Bill > S1648

This bill amends Chapter 30B of the Massachusetts General Laws to promote purchasing from social enterprises by governmental bodies. Specifically, it allows procurement officers to award contracts under $25,000 for goods or services produced in the Commonwealth by a human services social enterprise without requiring multiple quotations, though contracts of $5,000 or more must still involve at least three written or oral quotations, with two from SOMWBA-certified businesses and one from a designated social enterprise. A human services social enterprise is defined as a non-profit activity or program that creates jobs or generates revenue for social service programs, as defined in section 1 of chapter 118G. Furthermore, the bill permits governmental bodies to establish a preference for goods and services from these social enterprises, requiring procurement officers to make reasonable efforts to facilitate such purchases and to do so unless the price is more than 10% higher than from non-social enterprise sources.