(30 ILCS 575/5) (from Ch. 127, par. 132.605)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2016)
    Sec. 5. Business Enterprise Council.
    (1) To help implement, monitor and enforce the goals of this Act, there is created the Business Enterprise Council for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities, hereinafter referred to as the Council, composed of the Secretary of Human Services and the Directors of the Department of Human Rights, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Central Management Services, the Department of Transportation and the Capital Development Board, or their duly appointed representatives. Ten individuals representing businesses that are minority or female owned or owned by persons with disabilities, 2 individuals representing the business community, and a representative of public universities shall be appointed by the Governor. These members shall serve 2 year terms and shall be eligible for reappointment. Any vacancy occurring on the Council shall also be filled by the Governor. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. Members of the Council shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for any ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
    The Director of the Department of Central Management Services shall serve as the Council chairperson and shall select, subject to approval of the council, a Secretary responsible for the operation of the program who shall serve as the Division Manager of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Division of the Department of Central Management Services.
    The Director of each State agency and the chief executive officer of each State university shall appoint a liaison to the Council. The liaison shall be responsible for submitting to the Council any reports and documents necessary under this Act.
    (2) The Council's authority and responsibility shall be to:
        (a) Devise a certification procedure to assure that
    
businesses taking advantage of this Act are legitimately classified as businesses owned by minorities, females, or persons with disabilities.
        (b) Maintain a list of all businesses legitimately
    
classified as businesses owned by minorities, females, or persons with disabilities to provide to State agencies and State universities.
        (c) Review rules and regulations for the
    
implementation of the program for businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities.
        (d) Review compliance plans submitted by each State
    
agency and State university pursuant to this Act.
        (e) Make annual reports as provided in Section 8f to
    
the Governor and the General Assembly on the status of the program.
        (f) Serve as a central clearinghouse for information
    
on State contracts, including the maintenance of a list of all pending State contracts upon which businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities may bid. At the Council's discretion, maintenance of the list may include 24-hour electronic access to the list along with the bid and application information.
        (g) Establish a toll free telephone number to
    
facilitate information requests concerning the certification process and pending contracts.
    (3) No premium bond rate of a surety company for a bond required of a business owned by a minority, female, or person with a disability bidding for a State contract shall be higher than the lowest rate charged by that surety company for a similar bond in the same classification of work that would be written for a business not owned by a minority, female, or person with a disability.
    (4) Any Council member who has direct financial or personal interest in any measure pending before the Council shall disclose this fact to the Council and refrain from participating in the determination upon such measure.
    (5) The Secretary shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
        (a) To be responsible for the day-to-day operation of
    
the Council.
        (b) To serve as a coordinator for all of the State's
    
programs for businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities and as the information and referral center for all State initiatives for businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities.
        (c) To establish an enforcement procedure whereby the
    
Council may recommend to the appropriate State legal officer that the State exercise its legal remedies which shall include (1) termination of the contract involved, (2) prohibition of participation by the respondent in public contracts for a period not to exceed one year, (3) imposition of a penalty not to exceed any profit acquired as a result of violation, or (4) any combination thereof. Such procedures shall require prior approval by Council.
        (d) To devise appropriate policies, regulations and
    
procedures for including participation by businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities as prime contractors including, but not limited to, (i) encouraging the inclusions of qualified businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities on solicitation lists, (ii) investigating the potential of blanket bonding programs for small construction jobs, (iii) investigating and making recommendations concerning the use of the sheltered market process.
        (e) To devise procedures for the waiver of the
    
participation goals in appropriate circumstances.
        (f) To accept donations and, with the approval of the
    
Council or the Director of Central Management Services, grants related to the purposes of this Act; to conduct seminars related to the purpose of this Act and to charge reasonable registration fees; and to sell directories, vendor lists and other such information to interested parties, except that forms necessary to become eligible for the program shall be provided free of charge to a business or individual applying for the program.
(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)