Bill Text: NJ A3159 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes price preference program on State contracts for businesses owned by women veterans or women in military service.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [A3159 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A3159-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex and Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Verrelli, Assemblywomen Dunn and N.Munoz
SYNOPSIS
Establishes price preference program on State contracts for businesses owned by women veterans or women in military service.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning preferences for State contracts for businesses owned by women veterans or women serving in the military, and supplementing P.L.1954, c.84 (C.52:34-6 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. In awarding a contract which is paid with State funds and publicly advertised for bids, a State agency shall give a preference of up to 10 percent of the amount of the contract to a qualified business that is owned by a woman veteran or a woman serving in the military. If the qualified business otherwise meets the requirements of the contract solicitation and with the preference is the lowest bidder, a State agency shall enter into a procurement contract with that business. If two or more such businesses are the lowest bidders on a contract, the business with the lowest bid shall be awarded the contract.
If a woman owner dies during the term of a contract or in the bidding process for a contract and the surviving spouse acquires the woman's ownership interest in the business, the business shall remain eligible for the preference and that contract during the term of the contract or the bidding process for that contract.
As used in this act:
"Woman veteran" means a resident of this State who identifies as female and was honorably discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable from active service in a branch of the Armed Forces of the United States; and
"Woman serving in the military" means a resident of this State who identifies as female and is serving in the United States Armed Forces on full time active duty status or who has completed Initial Entry Training.
"Qualified business" means a business which (1) has its principal place of business in the State, (2) is independently owned and operated, (3) at least 51 percent of which is owned and controlled by one or more persons who are women veterans or women serving in the military, and (4) the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women veterans or women serving in the military, or, in the case of a woman veteran with a permanent and severe disability, are controlled by the spouse of such veteran.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a price preference program for businesses owned by women who are veterans or who are serving in the United States Armed Forces that are competing for State contracts.
Under current law, certain purchases or contracts payable out of State funds are publicly advertised and competitively bid on by businesses. The State then awards the contract to the lowest bidder.
This bill would establish a price preference of up to 10 percent of the amount of the contract to a qualified business owned by a woman veteran or a woman serving in the military. If the business meets the requirements of the contract solicitation and is the lowest bidder due to the preference, a State agency will enter into a procurement contract with that business. If two or more qualified businesses bid on a contract utilizing the preference program, the business with the lowest bid will be awarded the contract.
This bill defines "woman veteran" to mean a resident of this State who identifies as female and was honorably discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable from active service in a branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, and defines "woman serving in the military" to mean a resident of this State who identifies as female and is serving in the United States Armed Forces on full time active duty status, or who has completed Initial Entry Training.
This bill defines "qualified business" to mean an independently owned and operated business that has its principal place of business in the State, at least 51 percent of which is owned and controlled by persons who are women veterans or women serving in the military, and the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women veterans or women serving in the military, or, in the case of a woman veteran with a permanent and severe disability, are controlled by the spouse of such veteran.
