Bill Text: NJ A1978 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Chief Diversity Officer in Department of Treasury to develop and implement programs to increase utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in State.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-01-13 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Community Development and Women's Affairs Committee [A1978 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A1978-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Assemblyman GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ
District 33 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson and Carter
SYNOPSIS
Requires Chief Diversity Officer in Department of Treasury to develop and implement programs to increase utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in State.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning minority-owned and women-owned businesses and amending P.L.2017, c.95.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2017, c.95 (C.52:32-18.1) is amended to read as follows:
1. There is established in the Division of Purchase and Property in the State Department of the Treasury a Chief Diversity Officer. It shall be the duty of the Chief Diversity Officer to [monitor]:
a. Monitor the State's public contracting process for the purpose of compiling information on the awarding of contracts to minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises, the total value of all contracts and the percentage of the value of those contracts awarded to minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises ; and
b. Develop and implement programs and initiatives to increase the utilization of minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises in the State.
(cf: P.L.2017, c.95, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Chief Diversity Officer to develop and implement programs to increase utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in State.
Under current law, the Chief Diversity Officer in the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury is required to monitor the State's public contracting process for the purpose of compiling information on the awarding of contracts to minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises, the total value of all contracts, and the percentage of the value of those contracts awarded to minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises. This bill expands the duties of the Chief Diversity Officer to also require the development and implementation of programs to increase the utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in State.
