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*hb1416*
HOUSE BILL 1416
P2, R2, M5 6lr2340
By: Delegates J. Long and Woods
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
State Procurement and Recipients of State Funding – Electric Vehicle Charging 2
Equipment – Minority Business Enterprise Participation 3
FOR the purpose of requiring a unit of State government to set an expected degree of 4
minority business participation specifically for certain provisions related to the 5
procurement of electric vehicle charging equipment and installation in certain 6
contracts under certain circ umstances; requiring recipients of certain amounts of 7
State funding for the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging 8
equipment to comply with the State’s Minority Business Enterprise P rogram; 9
requiring the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs, in 10
consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to establish certain goals and 11
procedures; requiring certain recipients of State funding to submit a certain report 12
to certain persons at a certain time; and generally r elating to minority business 13
participation in the procurement, purchase, and installation of electric vehicle 14
charging equipment. 15
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 16
Article – State Finance and Procurement 17
Section 14–302(a)(1) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
BY adding to 21
Article – State Finance and Procurement 22
Section 14–302(a)(18) 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 25
BY adding to 26
Article – Transportation 27
Section 2–115 28
2 HOUSE BILL 1416
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 3
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 4
Article – State Finance and Procurement 5
14–302. 6
(a) (1) (i) 1. Except for leases of real property, each unit shall structure 7
procurement procedures, consistent with the purposes of this subtitle, to try to achieve an 8
overall percentage goal of the unit’s total dollar value of procurement contracts being made 9
directly or indirectly to certified minority business enterprises. 10
2. Notwithstanding subsubparagraph 1 of this 11
subparagraph, the following contracts may not be counted as part of a unit’s total dollar 12
value of procurement contracts: 13
A. a procurement contract awarded in accordance with 14
Subtitle 1 of this title; 15
B. a procurement contract awarded to a nonprofit entity in 16
accordance with requirements mandated by State or federal law; and 17
C. a procurement by the Maryland Developmental 18
Disabilities Administration of the Maryland Department of Health for family and 19
individual support services, community residential services, resource coordination services, 20
behavioral support services, vocational and day services, and respite services, as those 21
terms are defined in regulations adopted by the Maryland Department of Health. 22
(ii) 1. The overall percentage goal shall be established on a 23
biennial basis by the Special Secretary for the Office of Small, Minority, and Women 24
Business Affairs, i n consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, the Chief 25
Procurement Officer, and the Attorney General. 26
2. During any year in which there is a delay in establishing 27
the overall goal, the previous year’s goal will apply. 28
(iii) 1. In consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, the 29
Chief Procurement Officer, and the Attorney General, the Special Secretary for the Office 30
of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs shall establish guidelines on a biennial 31
basis for each unit to consider while determining whether to set subgoals for the minority 32
groups listed in § 14–301(k)(1)(i)1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 of this subtitle. 33
2. During any year in which there is a delay in establishing 34
the subgoal guidelines, the previous year’s subgoal guidelines will apply. 35
HOUSE BILL 1416 3
(iv) 1. The Special Secretary for the Office of Small, Minority, 1
and Women Business Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, the 2
Chief Procurement Officer, and the Attorney General, shall establish goals and subgoal 3
guidelines that, to the maximum extent feasible, approximate the level of minority business 4
enterprise participation that would be expected in the absence of discrimination. 5
2. In establishing overall goals and subgoal guidelines, the 6
Special Secretar y for the Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs shall 7
provide for public participation by consulting with minority, women’s, and general 8
contractor groups, community organizations, and other officials or organizations that could 9
be expected to have information concerning: 10
A. the availability of minority – and women –owned 11
businesses; 12
B. the effects of discrimination on opportunities for 13
minority– and women–owned businesses; and 14
C. the State’s operation of the Minority Business Enterprise 15
Program. 16
(v) In establishing overall goals, the factors to be considered shall 17
include: 18
1. the relative availability of minority – and women–owned 19
businesses to participate in State procurement as demonstrated by the State’s most recent 20
disparity study; 21
2. past participation of minority business enterprises in 22
State procurement, except for procurement related to leases of real property; and 23
3. other factors that contribute to constitutional goal setting. 24
(vi) Notwithstanding § 12–101 of this article, the Special Secretary 25
for the Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs shall adopt regulations in 26
accordance with Title 10, Subtitle 1 of the State Government Article setting forth the 27
State’s overall goal. 28
(18) FOR A CONTRACT THAT INCLUDES PROVIS IONS FOR THE 29
EQUIPMENT SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING 30
EQUIPMENT, A UNIT SHALL SET A N EXPECTED DEGREE OF M INORITY BUSINESS 31
ENTERPRISE PARTICIPA TION SPECIFICALLY FOR TH OSE PROVISIONS THAT ARE 32
EQUIVALENT TO THE PERCENTAGE GO AL FOR THE OVERALL PROCUREMENTS FOR 33
THAT UNIT. 34
4 HOUSE BILL 1416
Article – Transportation 1
2–115. 2
(A) THE FINDINGS AND EVIDENCE RELIED ON BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 3
FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM 4
UNDER TITLE 14, SUBTITLE 3 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT 5
ARTICLE ARE HEREBY INCORPORATED. 6
(B) TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE AND PERMITTED BY THE UNITED STATES 7
CONSTITUTION, A PERSON RECEIVING $100,000 OR MORE OF STATE FUNDING , 8
WHETHER BY GRANT OR LOAN, FOR THE PURCHASE OR INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC 9
VEHICLE CHARGING EQU IPMENT SHALL COMPLY WITH THE STATE’S MINORITY 10
BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM. 11
(C) THE UNIT OF STATE GOVERNMENT UNDER WHICH STATE FUNDING WAS 12
PROVIDED SHALL, AS A CONDITION OF PR OVIDING THE FUNDING , REQUIRE THE 13
RECIPIENT TO DEMONSTRATE COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION. 14
(D) (1) THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF SMALL, MINORITY, AND WOMEN 15
BUSINESS AFFAIRS, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY 16
GENERAL, SHALL ESTABLISH A CL EAR PLAN FOR SETTING REASONABLE AND 17
APPROPRIATE MINORITY BUS INESS ENTERPRISE PAR TICIPATION GOALS AND 18
PROCEDURES FOR THE P URCHASE AND INSTALLA TION OF ELECTRIC VEH ICLE 19
CHARGING EQUIPMENT THAT IS FUNDED THROUGH STATE FUNDING. 20
(2) TO THE EXTENT PRACTIC ABLE, THE GOALS AND PROCED URES 21
SPECIFIED IN P ARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION S HALL BE BASED ON THE 22
REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE 14, SUBTITLE 3 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND 23
PROCUREMENT ARTICLE AND THE REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THAT SUBTITLE. 24
(3) WITHIN 12 MONTHS FOLLOWING THE RECEIPT OF STATE 25
FUNDING, THE RECIPIENT SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE OFFICE REGARDING 26
THE RECIPIENT’S COMPLIANCE WITH THE GOALS AND PROCEDURES SPECIFIED IN 27
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 28
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 29
October 1, 2026. 30