103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3606

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
30 ILCS 575/2
30 ILCS 575/3.5 new
30 ILCS 575/5  from Ch. 127, par. 132.605
30 ILCS 575/7  from Ch. 127, par. 132.607
30 ILCS 575/8  from Ch. 127, par. 132.608

    Amends the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. Defines terms. Provides factors for determining whether a good faith effort has been made for purposes of granting a waiver under the Act. Provides for a uniform standard of contract goals for State agencies, public institutions of higher education, and other departments. Specifies further requirements concerning uniform contract goals. Provides that the terms of every contract entered into by a State agency or public institution of higher education for purposes of the Act shall include a provision requiring vendors who fail to comply with a utilization plan to return all funds paid to that vendor with an expectation of compliance. Provides that the Business Enterprise Council may (rather than shall) grant a waiver under specified circumstances. Provides criteria for granting a waiver. Makes conforming changes.


LRB103 25805 DTM 52156 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3606LRB103 25805 DTM 52156 b

1    AN ACT concerning finance.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women,
5and Persons with Disabilities Act is amended by changing
6Sections 2,5, 7, and 8 and by adding Section 3.5 as follows:
 
7    (30 ILCS 575/2)
8    (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024)
9    Sec. 2. Definitions.
10    (A) For the purpose of this Act, the following terms shall
11have the following definitions:
12        (1) "Minority person" shall mean a person who is a
13    citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States
14    and who is any of the following:
15            (a) American Indian or Alaska Native (a person
16        having origins in any of the original peoples of North
17        and South America, including Central America, and who
18        maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment).
19            (b) Asian (a person having origins in any of the
20        original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or
21        the Indian subcontinent, including, but not limited
22        to, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,
23        Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and

 

 

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1        Vietnam).
2            (c) Black or African American (a person having
3        origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa).
4            (d) Hispanic or Latino (a person of Cuban,
5        Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or
6        other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race).
7            (e) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (a
8        person having origins in any of the original peoples
9        of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands).
10        (2) "Woman" shall mean a person who is a citizen or
11    lawful permanent resident of the United States and who is
12    of the female gender.
13        (2.05) "Person with a disability" means a person who
14    is a citizen or lawful resident of the United States and is
15    a person qualifying as a person with a disability under
16    subdivision (2.1) of this subsection (A).
17        (2.1) "Person with a disability" means a person with a
18    severe physical or mental disability that:
19            (a) results from:
20            amputation,
21            arthritis,
22            autism,
23            blindness,
24            burn injury,
25            cancer,
26            cerebral palsy,

 

 

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1            Crohn's disease,
2            cystic fibrosis,
3            deafness,
4            head injury,
5            heart disease,
6            hemiplegia,
7            hemophilia,
8            respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction,
9            an intellectual disability,
10            mental illness,
11            multiple sclerosis,
12            muscular dystrophy,
13            musculoskeletal disorders,
14            neurological disorders, including stroke and
15        epilepsy,
16            paraplegia,
17            quadriplegia and other spinal cord conditions,
18            sickle cell anemia,
19            ulcerative colitis,
20            specific learning disabilities, or
21            end stage renal failure disease; and
22            (b) substantially limits one or more of the
23        person's major life activities.
24        Another disability or combination of disabilities may
25    also be considered as a severe disability for the purposes
26    of item (a) of this subdivision (2.1) if it is determined

 

 

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1    by an evaluation of rehabilitation potential to cause a
2    comparable degree of substantial functional limitation
3    similar to the specific list of disabilities listed in
4    item (a) of this subdivision (2.1).
5        (3) "Minority-owned business" means a business which
6    is at least 51% owned by one or more minority persons, or
7    in the case of a corporation, at least 51% of the stock in
8    which is owned by one or more minority persons; and the
9    management and daily business operations of which are
10    controlled by one or more of the minority individuals who
11    own it.
12        (4) "Women-owned business" means a business which is
13    at least 51% owned by one or more women, or, in the case of
14    a corporation, at least 51% of the stock in which is owned
15    by one or more women; and the management and daily
16    business operations of which are controlled by one or more
17    of the women who own it.
18        (4.1) "Business owned by a person with a disability"
19    means a business that is at least 51% owned by one or more
20    persons with a disability and the management and daily
21    business operations of which are controlled by one or more
22    of the persons with disabilities who own it. A
23    not-for-profit agency for persons with disabilities that
24    is exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the Internal
25    Revenue Code of 1986 is also considered a "business owned
26    by a person with a disability".

 

 

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1        (4.2) "Council" means the Business Enterprise Council
2    for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities
3    created under Section 5 of this Act.
4        (4.3) "Commission" means, unless the context clearly
5    indicates otherwise, the Commission on Equity and
6    Inclusion created under the Commission on Equity and
7    Inclusion Act.
8        (4.4) "Certified vendor" means a minority-owned
9    business, women-owned business, or business owned by a
10    person with a disability that is certified by the Business
11    Enterprise Program.
12        (4.5) "Subcontractor" means a person or entity that
13    enters into a contractual agreement with a prime vendor to
14    provide, on behalf of the prime vendor, goods, services,
15    real property, or remuneration or other monetary
16    consideration that is the subject of the primary State
17    contract. "Subcontractor" includes a sublessee under a
18    State contract.
19        (4.6) "Prime vendor" means any person or entity having
20    a contract that is subject to this Act with a State agency
21    or public institution of higher education.
22        (5) "State contracts" means all contracts entered into
23    by the State, any agency or department thereof, or any
24    public institution of higher education, including
25    community college districts, regardless of the source of
26    the funds with which the contracts are paid, which are not

 

 

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1    subject to federal reimbursement. "State contracts" does
2    not include contracts awarded by a retirement system,
3    pension fund, or investment board subject to Section
4    1-109.1 of the Illinois Pension Code. This definition
5    shall control over any existing definition under this Act
6    or applicable administrative rule.
7        "State construction contracts" means all State
8    contracts entered into by a State agency or public
9    institution of higher education for the repair,
10    remodeling, renovation or construction of a building or
11    structure, or for the construction or maintenance of a
12    highway defined in Article 2 of the Illinois Highway Code.
13        (6) "State agencies" shall mean all departments,
14    officers, boards, commissions, institutions and bodies
15    politic and corporate of the State, but does not include
16    the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, the
17    Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, the
18    Board of Trustees of Chicago State University, the Board
19    of Trustees of Eastern Illinois University, the Board of
20    Trustees of Governors State University, the Board of
21    Trustees of Illinois State University, the Board of
22    Trustees of Northeastern Illinois University, the Board of
23    Trustees of Northern Illinois University, the Board of
24    Trustees of Western Illinois University, municipalities or
25    other local governmental units, or other State
26    constitutional officers.

 

 

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1        (7) "Public institutions of higher education" means
2    the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University,
3    Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University,
4    Governors State University, Illinois State University,
5    Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois
6    University, Western Illinois University, the public
7    community colleges of the State, and any other public
8    universities, colleges, and community colleges now or
9    hereafter established or authorized by the General
10    Assembly.
11        (8) "Certification" means a determination made by the
12    Council or by one delegated authority from the Council to
13    make certifications, or by a State agency with statutory
14    authority to make such a certification, that a business
15    entity is a business owned by a minority, woman, or person
16    with a disability for whatever purpose. A business owned
17    and controlled by women shall be certified as a
18    "woman-owned business". A business owned and controlled by
19    women who are also minorities shall be certified as both a
20    "women-owned business" and a "minority-owned business".
21        (9) "Control" means the exclusive or ultimate and sole
22    control of the business including, but not limited to,
23    capital investment and all other financial matters,
24    property, acquisitions, contract negotiations, legal
25    matters, officer-director-employee selection and
26    comprehensive hiring, operating responsibilities,

 

 

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1    cost-control matters, income and dividend matters,
2    financial transactions and rights of other shareholders or
3    joint partners. Control shall be real, substantial and
4    continuing, not pro forma. Control shall include the power
5    to direct or cause the direction of the management and
6    policies of the business and to make the day-to-day as
7    well as major decisions in matters of policy, management
8    and operations. Control shall be exemplified by possessing
9    the requisite knowledge and expertise to run the
10    particular business and control shall not include simple
11    majority or absentee ownership.
12        (10) "Business" means a business that has annual gross
13    sales of less than $150,000,000 as evidenced by the
14    federal income tax return of the business. A vendor firm
15    with gross sales in excess of this cap may apply to the
16    Council for certification for a particular contract if the
17    vendor firm can demonstrate that the contract would have
18    significant impact on businesses owned by minorities,
19    women, or persons with disabilities as suppliers or
20    subcontractors or in employment of minorities, women, or
21    persons with disabilities. Firms with gross sales in
22    excess of this cap that are granted certification by the
23    Council shall be granted certification for the life of the
24    contract, including available renewals.
25        (11) "Utilization plan" means an attachment that is
26    made to a form and additional documentations included in

 

 

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1    all bids or proposals and that demonstrates the bidder's
2    or offeror's efforts to meet the contract-specific
3    Business Enterprise Program goal. The utilization plan
4    shall indicate whether the prime vendor intends to meet
5    the Business Enterprise Program goal through its own
6    performance, if it is a certified vendor, or through the
7    use of subcontractors that are certified vendors a
8    vendor's proposed utilization of vendors certified by the
9    Business Enterprise Program to meet the targeted goal. The
10    utilization plan shall demonstrate that the Vendor has
11    either: (1) met the entire contract goal or (2) requested
12    a full or partial waiver of the contract goal. If the prime
13    vendor intends to use a subcontractor that is a certified
14    vendor to fulfill the contract goal, a participation
15    agreement executed between the prime vendor and the
16    certified subcontractor must be included with the
17    utilization plan and made good faith efforts towards
18    meeting the goal.
19        (12) "Business Enterprise Program" means the Business
20    Enterprise Program of the Commission on Equity and
21    Inclusion.
22        (13) "Good faith effort" means actions undertaken by a
23    vendor to achieve a contract specific Business Enterprise
24    Program goal that, by scope, intensity, and
25    appropriateness to the objective, can reasonably be
26    expected to fulfill the program's requirements.

 

 

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1    (B) When a business is owned at least 51% by any
2combination of minority persons, women, or persons with
3disabilities, even though none of the 3 classes alone holds at
4least a 51% interest, the ownership requirement for purposes
5of this Act is considered to be met. The certification
6category for the business is that of the class holding the
7largest ownership interest in the business. If 2 or more
8classes have equal ownership interests, the certification
9category shall be determined by the business.
10(Source: P.A. 101-601, eff. 1-1-20; 101-657, eff. 1-1-22;
11102-29, eff. 6-25-21; 102-1119, eff. 1-23-23.)
 
12    (30 ILCS 575/3.5 new)
13    Sec. 3.5. Uniform standard of contract goals.
14    (a) The Business Enterprise Program shall establish
15uniform standards for calculating contract specific Business
16Enterprise Program goals for all State contracts and State
17construction contracts subject to this Act. The uniform
18standards may consider normal industry practice, the scope of
19the work to be performed under a contract, the availability of
20vendors that are able to perform the scope of the work to be
21performed under a contract, the availability of certified
22vendors that are able to perform the work to be performed under
23a contract, and the State's progress to date toward meeting
24the aspirational goals set forth in this Act.
25    (b) No State agency or public institution of higher

 

 

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1education shall maintain a policy of establishing contract
2specific goals for the participation of certified vendors that
3is inconsistent with or less stringent than the uniform
4standards for calculating contract specific goals established
5by the Business Enterprise Program.
6    (c) Each State agency and public institution of higher
7education subject to the requirements of this Act shall, on an
8annual basis, submit a report to the Council detailing its
9plan to meet the aspirational contract goals established under
10this Act and established for that agency and institution.
 
11    (30 ILCS 575/5)  (from Ch. 127, par. 132.605)
12    (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024)
13    Sec. 5. Business Enterprise Council.
14    (1) To help implement, monitor, and enforce the goals of
15this Act, there is created the Business Enterprise Council for
16Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities, hereinafter
17referred to as the Council, composed of the Chairperson of the
18Commission on Equity and Inclusion, the Secretary of Human
19Services and the Directors of the Department of Human Rights,
20the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the
21Department of Central Management Services, the Department of
22Transportation and the Capital Development Board, or their
23duly appointed representatives, with the Comptroller, or his
24or her designee, serving as an advisory member of the Council.
25Ten individuals representing businesses that are

 

 

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1minority-owned, women-owned, or owned by persons with
2disabilities, 2 individuals representing the business
3community, and a representative of public institutions of
4higher education shall be appointed by the Governor. These
5members shall serve 2-year terms and shall be eligible for
6reappointment. Any vacancy occurring on the Council shall also
7be filled by the Governor. Any member appointed to fill a
8vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for
9which his or her predecessor was appointed shall be appointed
10for the remainder of such term. Members of the Council shall
11serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for any
12ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of
13their duties.
14    The Chairperson of the Commission shall serve as the
15Council chairperson and shall select, subject to approval of
16the Council, a Secretary responsible for the operation of the
17program who shall serve as the Division Manager of the
18Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with
19Disabilities Division of the Commission on Equity and
20Inclusion.
21    The Director of each State agency and the chief executive
22officer of each public institution of higher education shall
23appoint a liaison to the Council. The liaison shall be
24responsible for submitting to the Council any reports and
25documents necessary under this Act.
26    (2) The Council's authority and responsibility shall be

 

 

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1to:
2        (a) Devise a certification procedure to assure that
3    businesses taking advantage of this Act are legitimately
4    classified as businesses owned by minorities, women, or
5    persons with disabilities and a registration procedure to
6    recognize, without additional evidence of Business
7    Enterprise Program eligibility, the certification of
8    businesses owned by minorities, women, or persons with
9    disabilities certified by the City of Chicago, Cook
10    County, or other jurisdictional programs with requirements
11    and procedures equaling or exceeding those in this Act.
12        (b) Maintain a list of all businesses legitimately
13    classified as businesses owned by minorities, women, or
14    persons with disabilities to provide to State agencies and
15    public institutions of higher education.
16        (c) Review rules and regulations for the
17    implementation of the program for businesses owned by
18    minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.
19        (d) Review compliance plans submitted by each State
20    agency and public institution of higher education pursuant
21    to this Act.
22        (e) Make annual reports as provided in Section 8f to
23    the Governor and the General Assembly on the status of the
24    program.
25        (f) Serve as a central clearinghouse for information
26    on State contracts, including the maintenance of a list of

 

 

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1    all pending State contracts upon which businesses owned by
2    minorities, women, and persons with disabilities may bid.
3    At the Council's discretion, maintenance of the list may
4    include 24-hour electronic access to the list along with
5    the bid and application information.
6        (g) Establish a toll-free telephone number to
7    facilitate information requests concerning the
8    certification process and pending contracts.
9        (h) Adopt a procedure to grant automatic certification
10    to businesses holding a certification from at least one of
11    the following entities: (i) the Illinois Unified
12    Certification Program; (ii) the Women's Business
13    Development Center in Chicago; (iii) the Chicago Minority
14    Supplier Development Council; or (iv) any other similar
15    entity offering such certification to businesses.
16        (i) Develop and maintain a repository for
17    non-certified vendors that: (i) have applied for
18    certification and have been denied; (ii) have started, but
19    not completed, the certification process; (iii) have
20    achieved certification, but did not seek renewal; or (iv)
21    are known businesses owned by minorities, women, or
22    persons with disabilities.
23    (3) No premium bond rate of a surety company for a bond
24required of a business owned by a minority, woman, or person
25with a disability bidding for a State contract shall be higher
26than the lowest rate charged by that surety company for a

 

 

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1similar bond in the same classification of work that would be
2written for a business not owned by a minority, woman, or
3person with a disability.
4    (4) Any Council member who has direct financial or
5personal interest in any measure pending before the Council
6shall disclose this fact to the Council and refrain from
7participating in the determination upon such measure.
8    (5) The Secretary shall have the following duties and
9responsibilities:
10        (a) To be responsible for the day-to-day operation of
11    the Council.
12        (b) To serve as a coordinator for all of the State's
13    programs for businesses owned by minorities, women, and
14    persons with disabilities and as the information and
15    referral center for all State initiatives for businesses
16    owned by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.
17        (c) To establish an enforcement procedure whereby the
18    Council may recommend to the appropriate State legal
19    officer that the State exercise its legal remedies which
20    shall include (1) termination of the contract involved,
21    (2) prohibition of participation by the respondent in
22    public contracts for a period not to exceed 3 years, (3)
23    imposition of a penalty in the amount of the discrepancy
24    between the commitment contained in the utilization plan,
25    as such amount may be amended over the term of the
26    contract, and the qualifying payments made to the eligible

 

 

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1    certified vendors listed in the utilization plan a penalty
2    not to exceed any profit acquired as a result of
3    violation, or (4) any combination thereof. Such procedures
4    shall require prior approval by Council. All funds
5    collected as penalties under this subsection shall be used
6    exclusively for maintenance and further development of the
7    Business Enterprise Program and encouragement of
8    participation in State procurement by minorities, women,
9    and persons with disabilities.
10        (d) To devise appropriate policies, regulations, and
11    procedures for including participation by businesses owned
12    by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities as
13    prime contractors, including, but not limited to: (i)
14    encouraging the inclusions of qualified businesses owned
15    by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities on
16    solicitation lists, (ii) investigating the potential of
17    blanket bonding programs for small construction jobs, and
18    (iii) investigating and making recommendations concerning
19    the use of the sheltered market process.
20        (e) To devise procedures for the waiver of the
21    participation goals in appropriate circumstances.
22        (f) To accept donations and, with the approval of the
23    Council or the Chairperson of the Commission on Equity and
24    Inclusion, grants related to the purposes of this Act; to
25    conduct seminars related to the purpose of this Act and to
26    charge reasonable registration fees; and to sell

 

 

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1    directories, vendor lists, and other such information to
2    interested parties, except that forms necessary to become
3    eligible for the program shall be provided free of charge
4    to a business or individual applying for the Business
5    Enterprise Program.
6(Source: P.A. 101-601, eff. 1-1-20; 101-657, eff. 1-1-22;
7102-29, eff. 6-25-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-721, eff.
81-1-23.)
 
9    (30 ILCS 575/7)  (from Ch. 127, par. 132.607)
10    (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024)
11    Sec. 7. Exemptions; waivers; publication of data.
12    (1) Individual contract exemptions. The Council, at the
13written request of the affected agency, public institution of
14higher education, or recipient of a grant or loan of State
15funds of $250,000 or more complying with Section 45 of the
16State Finance Act, may permit an individual contract or
17contract package, (related contracts being bid or awarded
18simultaneously for the same project or improvements) be made
19wholly or partially exempt from State contracting goals for
20businesses owned by minorities, women, and persons with
21disabilities prior to the advertisement for bids or
22solicitation of proposals whenever there has been a
23determination, reduced to writing and based on the best
24information available at the time of the determination, that
25there is an insufficient number of businesses owned by

 

 

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1minorities, women, and persons with disabilities to ensure
2adequate competition and an expectation of reasonable prices
3on bids or proposals solicited for the individual contract or
4contract package in question. Any such exemptions shall be
5given by the Council to the Bureau on Apprenticeship Programs
6and Clean Energy Jobs.
7        (a) Written request for contract exemption. A written
8    request for an individual contract exemption must include,
9    but is not limited to, the following:
10            (i) a list of eligible businesses owned by
11        minorities, women, and persons with disabilities;
12            (ii) a clear demonstration that the number of
13        eligible businesses identified in subparagraph (i)
14        above is insufficient to ensure adequate competition;
15            (iii) the difference in cost between the contract
16        proposals being offered by businesses owned by
17        minorities, women, and persons with disabilities and
18        the agency or public institution of higher education's
19        expectations of reasonable prices on bids or proposals
20        within that class; and
21            (iv) a list of eligible businesses owned by
22        minorities, women, and persons with disabilities that
23        the contractor has used in the current and prior
24        fiscal years.
25        (b) Determination. The Council's determination
26    concerning an individual contract exemption must consider,

 

 

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1    at a minimum, the following:
2            (i) the justification for the requested exemption,
3        including whether diligent efforts were undertaken to
4        identify and solicit eligible businesses owned by
5        minorities, women, and persons with disabilities;
6            (ii) the total number of exemptions granted to the
7        affected agency, public institution of higher
8        education, or recipient of a grant or loan of State
9        funds of $250,000 or more complying with Section 45 of
10        the State Finance Act that have been granted by the
11        Council in the current and prior fiscal years; and
12            (iii) the percentage of contracts awarded by the
13        agency or public institution of higher education to
14        eligible businesses owned by minorities, women, and
15        persons with disabilities in the current and prior
16        fiscal years.
17    (2) Class exemptions.
18        (a) Creation. The Council, at the written request of
19    the affected agency or public institution of higher
20    education, may permit an entire class of contracts be made
21    exempt from State contracting goals for businesses owned
22    by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities
23    whenever there has been a determination, reduced to
24    writing and based on the best information available at the
25    time of the determination, that there is an insufficient
26    number of qualified businesses owned by minorities, women,

 

 

HB3606- 20 -LRB103 25805 DTM 52156 b

1    and persons with disabilities to ensure adequate
2    competition and an expectation of reasonable prices on
3    bids or proposals within that class. Any such exemption
4    shall be given by the Council to the Bureau on
5    Apprenticeship Programs and Clean Energy Jobs.
6        (a-1) Written request for class exemption. A written
7    request for a class exemption must include, but is not
8    limited to, the following:
9            (i) a list of eligible businesses owned by
10        minorities, women, and persons with disabilities;
11            (ii) a clear demonstration that the number of
12        eligible businesses identified in subparagraph (i)
13        above is insufficient to ensure adequate competition;
14            (iii) the difference in cost between the contract
15        proposals being offered by eligible businesses owned
16        by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities
17        and the agency or public institution of higher
18        education's expectations of reasonable prices on bids
19        or proposals within that class; and
20            (iv) the number of class exemptions the affected
21        agency or public institution of higher education
22        requested in the current and prior fiscal years.
23        (a-2) Determination. The Council's determination
24    concerning class exemptions must consider, at a minimum,
25    the following:
26            (i) the justification for the requested exemption,

 

 

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1        including whether diligent efforts were undertaken to
2        identify and solicit eligible businesses owned by
3        minorities, women, and persons with disabilities;
4            (ii) the total number of class exemptions granted
5        to the requesting agency or public institution of
6        higher education that have been granted by the Council
7        in the current and prior fiscal years; and
8            (iii) the percentage of contracts awarded by the
9        agency or public institution of higher education to
10        eligible businesses owned by minorities, women, and
11        persons with disabilities the current and prior fiscal
12        years.
13        (b) Limitation. Any such class exemption shall not be
14    permitted for a period of more than one year at a time.
15    (3) Waivers. Where a particular contract requires a vendor
16contractor to meet a goal established pursuant to this Act,
17the vendor contractor shall have the right to request a waiver
18from such requirements prior to the contract award. The
19Business Enterprise Program shall evaluate a vendor's request
20for a waiver based on the vendor's documented good faith
21efforts to meet the contract-specific Business Enterprise
22Program goal. The Council may shall grant the waiver when the
23contractor demonstrates that there has been made a good faith
24effort to comply with the goals for participation by
25businesses owned by minorities, women, and persons with
26disabilities. Any such waiver may shall also be transmitted in

 

 

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1writing to the Bureau on Apprenticeship Programs and Clean
2Energy Jobs.
3        (a) Request for waiver. A vendor's contractor's
4    request for a waiver under this subsection (3) must
5    include, but is not limited to, the following, if
6    available:
7            (i) a list of eligible businesses owned by
8        minorities, women, and persons with disabilities that
9        pertain to the the class of contracts in the requested
10        waiver that were contracted by the vendor scope of
11        work of the contract. Eligible businesses are only
12        eligible if the business is certified for the products
13        or work advertised in the solicitation or bid;
14            (ii) (blank);
15            (iia) a clear demonstration that the vendor
16        contractor selected portions of the work to be
17        performed by certified vendors to facilitate meeting
18        the contract specific goal, and that certified vendors
19        that have the capability to perform the work of the
20        contract were eligible businesses owned by minorities,
21        women, and persons with disabilities, solicited
22        through all reasonable and available means eligible
23        businesses, and negotiated in good faith with
24        interested eligible businesses;
25            (iib) documentation demonstrating that certified
26        vendors businesses owned by minorities, women, and

 

 

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1        persons with disabilities are not rejected as being
2        unqualified without sound reasons based on a thorough
3        investigation of their capabilities. The certified
4        vendor's standing within its industry, membership in
5        specific groups, organizations, or associations, and
6        political or social affiliations are not legitimate
7        causes for rejecting or not contacting or negotiating
8        with a certified vendor;
9            (iic) proof that the prime vendor solicited
10        eligible certified vendors with: (1) sufficient time
11        to respond; (2) adequate information about the scope,
12        specifications, and requirements of the solicitation
13        or bid, including plans, drawings, and addenda, to
14        allow eligible businesses an opportunity to respond to
15        the solicitation or bid; and (3) sufficient follow up
16        with certified vendors;
17            (iid) a clear demonstration that the prime vendor
18        communicated with certified vendors;
19            (iie) evidence that the prime vendor negotiated
20        with certified vendors to enter into subcontracts to
21        provide a commercially useful function of the contract
22        for a reasonable cost;
23            (iii) documentation demonstrating that the
24        difference in cost between the contract proposals
25        being offered by certified vendors is contract
26        proposals being offered by businesses owned by

 

 

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1        minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are
2        excessive or unreasonable; and
3            (iv) a list of certified vendors businesses owned
4        by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities
5        that the contractor has used in the current and prior
6        fiscal years; .
7            (v) documentation demonstrating that the vendor
8        made efforts to utilize certified vendors despite the
9        ability or desire of a vendor to perform the work with
10        its own operations by selecting portions of the work
11        to be performed by certified vendors, which may, when
12        appropriate, include breaking out portions of the work
13        to be performed into economically feasible units to
14        facilitate certified vendor participation; and
15            (vi) documentation that the vendor used the
16        services of: (1) the State; (2) organizations or
17        contractors' groups representing or composed of
18        minorities, women, or persons with disabilities; (3)
19        local, State, or federal assistance offices
20        representing or assisting minorities, women, or
21        persons with disabilities; and (4) other organizations
22        that provide assistance in the recruitment and
23        engagement of certified vendors.
24        (b) Determination. The Council's determination
25    concerning waivers must include following:
26            (i) the justification for the requested waiver,

 

 

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1        including whether the requesting vendor contractor
2        made a good faith effort to identify and solicit
3        certified vendors based on the criteria set forth in
4        this Section eligible businesses owned by minorities,
5        women, and persons with disabilities;
6            (ii) the total number of waivers the vendor
7        contractor has been granted by the Council in the
8        current and prior fiscal years;
9            (iii) (blank); and
10            (iv) the vendor's contractor's use of businesses
11        owned by minorities, women, and persons with
12        disabilities in the current and prior fiscal years.
13    (3.5) (Blank).
14    (4) Conflict with other laws. In the event that any State
15contract, which otherwise would be subject to the provisions
16of this Act, is or becomes subject to federal laws or
17regulations which conflict with the provisions of this Act or
18actions of the State taken pursuant hereto, the provisions of
19the federal laws or regulations shall apply and the contract
20shall be interpreted and enforced accordingly.
21    (5) Each chief procurement officer, as defined in the
22Illinois Procurement Code, shall maintain on his or her
23official Internet website a database of the following: (i)
24waivers granted under this Section with respect to contracts
25under his or her jurisdiction; (ii) a State agency or public
26institution of higher education's written request for an

 

 

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1exemption of an individual contract or an entire class of
2contracts; and (iii) the Council's written determination
3granting or denying a request for an exemption of an
4individual contract or an entire class of contracts. The
5database, which shall be updated periodically as necessary,
6shall be searchable by contractor name and by contracting
7State agency.
8    (6) Each chief procurement officer, as defined by the
9Illinois Procurement Code, shall maintain on its website a
10list of all vendors firms that have been prohibited from
11bidding, offering, or entering into a contract with the State
12of Illinois as a result of violations of this Act.
13    Each public notice required by law of the award of a State
14contract shall include for each bid or offer submitted for
15that contract the following: (i) the bidder's or offeror's
16name, (ii) the bid amount, (iii) the name or names of the
17certified vendors firms identified in the bidder's or
18offeror's submitted utilization plan, and (iv) the bid's
19amount and percentage of the contract awarded to each
20certified vendor that is a business businesses owned by
21minorities, women, and persons with disabilities identified in
22the utilization plan.
23(Source: P.A. 101-170, eff. 1-1-20; 101-601, eff. 1-1-20;
24101-657, eff. 1-1-22; 102-29, eff. 6-25-21; 102-662, eff.
259-15-21.)
 

 

 

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1    (30 ILCS 575/8)  (from Ch. 127, par. 132.608)
2    (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024)
3    Sec. 8. Enforcement.
4    (1) The Commission on Equity and Inclusion shall make such
5findings, recommendations and proposals to the Governor as are
6necessary and appropriate to enforce this Act. If, as a result
7of its monitoring activities, the Commission determines that
8its goals and policies are not being met by any State agency or
9public institution of higher education, the Commission may
10recommend any or all of the following actions:
11        (a) Establish enforcement procedures whereby the
12    Commission may recommend to the appropriate State agency,
13    public institutions of higher education, or law
14    enforcement officer that legal or administrative remedies
15    be initiated for violations of contract provisions or
16    rules issued hereunder or by a contracting State agency or
17    public institutions of higher education. State agencies
18    and public institutions of higher education shall be
19    authorized to adopt remedies for such violations which
20    shall include (1) termination of the contract involved,
21    (2) prohibition of participation of the respondents in
22    public contracts for a period not to exceed one year, (3)
23    the assessment of a penalty in the amount of the
24    discrepancy between the commitment contained in the
25    utilization plan, as such amount may be amended over the
26    term of the contract, and the qualifying payments made to

 

 

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1    the certified vendors listed in the utilization plan
2    imposition of a penalty not to exceed any profit acquired
3    as a result of violation, or (4) any combination thereof.
4        (b) If the Commission concludes that a compliance plan
5    submitted under Section 6 is unlikely to produce the
6    participation goals for businesses owned by minorities,
7    women, and persons with disabilities within the then
8    current fiscal year, the Commission may recommend that the
9    State agency or public institution of higher education
10    revise its plan to provide additional opportunities for
11    participation by businesses owned by minorities, women,
12    and persons with disabilities. Such recommended revisions
13    may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
14            (i) assurances of stronger and better focused
15        solicitation efforts to obtain more businesses owned
16        by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities as
17        potential sources of supply;
18            (ii) division of the scope of work job or project
19        requirements, when economically feasible, into tasks
20        or quantities to permit participation of businesses
21        owned by minorities, women, and persons with
22        disabilities;
23            (iii) elimination of extended experience or
24        capitalization requirements, when programmatically
25        feasible, to permit participation of businesses owned
26        by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities;

 

 

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1            (iv) identification of specific proposed contracts
2        as particularly attractive or appropriate for
3        participation by businesses owned by minorities,
4        women, and persons with disabilities, such
5        identification to result from and be coupled with the
6        efforts of subparagraphs (i) through (iii);
7            (v) implementation of those regulations
8        established for the use of the sheltered market
9        process.
10    (2) State agencies and public institutions of higher
11education shall monitor a vendor's compliance with its
12utilization plan and the terms of its contract. Without
13limitation, a vendor's failure to comply with its contractual
14commitments as contained in the utilization plan; failure to
15cooperate in providing information regarding its compliance
16with its utilization plan; or the provision of false or
17misleading information or statements concerning compliance,
18certification status, or eligibility of the Business
19Enterprise Program-certified vendor, good faith efforts, or
20any other material fact or representation shall constitute a
21material breach of the contract and entitle the State agency
22or public institution of higher education to declare a
23default, terminate the contract, or exercise those remedies
24provided for in the contract, at law, or in equity.
25    (3) Prior to the expiration or termination of a contract,
26State agencies and public institutions of higher education

 

 

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1shall evaluate the contractor's fulfillment of the contract
2goals for participation by certified businesses owned by
3minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. The agency
4or public institution of higher education shall prepare a
5report of the vendor's compliance with the contract goals and
6file it with the Secretary. If the Secretary determines that
7the vendor did not fulfill the contract goals, the vendor
8shall be in breach of the contract and may be subject to
9remedies or sanctions, unless the vendor can show that it made
10good faith efforts to meet the contract goals. Such remedies
11or sanctions for failing to make good faith efforts may
12include (i) disqualification of the contractor from doing
13business with the State for a period of no more than one year,
14or (ii) cancellation, without any penalty to the State, of any
15contract entered into by the vendor, or (iii) the assessment
16of a penalty in the amount of the discrepancy between the
17commitment contained in the utilization plan, as such amount
18may be amended over the term of the contract, and the
19qualifying payments made to the certified vendors listed in
20the utilization plan.
21    The Business Enterprise Program shall develop procedures
22for determining whether a vendor has made good faith efforts
23to meet the contract goals upon the expiration or termination
24of a contract, which may include, but shall not be limited to:
25(i) consideration of whether State or local action caused a
26shortfall, such as a change in the scope of work that

 

 

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1eliminated work to be performed by certified vendors or a
2change in specifications; (ii) whether the vendor was unable
3to obtain certified business participation without requiring
4the introduction of extra participants not performing a
5commercially useful function; or (iii) whether the vendor made
6efforts to use appropriate forums for purposes of advertising
7subcontracting opportunities suitable for certified
8businesses.
9(Source: P.A. 101-657, eff. 1-1-22; 102-29, eff. 6-25-21.)