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1 | AN ACT concerning government.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Section 5. The Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | and Persons with
Disabilities Act is amended by changing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Sections 2, 4, 7, 8, and 8f as follows:
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7 | (30 ILCS 575/2)
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8 | (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Sec. 2. Definitions.
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10 | (A) For the purpose of this Act, the following
terms shall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | have the following definitions:
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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 |
| |||||||
| |||||||
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 |
| |||||||
| |||||||
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".
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
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 | (5) "State contracts" means all contracts entered into | ||||||
9 | by the State, any agency or department thereof, or any | ||||||
10 | public institution of higher education, including | ||||||
11 | community college districts, regardless of the source of | ||||||
12 | the funds with which the contracts are paid, which are not | ||||||
13 | subject to federal reimbursement. "State contracts" does | ||||||
14 | not include contracts awarded by a retirement system, | ||||||
15 | pension fund, or investment board subject to Section | ||||||
16 | 1-109.1 of the Illinois Pension Code. This definition | ||||||
17 | shall control over any existing definition under this Act | ||||||
18 | or applicable administrative rule.
| ||||||
19 | "State construction contracts" means all State | ||||||
20 | contracts entered
into by a State agency or public | ||||||
21 | institution of higher education for the repair, | ||||||
22 | remodeling,
renovation or
construction of a building or | ||||||
23 | structure, or for the construction or
maintenance of a | ||||||
24 | highway defined in Article 2 of the Illinois Highway
Code.
| ||||||
25 | (6) "State agencies" shall mean all departments, | ||||||
26 | officers, boards,
commissions, institutions and bodies |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | politic and corporate of the State,
but does not include | ||||||
2 | the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois,
the | ||||||
3 | Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University,
the | ||||||
4 | Board of Trustees
of Chicago State University, the Board | ||||||
5 | of Trustees of Eastern Illinois
University, the Board of | ||||||
6 | Trustees of Governors State University, the Board of
| ||||||
7 | Trustees of Illinois State University, the Board of | ||||||
8 | Trustees of Northeastern
Illinois
University, the Board of | ||||||
9 | Trustees of Northern Illinois University, the Board of
| ||||||
10 | Trustees of Western Illinois University,
municipalities or | ||||||
11 | other local governmental units, or other State | ||||||
12 | constitutional
officers.
| ||||||
13 | (7) "Public institutions of higher education" means | ||||||
14 | the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, | ||||||
15 | Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, | ||||||
16 | Governors State University, Illinois State University, | ||||||
17 | Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois | ||||||
18 | University, Western Illinois University, the public | ||||||
19 | community colleges of the State, and any other public | ||||||
20 | universities, colleges, and community colleges now or | ||||||
21 | hereafter established or authorized by the General | ||||||
22 | Assembly.
| ||||||
23 | (8) "Certification" means a determination made by the | ||||||
24 | Council
or by one delegated authority from the Council to | ||||||
25 | make certifications, or by
a State agency with statutory | ||||||
26 | authority to make such a certification, that a
business |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | entity is a business owned by a
minority, woman, or person | ||||||
2 | with a disability for whatever
purpose. A business owned | ||||||
3 | and controlled by women shall be certified as a | ||||||
4 | "woman-owned business". A business owned and controlled by | ||||||
5 | women who are also minorities shall be certified as both a | ||||||
6 | "women-owned business" and a "minority-owned business".
| ||||||
7 | (9) "Control" means the exclusive or ultimate and sole | ||||||
8 | control of the
business including, but not limited to, | ||||||
9 | capital investment and all other
financial matters, | ||||||
10 | property, acquisitions, contract negotiations, legal
| ||||||
11 | matters, officer-director-employee selection and | ||||||
12 | comprehensive hiring,
operating responsibilities, | ||||||
13 | cost-control matters, income and dividend
matters, | ||||||
14 | financial transactions and rights of other shareholders or | ||||||
15 | joint
partners. Control shall be real, substantial and | ||||||
16 | continuing, not pro forma.
Control shall include the power | ||||||
17 | to direct or cause the direction of the
management and | ||||||
18 | policies of the business and to make the day-to-day as | ||||||
19 | well
as major decisions in matters of policy, management | ||||||
20 | and operations.
Control shall be exemplified by possessing | ||||||
21 | the requisite knowledge and
expertise to run the | ||||||
22 | particular business and control shall not include
simple | ||||||
23 | majority or absentee ownership.
| ||||||
24 | (10) "Business" means a business that has annual gross | ||||||
25 | sales of less than $150,000,000 as evidenced by the | ||||||
26 | federal income tax return of the business. A firm with |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | gross sales in excess of this cap may apply to the Council | ||||||
2 | for certification for a particular contract if the firm | ||||||
3 | can demonstrate that the contract would have significant | ||||||
4 | impact on businesses owned by minorities, women, or | ||||||
5 | persons with disabilities as suppliers or subcontractors | ||||||
6 | or in employment of minorities, women, or persons with | ||||||
7 | disabilities. Firms with gross sales in excess of this cap
| ||||||
8 | that are granted certification by the Council shall be
| ||||||
9 | granted certification for the life of the contract,
| ||||||
10 | including available renewals.
| ||||||
11 | (11) "Utilization plan" means a form and additional | ||||||
12 | documentations included in all bids or proposals that | ||||||
13 | demonstrates a vendor's proposed utilization of vendors | ||||||
14 | certified by the Business Enterprise Program to meet the | ||||||
15 | targeted goal. The utilization plan shall demonstrate that | ||||||
16 | the Vendor has either: (1) met the entire contract goal or | ||||||
17 | (2) requested a full or partial waiver and made good faith | ||||||
18 | efforts towards meeting the goal . | ||||||
19 | (12) "Business Enterprise Program" means the Business | ||||||
20 | Enterprise Program of the Commission on Equity and | ||||||
21 | Inclusion. | ||||||
22 | (B) When a business is owned at least 51% by any | ||||||
23 | combination of
minority persons, women, or persons with | ||||||
24 | disabilities,
even though none of the 3 classes alone holds at | ||||||
25 | least a 51% interest, the
ownership
requirement for purposes | ||||||
26 | of this Act is considered to be met. The
certification |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | category for the business is that of the class holding the
| ||||||
2 | largest ownership
interest in the business. If 2 or more | ||||||
3 | classes have equal ownership interests,
the certification | ||||||
4 | category shall be determined by
the business.
| ||||||
5 | (Source: P.A. 101-601, eff. 1-1-20; 101-657, eff. 1-1-22; | ||||||
6 | 102-29, eff. 6-25-21; 102-1119, eff. 1-23-23.)
| ||||||
7 | (30 ILCS 575/4) (from Ch. 127, par. 132.604)
| ||||||
8 | (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024)
| ||||||
9 | Sec. 4. Award of State contracts.
| ||||||
10 | (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), not less than | ||||||
11 | 30% of
the total dollar amount of State contracts, as defined | ||||||
12 | by the Secretary of
the Council and approved by the Council, | ||||||
13 | shall be established as an aspirational goal to
be awarded to | ||||||
14 | businesses owned by minorities,
women , and persons with | ||||||
15 | disabilities; provided, however, that
of the total amount of | ||||||
16 | all
State contracts awarded to businesses owned by
minorities , | ||||||
17 | women , and persons with disabilities pursuant to
this Section, | ||||||
18 | contracts representing at least 16% shall be awarded to | ||||||
19 | businesses owned by minorities, contracts representing at | ||||||
20 | least 10% shall be awarded to women-owned businesses , and | ||||||
21 | contracts representing at least 10% 4% shall be awarded to | ||||||
22 | businesses owned by persons with disabilities.
| ||||||
23 | Additionally, not less than 40% of the total dollar amount
| ||||||
24 | of State contracts shall be established as an aspirational
| ||||||
25 | goal to be awarded to businesses owned by minorities;
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | provided, however, that of the total amount of all State
| ||||||
2 | contracts awarded to businesses owned by minorities, contracts
| ||||||
3 | representing at least 20% shall be awarded to businesses owned
| ||||||
4 | by black or African American persons. | ||||||
5 | (a-5) In addition to the aspirational goals in awarding | ||||||
6 | State contracts set under subsection (a), the Commission shall | ||||||
7 | by rule further establish targeted efforts to encourage the | ||||||
8 | participation of businesses owned by minorities, women, and | ||||||
9 | persons with disabilities on State contracts. Such efforts | ||||||
10 | shall include, but not be limited to, further concerted | ||||||
11 | outreach efforts to businesses owned by minorities, women, and | ||||||
12 | persons with disabilities. | ||||||
13 | The above percentage relates to the total dollar amount of | ||||||
14 | State
contracts during each State fiscal year, calculated by | ||||||
15 | examining
independently each type of contract for each agency | ||||||
16 | or public institutions of higher education which
lets such | ||||||
17 | contracts. Only that percentage of arrangements which | ||||||
18 | represents the participation of businesses owned by
| ||||||
19 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities on such | ||||||
20 | contracts shall
be included. State contracts subject to the | ||||||
21 | requirements of this Act shall include the requirement that | ||||||
22 | only expenditures to businesses owned by minorities, women, | ||||||
23 | and persons with disabilities that perform a commercially | ||||||
24 | useful function may be counted toward the goals set forth by | ||||||
25 | this Act. Contracts shall include a definition of | ||||||
26 | "commercially useful function" that is consistent with 49 CFR |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | 26.55(c).
| ||||||
2 | (b) Not less
than 20% of the total dollar amount of State | ||||||
3 | construction contracts is
established as an aspirational goal | ||||||
4 | to be awarded to businesses owned by minorities, women, and | ||||||
5 | persons with disabilities; provided that, contracts | ||||||
6 | representing at least 11% of the total dollar amount of State | ||||||
7 | construction contracts shall be awarded to businesses owned by | ||||||
8 | minorities; contracts representing at least 7% of the total | ||||||
9 | dollar amount of State construction contracts shall be awarded | ||||||
10 | to women-owned businesses; and contracts representing at least | ||||||
11 | 2% of the total dollar amount of State construction contracts | ||||||
12 | shall be awarded to businesses owned by persons with | ||||||
13 | disabilities.
| ||||||
14 | (c) (Blank). | ||||||
15 | (c-5) All goals established under this Section shall be | ||||||
16 | contingent upon the results of the most recent disparity study | ||||||
17 | conducted by the State. | ||||||
18 | (d) Within one year after April 28, 2009 (the effective | ||||||
19 | date of Public Act 96-8), the Department of Central Management | ||||||
20 | Services shall conduct a social scientific study that measures | ||||||
21 | the impact of discrimination on minority and women business | ||||||
22 | development in Illinois. Within 18 months after April 28, 2009 | ||||||
23 | (the effective date of Public Act 96-8), the Department shall | ||||||
24 | issue a report of its findings and any recommendations on | ||||||
25 | whether to adjust the goals for minority and women | ||||||
26 | participation established in this Act. Copies of this report |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | and the social scientific study shall be filed with the | ||||||
2 | Governor and the General Assembly. | ||||||
3 | By December 1, 2020, the Department of Central Management | ||||||
4 | Services shall conduct a new social scientific study that | ||||||
5 | measures the impact of discrimination on minority and women | ||||||
6 | business development in Illinois. By June 1, 2022, the | ||||||
7 | Department shall issue a report of its findings and any | ||||||
8 | recommendations on whether to adjust the goals for minority | ||||||
9 | and women participation established in this Act. Copies of | ||||||
10 | this report and the social scientific study shall be filed | ||||||
11 | with the Governor and the General Assembly. By December 1, | ||||||
12 | 2022, the Commission on Equity and Inclusion Business | ||||||
13 | Enterprise Program shall develop a model for social scientific | ||||||
14 | disparity study sourcing for local governmental units to adapt | ||||||
15 | and implement to address regional disparities in public | ||||||
16 | procurement. | ||||||
17 | (e) All State contract solicitations that include Business | ||||||
18 | Enterprise Program participation goals shall require bidders | ||||||
19 | or offerors to include utilization plans. Utilization plans | ||||||
20 | are due at the time of bid or offer submission. Failure to | ||||||
21 | complete and include a utilization plan, including | ||||||
22 | documentation demonstrating good faith efforts when requesting | ||||||
23 | a waiver, shall render the bid or offer non-responsive. | ||||||
24 | Except as permitted under this Act or as otherwise
| ||||||
25 | mandated by federal regulation, a bidder or offeror whose bid | ||||||
26 | or offer is accepted and who included in that bid a completed |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | utilization plan but who fails to meet the goals set forth in | ||||||
2 | the
plan shall be notified of the deficiency by the
| ||||||
3 | contracting agency or public institution of higher education
| ||||||
4 | and shall be given a period of 10 calendar days to cure the | ||||||
5 | deficiency by contracting with additional
subcontractors who | ||||||
6 | are certified by the Business Enterprise
Program or by | ||||||
7 | increasing the work to be performed by
previously identified | ||||||
8 | vendors certified by the Business
Enterprise Program. | ||||||
9 | Deficiencies that may be cured include: (i) scrivener's | ||||||
10 | errors, such as transposed numbers; (ii) information
submitted | ||||||
11 | in an incorrect form or format; (iii) mistakes resulting from | ||||||
12 | failure to follow instructions or to identify and
adequately | ||||||
13 | document good faith efforts taken to comply with the | ||||||
14 | utilization plan; or (iv) a proposal to use a
firm whose | ||||||
15 | Business Enterprise Program certification has lapsed or is
not | ||||||
16 | yet recognized. Cure is
not authorized if the bidder or | ||||||
17 | offeror submits a blank
utilization plan, a utilization plan | ||||||
18 | that shows lack of
reasonable effort to complete the form on | ||||||
19 | time, or a
utilization plan that states the contract will be
| ||||||
20 | self-performed, by a non-certified vendor, without showing
| ||||||
21 | good faith efforts or a request for a waiver. All cure activity
| ||||||
22 | shall address the deficiencies identified by the purchasing
| ||||||
23 | agency and shall require clear documentation, including that
| ||||||
24 | of good faith efforts, to address those deficiencies. Any
| ||||||
25 | increase in cost to a contract for the addition of a
| ||||||
26 | subcontractor to cure a bid's deficiency shall not affect the
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | bid price and shall not be used in the request for an exemption
| ||||||
2 | under this Act, and, in no case, shall an identified
| ||||||
3 | subcontractor with a Business Enterprise Program certification
| ||||||
4 | made under this Act be terminated from a contract without
the | ||||||
5 | written consent of the State agency or public institution
of | ||||||
6 | higher education entering into the contract. The purchasing
| ||||||
7 | agency or public institution of higher education shall make
| ||||||
8 | the determination whether the cure is adequate. | ||||||
9 | Vendors certified with the Business Enterprise
Program at | ||||||
10 | the time and date submittals are due and who do not submit
a | ||||||
11 | utilization plan or have utilization plan deficiencies shall | ||||||
12 | have 10 business days
to submit a utilization plan or to | ||||||
13 | correct the utilization plan deficiencies. | ||||||
14 | (f) (Blank). | ||||||
15 | (g) (Blank). | ||||||
16 | (h) State agencies and public institutions of higher | ||||||
17 | education shall notify the Commission on Equity and Inclusion | ||||||
18 | of all non-responsive bids or proposals for State contracts. | ||||||
19 | (Source: P.A. 101-170, eff. 1-1-20; 101-601, eff. 1-1-20; | ||||||
20 | 101-657, Article 1, Section 1-5, eff. 1-1-22; 101-657, Article | ||||||
21 | 40, Section 40-130, eff. 1-1-22; 102-29, eff. 6-25-21; | ||||||
22 | 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-1119, eff. 1-23-23.)
| ||||||
23 | (30 ILCS 575/7) (from Ch. 127, par. 132.607) | ||||||
24 | (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024) | ||||||
25 | Sec. 7. Exemptions; waivers; publication of data. |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (1) Individual contract exemptions.
The Council, at the | ||||||
2 | written request of the affected agency,
public institution of | ||||||
3 | higher education, or recipient of a grant or loan of State | ||||||
4 | funds of $250,000 or more complying with Section 45 of the | ||||||
5 | State Finance Act, may permit an individual contract or | ||||||
6 | contract package,
(related contracts being bid or awarded | ||||||
7 | simultaneously for the same project
or improvements) be made | ||||||
8 | wholly or partially exempt from State contracting
goals for | ||||||
9 | businesses owned by
minorities, women, and persons with | ||||||
10 | disabilities prior to the advertisement
for bids or | ||||||
11 | solicitation of proposals whenever there has been a
| ||||||
12 | determination, reduced to writing and based on the best | ||||||
13 | information
available at the time of the determination, that | ||||||
14 | there is an insufficient
number of businesses owned by | ||||||
15 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities to ensure | ||||||
16 | adequate
competition and an expectation of reasonable prices | ||||||
17 | on bids or proposals
solicited for the individual contract or | ||||||
18 | contract package in question. Any such exemptions shall be | ||||||
19 | given by
the Council to the Bureau on Apprenticeship Programs | ||||||
20 | and Clean Energy Jobs. | ||||||
21 | (a) Written request for contract exemption. A written | ||||||
22 | request for an individual contract exemption must include, | ||||||
23 | but is not limited to, the following: | ||||||
24 | (i) a list of eligible businesses owned by | ||||||
25 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities; | ||||||
26 | (ii) a clear demonstration that the number of |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | eligible businesses identified in subparagraph (i) | ||||||
2 | above is insufficient to ensure adequate competition; | ||||||
3 | (iii) the difference in cost between the contract | ||||||
4 | proposals being offered by businesses owned by | ||||||
5 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities and | ||||||
6 | the agency or public institution of higher education's | ||||||
7 | expectations of reasonable prices on bids or proposals | ||||||
8 | within that class; and | ||||||
9 | (iv) a list of eligible businesses owned by | ||||||
10 | minorities, women, and persons with
disabilities that | ||||||
11 | the contractor has used in the current and prior | ||||||
12 | fiscal years. | ||||||
13 | (b) Determination. The Council's determination | ||||||
14 | concerning an individual contract exemption must consider, | ||||||
15 | at a minimum, the following: | ||||||
16 | (i) the justification for the requested exemption, | ||||||
17 | including whether diligent efforts were undertaken to | ||||||
18 | identify and solicit eligible businesses owned by | ||||||
19 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities; | ||||||
20 | (ii) the total number of exemptions granted to the | ||||||
21 | affected agency, public institution of higher | ||||||
22 | education, or recipient of a grant or loan of State | ||||||
23 | funds of $250,000 or more complying with Section 45 of | ||||||
24 | the State Finance Act that have been granted by the | ||||||
25 | Council in the current and prior fiscal years; and | ||||||
26 | (iii) the percentage of contracts awarded by the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | agency or public institution of higher education to | ||||||
2 | eligible businesses owned by minorities, women, and | ||||||
3 | persons with disabilities in the current and prior | ||||||
4 | fiscal years. | ||||||
5 | (2) Class exemptions. | ||||||
6 | (a) Creation. The Council, at the written request of | ||||||
7 | the affected agency or public institution of higher | ||||||
8 | education, may permit an entire
class of
contracts be made | ||||||
9 | exempt from State
contracting goals for businesses owned | ||||||
10 | by minorities, women, and persons
with disabilities | ||||||
11 | whenever there has been a determination, reduced to
| ||||||
12 | writing and based on the best information available at the | ||||||
13 | time of the
determination, that there is an insufficient | ||||||
14 | number of qualified businesses owned by minorities, women, | ||||||
15 | and persons with
disabilities to ensure adequate | ||||||
16 | competition and an
expectation of reasonable prices on | ||||||
17 | bids or proposals within that class. Any such exemption | ||||||
18 | shall be given by
the Council to the Bureau on | ||||||
19 | Apprenticeship Programs and Clean Energy Jobs. | ||||||
20 | (a-1) Written request for class exemption. A written | ||||||
21 | request for a class exemption must include, but is not | ||||||
22 | limited to, the following: | ||||||
23 | (i) a list of eligible businesses owned by | ||||||
24 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities; | ||||||
25 | (ii) a clear demonstration that the number of | ||||||
26 | eligible businesses identified in subparagraph (i) |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | above is insufficient to ensure adequate competition; | ||||||
2 | (iii) the difference in cost between the contract | ||||||
3 | proposals being offered by eligible businesses owned | ||||||
4 | by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities | ||||||
5 | and the agency or public institution of higher | ||||||
6 | education's expectations of reasonable prices on bids | ||||||
7 | or proposals within that class; and | ||||||
8 | (iv) the number of class exemptions the affected | ||||||
9 | agency or public institution
of higher education | ||||||
10 | requested in the current and prior fiscal years. | ||||||
11 | (a-2) Determination. The Council's determination | ||||||
12 | concerning class exemptions must consider, at a minimum, | ||||||
13 | the following: | ||||||
14 | (i) the justification for the requested exemption, | ||||||
15 | including whether diligent efforts were undertaken to | ||||||
16 | identify and solicit eligible businesses owned by | ||||||
17 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities; | ||||||
18 | (ii) the total number of class exemptions granted | ||||||
19 | to the requesting agency or public institution of | ||||||
20 | higher education that have been granted by the Council | ||||||
21 | in the current and prior fiscal years; and | ||||||
22 | (iii) the percentage of contracts awarded by the | ||||||
23 | agency or public institution of higher education to | ||||||
24 | eligible businesses owned by minorities, women, and | ||||||
25 | persons with disabilities the current and prior fiscal | ||||||
26 | years. |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (b) Limitation. Any such class exemption shall not be | ||||||
2 | permitted for a
period of more than one year at a time. | ||||||
3 | (3) (Blank). Waivers. Where a particular contract requires | ||||||
4 | a contractor to meet
a goal established pursuant to this Act, | ||||||
5 | the contractor shall have the right
to request a waiver from | ||||||
6 | such requirements prior to the contract award. The Council | ||||||
7 | shall grant the waiver when the contractor demonstrates that | ||||||
8 | there has been made a good faith effort to comply with the | ||||||
9 | goals for participation by businesses owned by minorities, | ||||||
10 | women, and persons with disabilities. Any such waiver shall | ||||||
11 | also be
transmitted in writing to the Bureau on Apprenticeship | ||||||
12 | Programs and Clean Energy Jobs. | ||||||
13 | (a) Request for waiver. A contractor's request for a | ||||||
14 | waiver under this subsection (3) must include, but is not | ||||||
15 | limited to, the following, if available: | ||||||
16 | (i) a list of eligible businesses owned by | ||||||
17 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities that | ||||||
18 | pertain to the scope of work of the contract. Eligible | ||||||
19 | businesses are only eligible if the business is | ||||||
20 | certified for the products or work advertised in the | ||||||
21 | solicitation; | ||||||
22 | (ii) (blank); | ||||||
23 | (iia) a clear demonstration that the contractor | ||||||
24 | selected portions of the work to be performed by | ||||||
25 | eligible businesses owned by minorities, women, and | ||||||
26 | persons with disabilities, solicited through all |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | reasonable and available means eligible businesses, | ||||||
2 | and negotiated in good faith with interested eligible | ||||||
3 | businesses; | ||||||
4 | (iib) documentation demonstrating that businesses | ||||||
5 | owned by minorities, women, and persons with | ||||||
6 | disabilities are not rejected as being unqualified | ||||||
7 | without sound reasons based on a thorough | ||||||
8 | investigation of their capabilities; | ||||||
9 | (iii) documentation demonstrating that the | ||||||
10 | contract proposals being offered by businesses owned | ||||||
11 | by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities | ||||||
12 | are excessive or unreasonable; an d | ||||||
13 | (iv) a list of businesses owned by minorities, | ||||||
14 | women, and persons with disabilities that the | ||||||
15 | contractor has used in the current and prior fiscal | ||||||
16 | years. | ||||||
17 | (b) Determination. The Council's determination | ||||||
18 | concerning waivers must include following: | ||||||
19 | (i) the justification for the requested waiver, | ||||||
20 | including whether the requesting contractor made a | ||||||
21 | good faith effort to identify and solicit eligible | ||||||
22 | businesses owned by minorities, women, and persons | ||||||
23 | with disabilities; | ||||||
24 | (ii) the total number of waivers the contractor | ||||||
25 | has been granted by the Council in the current and | ||||||
26 | prior fiscal years; |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (iii) (blank); and | ||||||
2 | (iv) the contractor's use of businesses owned by | ||||||
3 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities in | ||||||
4 | the current and prior fiscal years. | ||||||
5 | (3.5) (Blank). | ||||||
6 | (4) Conflict with other laws. In the event that any State | ||||||
7 | contract, which
otherwise would be subject to the provisions | ||||||
8 | of this Act, is or becomes
subject to federal laws or | ||||||
9 | regulations which conflict with the provisions
of this Act or | ||||||
10 | actions of the State taken pursuant hereto, the provisions
of | ||||||
11 | the federal laws or regulations shall apply and the contract | ||||||
12 | shall be
interpreted and enforced accordingly. | ||||||
13 | (5) Each chief procurement officer, as defined in the | ||||||
14 | Illinois Procurement Code, shall maintain on his or her | ||||||
15 | official Internet website a database of the following: (i) | ||||||
16 | waivers granted under this Section with respect to contracts | ||||||
17 | under his or her jurisdiction; (ii) a State agency or public | ||||||
18 | institution of higher education's written request for an | ||||||
19 | exemption of an individual contract or an entire class of | ||||||
20 | contracts; and (iii) the Council's written determination | ||||||
21 | granting or denying a request for an exemption of an | ||||||
22 | individual contract or an entire class of contracts. The | ||||||
23 | database, which shall be updated periodically as necessary, | ||||||
24 | shall be searchable by contractor name and by contracting | ||||||
25 | State agency. | ||||||
26 | (6) Each chief procurement officer, as defined by the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Illinois Procurement Code, shall maintain on its website a | ||||||
2 | list of all firms that have been prohibited from bidding, | ||||||
3 | offering, or entering into a contract with the State of | ||||||
4 | Illinois as a result of violations of this Act. | ||||||
5 | Each public notice required by law of the award of a State | ||||||
6 | contract shall include for each bid or offer submitted for | ||||||
7 | that contract the following: (i) the bidder's or offeror's | ||||||
8 | name, (ii) the bid amount, (iii) the name or names of the | ||||||
9 | certified firms identified in the bidder's or offeror's | ||||||
10 | submitted utilization plan, and (iv) the bid's amount and | ||||||
11 | percentage of the contract awarded to businesses owned by | ||||||
12 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities identified in | ||||||
13 | the utilization plan. | ||||||
14 | (Source: P.A. 101-170, eff. 1-1-20; 101-601, eff. 1-1-20; | ||||||
15 | 101-657, eff. 1-1-22; 102-29, eff. 6-25-21; 102-662, eff. | ||||||
16 | 9-15-21 .)
| ||||||
17 | (30 ILCS 575/8) (from Ch. 127, par. 132.608)
| ||||||
18 | (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024)
| ||||||
19 | Sec. 8. Enforcement. | ||||||
20 | (1) The Commission on Equity and Inclusion shall make such | ||||||
21 | findings, recommendations
and proposals to the Governor as are | ||||||
22 | necessary and appropriate to enforce
this Act. If, as a result | ||||||
23 | of its monitoring activities, the Commission determines
that | ||||||
24 | its goals and policies are not being met by any State agency or | ||||||
25 | public institution of higher education,
the Commission
may |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | recommend any or all of the following actions:
| ||||||
2 | (a) Establish enforcement procedures whereby the | ||||||
3 | Commission may recommend
to the appropriate State agency, | ||||||
4 | public institutions of higher education, or law | ||||||
5 | enforcement
officer that legal or
administrative remedies | ||||||
6 | be initiated for violations of contract provisions
or | ||||||
7 | rules issued hereunder or by a contracting State agency or | ||||||
8 | public institutions of higher education. State agencies | ||||||
9 | and public institutions of higher education
shall be | ||||||
10 | authorized to adopt remedies for such violations which | ||||||
11 | shall include
(1) termination of the contract involved, | ||||||
12 | (2) prohibition of participation
of the respondents in | ||||||
13 | public contracts for a period not to exceed one year,
(3) | ||||||
14 | imposition of a penalty not to exceed any profit acquired | ||||||
15 | as a result
of violation, or (4) any combination thereof.
| ||||||
16 | (b) If the Commission concludes that a compliance plan | ||||||
17 | submitted under Section
6 is unlikely to produce the
| ||||||
18 | participation
goals for businesses owned by minorities, | ||||||
19 | women, and persons with
disabilities within the then | ||||||
20 | current fiscal year, the Commission may recommend
that
the | ||||||
21 | State agency or public institution of higher education | ||||||
22 | revise its plan to provide
additional
opportunities
for | ||||||
23 | participation by businesses owned by minorities, women, | ||||||
24 | and persons with disabilities. Such recommended revisions | ||||||
25 | may
include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
| ||||||
26 | (i) assurances of stronger and better focused |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | solicitation efforts to
obtain more businesses owned | ||||||
2 | by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities as | ||||||
3 | potential sources of
supply;
| ||||||
4 | (ii) division of job or project requirements, when | ||||||
5 | economically feasible,
into tasks or quantities to | ||||||
6 | permit participation of
businesses owned by | ||||||
7 | minorities, women, and persons with disabilities;
| ||||||
8 | (iii) elimination of extended experience or | ||||||
9 | capitalization requirements,
when programmatically | ||||||
10 | feasible, to permit participation of businesses owned | ||||||
11 | by minorities, women, and persons with
disabilities;
| ||||||
12 | (iv) identification of specific proposed contracts | ||||||
13 | as particularly
attractive or appropriate for | ||||||
14 | participation by
businesses owned by minorities, | ||||||
15 | women, and persons with disabilities,
such | ||||||
16 | identification to result from and be coupled with the
| ||||||
17 | efforts of subparagraphs
(i) through (iii);
| ||||||
18 | (v) implementation of those regulations | ||||||
19 | established for the use of the
sheltered market | ||||||
20 | process.
| ||||||
21 | (2) State agencies and public institutions of higher | ||||||
22 | education shall monitor a vendor's compliance with its | ||||||
23 | utilization plan and the terms of its contract. Without | ||||||
24 | limitation, a vendor's failure to comply with its contractual | ||||||
25 | commitments as contained in the utilization plan; failure to | ||||||
26 | cooperate in providing information regarding its compliance |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | with its utilization plan; or the provision of false or | ||||||
2 | misleading information or statements concerning compliance, | ||||||
3 | certification status, or eligibility of the Business | ||||||
4 | Enterprise Program-certified vendor, good faith efforts, or | ||||||
5 | any other material fact or representation shall constitute a | ||||||
6 | material breach of the contract and entitle the State agency | ||||||
7 | or public institution of higher education to declare a | ||||||
8 | default, terminate the contract, or exercise those remedies | ||||||
9 | provided for in the contract, at law, or in equity. | ||||||
10 | (3) Prior to the expiration or termination of a contract, | ||||||
11 | State agencies and public institutions of higher education | ||||||
12 | shall evaluate the contractor's fulfillment of the contract | ||||||
13 | goals for participation by businesses owned by minorities, | ||||||
14 | women, and persons with disabilities. The agency or public | ||||||
15 | institution of higher education shall prepare a report of the | ||||||
16 | vendor's compliance with the contract goals and file it with | ||||||
17 | the Secretary. If the Secretary determines that the vendor did | ||||||
18 | not fulfill the contract goals, the vendor shall be in breach | ||||||
19 | of the contract and may be subject to remedies or sanctions, | ||||||
20 | unless the vendor can show that it made good faith efforts to | ||||||
21 | meet the contract goals. Any vendor failing to meet the
| ||||||
22 | contract goals established under this Act shall return all
| ||||||
23 | funds which were allocated for, but not awarded to, black or
| ||||||
24 | African American owned businesses. The vendor shall have 60 | ||||||
25 | days after
completion of any project to return such funds. | ||||||
26 | Such remedies or sanctions for failing to make good faith |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | efforts may include (i) disqualification of the contractor | ||||||
2 | from doing business with the State for a period of no more than | ||||||
3 | one year or (ii) cancellation, without any penalty to the | ||||||
4 | State, of any contract entered into by the vendor. The | ||||||
5 | Business Enterprise Program shall develop procedures for | ||||||
6 | determining whether a vendor has made good faith efforts to | ||||||
7 | meet the contract goals upon the expiration or termination of | ||||||
8 | a contract. | ||||||
9 | (Source: P.A. 101-657, eff. 1-1-22; 102-29, eff. 6-25-21 .)
| ||||||
10 | (30 ILCS 575/8f)
| ||||||
11 | (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024)
| ||||||
12 | Sec. 8f. Annual report. The Council shall file no later | ||||||
13 | than March 1
of each year, an annual report that shall detail | ||||||
14 | the level of achievement
toward the
goals specified in this | ||||||
15 | Act over the 3 most recent fiscal years. The annual
report | ||||||
16 | shall include, but need not be limited to the following:
| ||||||
17 | (1) a summary detailing expenditures subject to the | ||||||
18 | goals, the
actual goals specified, and the goals attained | ||||||
19 | by each State agency and public institution of higher | ||||||
20 | education;
| ||||||
21 | (2) a summary of the number of contracts awarded and | ||||||
22 | the average contract
amount by each State agency and | ||||||
23 | public institution of higher education;
| ||||||
24 | (3) an analysis of the level of overall goal | ||||||
25 | achievement concerning
purchases
from minority-owned |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | businesses, women-owned businesses, and businesses owned | ||||||
2 | by
persons with disabilities;
| ||||||
3 | (4) an analysis of the number of businesses owned by | ||||||
4 | minorities, women,
and persons with disabilities that are | ||||||
5 | certified under the program as well as
the number of those | ||||||
6 | businesses that received State procurement contracts; and
| ||||||
7 | (5) a summary of the number of contracts awarded to | ||||||
8 | businesses with annual
gross sales of less than | ||||||
9 | $1,000,000; of $1,000,000 or more, but less than
| ||||||
10 | $5,000,000; of
$5,000,000 or more, but less than | ||||||
11 | $10,000,000; and of $10,000,000 or more ; .
| ||||||
12 | (6) the total procurement budget of the State and the | ||||||
13 | percentage of the State budget spent on procurement; and | ||||||
14 | (7) the amount of revenue procured by black or African | ||||||
15 | American owned businesses through State contracts. | ||||||
16 | (Source: P.A. 99-462, eff. 8-25-15; 100-391, eff. 8-25-17 .)
|