Bill > S1617

This bill aims to promote equity in public contracting by establishing new requirements and goals for state-funded construction projects. It defines "low income community" as a municipality with a median household income at or below 65% of the statewide median, or a specific neighborhood within larger cities. The bill mandates that entities awarded state contracts must provide written verification with each invoice detailing payments to minority business enterprises (MBEs) and women business enterprises (WBEs), and report the racial, ethnic, and gender makeup of their workforce in Massachusetts, while protecting individual employee privacy. The Executive Office of Administration and Finance will create a template for this reporting, and the Massachusetts Management and Reporting System (MMARS) will be updated to receive this data. Furthermore, the bill sets official goals for the Commonwealth to achieve MBE and WBE contracting and workforce participation that reflect the state's diverse population, and aims to target job creation on construction projects in low-income communities to local residents, ensuring the workforce mirrors the host community's demographics. The bill also amends the definition of "responsible" contractor to include their ability to advance the Commonwealth's contracting and workforce inclusion goals, and requires bidders to demonstrate their commitment to these objectives.