Bill > S1679

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a price preference program for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses competing for State contracts. Under current law, certain purchases or contracts payable out of State funds are publicly advertised and competitively bid on by businesses. The State then awards the contract to the lowest bidder. This bill would establish a price preference of up to 10 percent of the amount of the contract to a qualified disabled veterans' business. If the disabled veterans' business meets the requirements of the contract solicitation and is the lowest bidder due to the preference program, a State agency will enter into a procurement contract with the disabled veterans' business. If two or more qualified disabled veterans' businesses bid on a contract utilizing the preference program, the disabled veterans' business with the lowest bid will be awarded the contract. This bill defines "disabled veteran" to mean a resident of this State who has been certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as having any degree of service-connected disability. This bill defines "qualified disabled veterans' business" to mean an independently owned and operated business that has its principal place of business in the State, at least 51 percent of which is owned and controlled by persons who are disabled veterans, and the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more disabled veterans or, in the case of a disabled veteran with a permanent and severe disability, are controlled by the spouse of such veteran.

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Declan O'Scanlon (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document