Bill Text: NY S03350 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates minority and women-owned business enterprise regional advocates; provides that the advocates will help ensure that municipal agencies comply with the provisions of law relating to minority and women-owned business enterprises.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [S03350 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S03350-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3350
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 20, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
        AN ACT to amend the executive law,  in  relation  to  creating  regional
          minority and women-owned business enterprise advocate
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Section 310 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
     2  subdivision 24 to read as follows:
     3    24.  "Regional advocate" shall mean the person appointed by the state-
     4  wide advocate to serve in the capacity of minority and women-owned busi-
     5  ness enterprise regional advocate.
     6    § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 311-a of the executive law, as added  by
     7  section  4  of  part BB of chapter 59 of the laws of 2006, is amended to
     8  read as follows:
     9    2. The advocate shall act as a liaison for  minority  and  women-owned
    10  business  enterprises  (MWBEs)  to  assist  them in obtaining technical,
    11  managerial, financial and other business assistance for certified  busi-
    12  nesses and applicants. The advocate shall investigate complaints brought
    13  by  or  on behalf of MWBEs concerning certification delays and instances
    14  of violations of law by state agencies.  The  statewide  advocate  shall
    15  assist certified businesses and applicants in the certification process,
    16  direct  regional  local  advocates  in  developing  educational outreach
    17  programs and create awareness of  competitive  grant  programs.    Other
    18  functions of the statewide advocate shall be directed by the commission-
    19  er.  The  advocate  may  request  and the director may appoint staff and
    20  employees of the division of minority and women business development  to
    21  support the administration of the office of the statewide advocate.
    22    §  3.  The  executive  law is amended by adding a new section 311-b to
    23  read as follows:
    24    § 311-b. Minority and women-owned business enterprise  regional  advo-
    25  cates. 1.  Regional advocate. There is hereby established within each of
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02622-01-7
        S. 3350                             2
     1  the  regional  offices  established  pursuant  to  article eleven of the
     2  economic development law an office of the minority and women-owned busi-
     3  ness enterprise regional advocate.
     4    2. Powers and duties. The regional advocates shall:
     5    (a)  provide  technical,  managerial,  financial  and  other  business
     6  assistance to certified minority and women businesses or applicants;
     7    (b) conduct outreach programs for MWBEs on a bi-annual basis;
     8    (c) conduct educational seminars  for  state  agencies  on  an  annual
     9  basis; and
    10    (d)  shall  be  responsible for reporting the number and certification
    11  applications received and processed by its region.
    12    3. The regional advocate shall document reasons  for  any  denials  or
    13  delays  in the certification process. Regional advocates shall report to
    14  the statewide advocate and director by September thirtieth on an  annual
    15  basis  of  recommendations  to the state certification process, outreach
    16  efforts and complaints received or resolved.
    17    § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    18  it shall have become a law; provided, however, that  the  amendments  to
    19  article  15-A of the executive law made by this act shall not affect the
    20  expiration of such article and shall expire therewith.