Bill > S1650

This bill amends Massachusetts General Laws to promote fair participation of minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) and women-owned business enterprises (WBEs) on public construction projects. Specifically, it allows awarding authorities for certain state projects, including those managed by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, the Massachusetts State College Building Authority, the University of Massachusetts Building Authority, and the Massachusetts Port Authority, as well as state-assisted building projects costing $5,000,000 or more, to set participation goals for MBEs and WBEs on filed sub-bids and CM at Risk trade packages. These goals are capped at 10 percent of the value of the work. The bill also permits sub-bidders and trade contractors to meet these goals by subcontracting out portions of their work, with a limit on how much self-performed work can be subcontracted to meet the goal, and establishes a process for requesting waivers or reductions of these participation goals.