BILL REQ. #:  H-1788.1 

Read first time 02/09/2007.   Referred to Committee on Community & Economic Development & Trade.

     AN ACT Relating to studying the office of minority and women's business enterprises; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   Minority and women-owned businesses are an integral part of our community and economy. Their economic successes benefit our state. In addition, our state agencies benefit by working with a diverse pool of private contractors. Increasing the current pool of participating contractors with the state also benefits the citizens of our state by increasing competition and promoting quality. While state law prohibits awarding contracts based on race, ethnicity, or gender, there are many opportunities to increase utilization of historically underused businesses. The office of minority and women's business enterprises has been tasked with increasing the participation of these historically underused businesses.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall conduct a comprehensive study that examines the office of minority and women's business enterprises. Specifically, the study shall include:
     (a) What policies, procedures, or programs have been established by the office of minority and women's businesses and other state agencies to implement Initiative Measure No. 200 and Governor Directive 98-01?      (i) Does the state communicate bid opportunities to historically underused businesses?
     (ii) Does the state communicate a list of certified minority or women-owned business enterprises to agencies and the agencies' procurement officers?
     (iii) What kind of outreach and recruitment efforts have been implemented?
     (b) How does the role of the office of minority and women's business enterprises and its interaction with state agencies prior to the passage of Initiative Measure No. 200 compare to its role and interaction after the initiative became law?
     (c) Analyze the trends in certification and hiring of minority and women-owned businesses by state and local agencies from 1997 to the present.
     (i) In terms of contract amounts, what percentage of mandatory contracts have been awarded to minority and women's business enterprises?
     (ii) What amount of state contract dollars are awarded through mandatory contracts versus convenience contracts?
     (iii) Are state agency purchasers training to reach out to minority and women's business enterprises for bidding opportunities?
     (iv) For contracts under RCW 43.19.1906, how are agencies tracking and reporting these contracts? What is the participation of minority and women-owned business in bidding and in contract awards?
     (d) To what extent have the office of minority and women's business enterprises programs contributed to the certification of minority and women's business enterprises? Are there efficiencies to allowing nongovernmental organizations to oversee certification instead of the office of minority and women's business enterprises?
     (e) What practices do other governmental organizations use for outreach and recruitment of minority and women-owned business enterprises?
     (f) Evaluate the participation of agencies in the governor's supplier diversity directive.
     (2) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall submit the final report to the legislature by December 1, 2007.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.