IL SR0868

Illinois Tollway committed more than $2.9 billion to small, diverse, and veteran-owned firms through its Move Illinois Program for construction and professional services.

Illinois Department of Transportation certified over 2,945 diverse businesses and achieved nearly 19% diverse business utilization on Federal Highway Administration-funded projects in 2023.

Multiple lawsuits challenge minority/women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprise (M/W/DBE) programs nationwide following the June 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Fair Admissions v. Harvard, including Mid-America Milling Company v. USDOT and cases in Texas challenging local M/W/DBE programs.

Senate resolution encourages utilization of small, diverse, and veteran-owned firms through M/WBE and DBE programs as proven tools for promoting economic opportunity, equity, and access.

Senate urges Congress to take action to protect federal DBE standards and programs to ensure the success of the Illinois Department of Transportation's DBE Program.