Bill > S2018

This bill aims to promote equity in public contracting in Massachusetts. It does this by: 1) Defining key terms like "low-income community," "minority business enterprise," and "women business enterprise" to ensure consistent application across state laws. 2) Requiring contractors awarded state contracts to provide detailed reports on the percentage of contract payments going to minority and women-owned businesses, as well as the racial, ethnic, and gender makeup of their workforce in Massachusetts. 3) Establishing goals for the state to achieve minority and women-owned business contracting and workforce participation that reflect the diversity of the Massachusetts population, especially for projects located in low-income communities. 4) Allowing contracting agencies to consider a bidder's past performance in meeting diversity and inclusion commitments when evaluating their responsibility. 5) Mandating data collection and reporting on the ZIP codes, gender, and race/ethnicity of workers on state-funded construction projects. The overall aim is to increase opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses and workers in state procurement and construction contracts.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2018