What's happening
This bill establishes regional advocates within New York to support, educate, and report on minority and women-owned business enterprises.
Why it matters
Establishes dedicated regional advocates. to provide hands-on support for minority and women-owned businesses (MWBEs), making it easier for business owners to access technical, financial, and managerial assistance tailored to their local context.
Requires structured outreach and education. by mandating bi-annual MWBE outreach programs and annual educational seminars for state agencies, aiming to increase awareness, participation, and understanding of MWBE programs both among entrepreneurs and government staff.
Improves transparency and accountability. in the MWBE certification process by compelling regional advocates to document and report on application numbers, reasons for delays or denials, and complaints, which can help identify and address systemic barriers faced by MWBEs.
Creates a feedback loop for policy improvement. , as regional advocates must annually submit recommendations and summaries of their outreach and complaint resolutions, potentially leading to more responsive and effective state-level MWBE policies.
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Who cares
Certified MWBEs and certification applicants
Regional advocates would provide business assistance, conduct outreach and document reasons for certification denials or delays.
State economic development regional offices
Each office would house an MWBE regional advocate responsible for tracking certification applications received and processed in its region.
State agencies
Regional advocates would conduct annual educational seminars for agencies on MWBEs.
Statewide MWBE advocate and division director
They would receive annual regional reports on certification recommendations, outreach efforts and complaints, while the statewide advocate would direct regional educational outreach and raise awareness of competitive grants.
Headline styles
Add Regional MWBE Advocates
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
10 Co-sponsors
4 Multi-sponsors
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Committed to ways and means
- Ordered to third reading cal.189
- Returned to assembly
- Died in senate
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Advanced to third reading cal.511
- Reported
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Referred to small business
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Add MWBE Regional Advocates
In Senate Committee · Finance · Sponsor Jamaal Bailey
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4914
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 5, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. TITUS, LAVINE, PERRY, COOK, BARRON, PAULIN, PEOPLES-STOKES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COLTON, GALEF, GUNTHER, RIVERA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Small Business
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 Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 310 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 24 to read as follows:
24. "Regional advocate" shall mean the person appointed by the statewide advocate to serve in the capacity of minority and women-owned business enterprise regional advocate.
§ 2. Subdivision 2 of section 311-a of the executive law, as added by section 4 of part BB of chapter 59 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
2. The advocate shall act as a liaison for minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) to assist them in obtaining technical, managerial, financial and other business assistance for certified businesses and applicants. The advocate shall investigate complaints brought by or on behalf of MWBEs concerning certification delays and instances of violations of law by state agencies. The statewide advocate shall assist certified businesses and applicants in the certification process, direct regional local advocates in developing educational outreach programs and create awareness of competitive grant programs. Other functions of the statewide advocate shall be directed by the commissioner. The advocate may request and the director may appoint staff and employees of the division of minority and women business development to support the administration of the office of the statewide advocate.
§ 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 311-b to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05419-01-9
A. 4914 2
§ 311-b. Minority and women-owned business enterprise regional advocates. 1. Regional advocate. There is hereby established within each of the regional offices established pursuant to article eleven of the economic development law an office of the minority and women-owned business enterprise regional advocate.
2. Powers and duties. The regional advocates shall:
(a) provide technical, managerial, financial and other business assistance to certified minority and women businesses or applicants;
(b) conduct outreach programs for MWBEs on a bi-annual basis;
(c) conduct educational seminars for state agencies on an annual basis; and
(d) shall be responsible for reporting the number and certification applications received and processed by its region.
3. The regional advocate shall document reasons for any denials or delays in the certification process. Regional advocates shall report to the statewide advocate and director by September thirtieth on an annual basis of recommendations to the state certification process, outreach efforts and complaints received or resolved.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the amendments to article 15-A of the executive law made by this act shall not affect the expiration of such article and shall expire therewith.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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