Creates minority and women-owned business enterprise regional advocates; provides that the advocates will help ensure that municipal agencies comply with the provisions of law relating to minority and women-owned business enterprises.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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1236
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. BAILEY, SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to creating regional
minority and women-owned business enterprise advocate
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 310 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 24 to read as follows:
3 24. "Regional advocate" shall mean the person appointed by the state-
4 wide advocate to serve in the capacity of minority and women-owned busi-
5 ness enterprise regional advocate.
6 § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 311-a of the executive law, as amended
7 by chapter 96 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
8 2. The advocate shall act as a liaison for minority and women-owned
9 business enterprises (MWBEs) to assist them in obtaining technical,
10 managerial, financial and other business assistance for certified busi-
11 nesses and applicants. The advocate shall receive and investigate
12 complaints brought by or on behalf of MWBEs concerning certification
13 delays and instances of violations of the requirements of this article
14 by contractors and by state agencies. The statewide advocate may assist
15 certified businesses and applicants in the certification process, direct
16 regional local advocates in developing educational outreach programs and
17 create awareness of competitive grant programs. Other functions of the
18 statewide advocate shall be directed by the commissioner. The advocate
19 may request and the director may appoint staff and employees of the
20 division of minority and women business development to support the
21 administration of the office of the statewide advocate.
22 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 311-b to
23 read as follows:
24 § 311-b. Minority and women-owned business enterprise regional advo-
25 cates. 1. Regional advocate. There is hereby established within each of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04406-01-3
S. 1236 2
1 the regional offices established pursuant to article eleven of the
2 economic development law an office of the minority and women-owned busi-
3 ness enterprise regional advocate.
4 2. Powers and duties. The regional advocates shall:
5 (a) provide technical, managerial, financial and other business
6 assistance to certified minority and women businesses or applicants;
7 (b) conduct outreach programs for MWBEs on a bi-annual basis;
8 (c) conduct educational seminars for state agencies on an annual
9 basis; and
10 (d) shall be responsible for reporting the number and certification
11 applications received and processed by its region.
12 3. The regional advocate shall document reasons for any denials or
13 delays in the certification process. Regional advocates shall report to
14 the statewide advocate and director by September thirtieth on an annual
15 basis of recommendations to the state certification process, outreach
16 efforts and complaints received or resolved.
17 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
18 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the amendments to
19 article 15-A of the executive law made by this act shall not affect the
20 expiration of such article and shall expire therewith.
