HB4846 Summary

• Amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act to expand definitions and clarify certification requirements for eligible businesses and vendors.

• Adds Section 3.5 establishing uniform standards for calculating contract-specific Business Enterprise Program goals based on industry practice, work scope, vendor availability, and the state's progress toward aspirational goals.

• Modifies enforcement penalties to assess amounts equal to the discrepancy between utilization plan commitments and actual qualifying payments to certified vendors, replacing the previous "profit acquired" penalty standard.

• Establishes that the Business Enterprise Council comprises the Commission on Equity and Inclusion Chairperson, state agency directors, gubernatorial appointees representing minority, women, and disability-owned businesses, and business community representatives.

• Specifies that State contracts subject to the Act exclude grants for capital improvements or operational expenses and contracts awarded by retirement systems or pension funds.