SB3249enr 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB3249 Enrolled LRB096 20466 JAM 36121 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding Section 45 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/45 new)

Sec. 45. Award of capital funds. Each award by grant or loan of State funds of $250,000 or more for capital construction costs or professional services is conditioned upon the recipient's written certification that the recipient shall comply with the business enterprise program practices for minority-owned businesses, female-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act (30 ILCS 575/) and the equal employment practices of Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5/2-105). This Section, however, does not apply to any grant or loan (i) for which a grant or loan agreement was executed before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, (ii) for which prior-incurred costs are being reimbursed, or (iii) for a federally funded program under which the requirement of this Section would contravene federal law. Each recipient shall submit the written certification and business enterprise program plan for minority-owned businesses, female-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities before signing the relevant grant or loan agreement. Each grant or loan agreement shall include a provision that the grant or loan recipient agrees to comply with the provisions of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act (30 ILCS 575/) and the equal employment practices of Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5/2-105).

Each business enterprise program plan shall apply only to the State-funded portion of the relevant capital project and must be in compliance with all certification and other requirements of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act.

Section 10. The Business Enterprise for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act is amended by changing Section 7 as follows:

(30 ILCS 575/7) (from Ch. 127, par. 132.607)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2010)

Sec. 7. Exemptions and waivers; publication of data.

(1) Individual contract exemptions. The Council, on its own initiative or at the request of the affected agency, or university, or recipient of a grant or loan of State funds of $250,000 or more complying with Section 45 of the State Finance Act, may permit an individual contract or contract package, (related contracts being bid or awarded simultaneously for the same project or improvements) be made wholly or partially exempt from State contracting goals for businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities prior to the advertisement for bids or solicitation of proposals whenever there has been a determination, reduced to writing and based on the best information available at the time of the determination, that there is an insufficient number of businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities to ensure adequate competition and an expectation of reasonable prices on bids or proposals solicited for the individual contract or contract package in question.

(2) Class exemptions. (a) Creation. The Council, on its own initiative or at the request of the affected agency or university, may permit an entire class of contracts be made exempt from State contracting goals for businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities whenever there has been a determination, reduced to writing and based on the best information available at the time of the determination, that there is an insufficient number of qualified businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities to ensure adequate competition and an expectation of reasonable prices on bids or proposals within that class.

(b) Limitation. Any such class exemption shall not be permitted for a period of more than one year at a time.

(3) Waivers. Where a particular contract requires a contractor to meet a goal established pursuant to this Act, the contractor shall have the right to request a waiver from such requirements. The Council shall grant the waiver where the contractor demonstrates that there has been made a good faith effort to comply with the goals for participation by businesses owned by minorities, females, and persons with disabilities.

(4) Conflict with other laws. In the event that any State contract, which otherwise would be subject to the provisions of this Act, is or becomes subject to federal laws or regulations which conflict with the provisions of this Act or actions of the State taken pursuant hereto, the provisions of the federal laws or regulations shall apply and the contract shall be interpreted and enforced accordingly.

(5) Each chief procurement officer, as defined in the Illinois Procurement Code, shall maintain on his or her official Internet website a database of waivers granted under this Section with respect to contracts under his or her jurisdiction. The database, which shall be updated periodically as necessary, shall be searchable by contractor name and by contracting State agency.

Each public notice required by law of the award of a State contract shall include for each bid submitted for that contract the following: (i) the bidder's name, (ii) the bid amount, (iii) the bid's percentage of disadvantaged business utilization plan, and (iv) the bid's percentage of business enterprise program utilization plan.

(Source: P.A. 88-597, eff. 8-28-94.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.