Bill > A05649

This bill expands the responsibilities of the advisory panel on employee-owned enterprises by requiring them to evaluate and address barriers that employee-owned businesses face when seeking certification as Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs). The panel must now investigate obstacles that prevent employee-owned businesses from being certified under the state's MWBE program, recommend strategies to help these businesses navigate the certification process, and develop approaches to help preserve existing minority and women-owned businesses through employee ownership transitions. Specifically, the panel will examine potential changes to state laws that could reduce certification barriers, identify ways to help employee-owned enterprises qualify for and participate in state agency contracts, and create strategies to facilitate the continuation of businesses when owners are looking to sell or transfer ownership. The bill also extends the expiration date of the advisory panel from October 1, 2025 to October 1, 2026, and updates the list of entities to which the panel must submit its report, adding the chair of the select task force on MWBEs and the director of the division of minority and women's business development to the distribution list.

Business and Industry

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5649