and amending RCW 28B.30.530 and 43.31.925.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 77, Laws of 1984 and RCW 28B.30.530 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) The board of regents of Washington State University shall establish the Washington State University small business development center.

          (2) The center shall provide management and technical assistance including but not limited to training, counseling, and research services to small businesses throughout the state.  The center shall work with public and private community development and economic assistance agencies and shall work towards the goal of coordinating activities with such agencies to avoid duplication of services.

          (3) The administrator of the center may contract with other public or private entities for the provision of specialized services.

          (4) The small business and development center may accept and disburse federal grants or federal matching funds or other funds or donations from any source when made, granted, or donated to carry out the center's purposes.

          (5) The small business and development center shall develop and implement or plan for promotion and expansion of new small businesses in areas of the state with above-average unemployment rates.

          (6) The small business and development center shall work with the office of small business in the department of commerce and economic development to develop a plan for coordination of activities between them.

 

        Sec. 2.  Section 3, chapter 70, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. as amended by section 9, chapter 6, Laws of 1982 and RCW 43.31.925 are each amended to read as follows:

          The department through its office of small business shall:

          (1) Provide a focal point and assist small businesses in their dealings with federal, state, and local governments, including but not limited to providing ready access to information regarding government requirements which affect small businesses;

          (2) Develop programs which will assist or otherwise encourage professional or business associations and other service organizations in the public sector to provide useful and needed services to small businesses;

          (3) Arrange for and hold meetings, in cooperation with public schools, community colleges, colleges, universities, and other public and private educational programs to the extent practicable, which provide worthwhile training and dissemination of information beneficial to the state's small businesses;

          (4) Assist small businesses in obtaining available technical and financial assistance and counsel;

          (5) Coordinate with all other state agencies to foster participation of small businesses in providing services and materials to state agencies as follows:

          (a) Provide a guide to businesses on the purchasing procedures and practices of state agencies, including a list of state employees responsible for such state purchases.  The guide shall be updated at least every two years;

          (b) Assist the state agencies in developing master bid lists which include small businesses;

          (c) Secure information from all state agencies as to the size of businesses supplying goods and services to each state agency; and

          (d) Assist each state agency so that a larger percentage of the goods and services purchased by each state agency can be supplied by small businesses;

          (6) Conduct research in the following areas:

          (a) Identify business associations which represent small businesses and maintain an up to date list of such associations;

          (b) Develop methods and practices to encourage prime contractors to let subcontracts to small businesses;

          (c) Research methods to use small businesses for developing economically depressed areas or providing jobs for unemployed persons;

          (d) Develop programs to be used by all state agencies to encourage the development of small businesses.  The office shall coordinate these programs with the political subdivisions of the state; and

          (e) Coordinate the office's activities with the federal small business administration, the small business committees of the two houses of the United States congress, and all other state or federal agencies formed for the purpose of aiding small businesses; ((and))

          (7) Upon request by any agency, provide assistance in the preparation of a small business economic impact statement relative to a proposal to adopt, amend, or repeal any rule which will have an economic impact on more than twenty percent of all businesses or more than ten percent of all of the businesses in any one industry;

          (8) Develop and implement or plan for promotion and expansion of new small businesses in areas of the state with above-average unemployment rates; and

          (9) Work with the small business and development center at Washington State University to develop a plan for coordination of activities between it and the office of small business.