Authorizes State Chief Diversity Officer to conduct disparity study concerning utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in State procurement process.

A1672

ASSEMBLY, No. 1672

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY

District 18 (Middlesex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Lopez, Swain, Haider, Quijano, Carter, Park
and Assemblyman Rodriguez

SYNOPSIS

���� Authorizes State Chief Diversity Officer to conduct
disparity study concerning utilization of minority-owned and women-owned
businesses in State procurement process.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
authorizing the State Chief Diversity Officer to
conduct a disparity study concerning the utilization of minority-owned and
women-owned businesses in the State procurement process and supplementing Title
52 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� a.� The Chief Diversity
Officer shall conduct a study concerning the utilization of minority-owned and
women-owned businesses in the procurement of goods and services for State
agencies to determine whether disparities exist in the availability and utilization
of minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

���� b.� Following completion of
the study, the Chief Diversity Officer shall prepare and submit to the Governor
and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the
Legislature, a report containing the study�s findings and recommendations for
legislative or other actions that can be taken to promote opportunities for
minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises in the procurement of goods
and services for State agencies.

���� c.� The Chief Diversity
Officer may prepare and submit additional reports as the officer deems
appropriate, and each report, with the exception of the first report prepared
under this section, shall additionally identify the extent to which the
officer�s prior recommendations have been successfully implemented and the
apparent impact that the implementation of such recommended changes have had on
the procurement of goods and services for State agencies in the preceding
years.� Every four years following the issuance of the first report the officer
shall report to the Legislature whether a study concerning the utilization of
minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the procurement of goods and
services for State agencies is needed and may request an appropriation of
funding for the study to be included in the next following annual
appropriations act.

���� d.� For purposes of this
section, "State agency" means any of the principal departments in the
Executive Branch of the State government, and any division, board, bureau,
office, commission or other instrumentality within or created by such department,
the Legislature of the State and any office, board, bureau or commission within
or created by the Legislative Branch, and any independent State authority,
commission, instrumentality or agency which is authorized by law to award
public contracts.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

����� This bill would require the State Chief Diversity
Officer to conduct a disparity study to determine whether disparities exist in
the availability and utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses
in the State procurement process.

����� Following completion of the study, the Chief
Diversity Officer would be required to submit a report to the Governor and the
Legislature detailing the officer�s findings and making recommendations for
legislative or other actions that can be taken to promote opportunities for
minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises in the procurement of goods
and services for State agencies.� After the disparity study is submitted, the
Chief Diversity Officer may, in the officer�s discretion, prepare and submit additional
reports identifying the extent to which previous recommendations have been
successfully implemented and any apparent impact the implementation of such
recommendations have had on State procurement in the preceding years.

����� Studies which demonstrate the disparity between the
availability and utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in
the State procurement process can help provide the basis for goal-based
procurement programs to alleviate historic discrimination against
minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises.

����� Every four years following the issuance of the first
report the Chief Diversity Officer must submit an additional report to the
Legislature on whether a study concerning the utilization of minority-owned and
women-owned businesses in the procurement of goods and services for State
agencies is needed.� The officer may request an appropriation of funding for
the study.