BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                               AB 1734 
                                                               Page  1

       Date of Hearing:   April 22, 2014

           ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON JOBS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE ECONOMY
                                  Jose Medina, Chair
              AB 1734 (Jones-Sawyer) - As Introduced:  February 14, 2014
        
       SUBJECT  :   Public contracts: small business participation: disabled  
       veterans 

        SUMMARY  :   Requires each state agency to establish and achieve a 25%  
       small business participation goal and increases the annual procurement  
       participation goal for disabled veteran business enterprise (DVBEs)  
       from 3% to 5% of the total value of state contracts.  Specifically,  
        this bill:
        
       1)Increases the DVBE procurement participation goal from 3% to 5%.   
         This includes contracts for goods, services, professional bond  
         services, equipment rentals, construction, professional services,  
         alterations, repairs or improvements, general public advertising, and  
         electronic data processing.

       2)Requires all state agencies, boards, departments, and commissions to  
         establish and achieve an annual goal of 25% small business  
         participation.  Heads of these state agencies are responsible for  
         meeting this goal and reporting his or her agency's progress in  
         meeting the goal.

       3)Requires agencies that fail to meet their annual small business goal  
         to submit a corrective plan to the Department of General Services  
         (DGS) within 45 days of the close of any fiscal year.

       4)Requires DGS to regularly monitor the progress agencies are making in  
         meeting the 25% goal and to regularly share related information with  
         the Office of the Small Business Advocate (OSBA) including providing  
         a copy of the corrective action plans.  DGS and the OSBA are directed  
         to assist agencies, to the extent feasible, in implementing their  
         corrective action plans.

       5)Requires all state agencies to use the Small Business and DVBE 5%  
         preferences for contracts under $100,000 and construction contracts  
         under $120,000.  

       6)Requires DGS to actively outreach and promote the small business  
         preference program and in doing so collaborate with the OSBA.









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       7)Specifies that the small business provisions of this act apply to the  
         University of California, the California State University, and the  
         California Community Colleges when contracting with state funds.

        EXISTING LAW  

       1)Establishes the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise  
         Program, administered by DGS, for the purpose of addressing the  
         special needs of disabled veterans seeking rehabilitation and  
         training through entrepreneurship, and to recognize the sacrifices  
         California's disabled veterans made during their military service.   
         Contracts for professional bond services are administered through the  
         State Treasurer's Office.

       2)Applies the 3% DVBE participation goal on each awarding state agency,  
         department, and officer that enters into a contract for materials,  
         supplies, equipment, alteration, repair, or improvement.  This  
         requirement can be waived on a specific contract with the approval of  
         the department director or another designated person.  Contracts with  
         a DVBE for equipment rentals do not count toward the goal.

       3)Defines the following terms:

          a)   A DVBE contractor, subcontractor, or supplier is any person or  
            entity that has been certified by the administering agency and  
            that performs a commercially useful function, as defined.
          b)   A disabled veteran is a veteran of the military, naval, or air  
            service of the U.S. who has a service-connected disability of at  
            least 10% and who is domiciled in the state.
          c)   A DVBE is a business certified by the administering agency as  
            meeting all of the following requirements:

            i)     The legal structure of the business is a:
               (1)       Sole proprietorship with at least 51% owned by one or  
                 more disabled veterans;
               (2)       Publicly owned business with at least 51% of its  
                 stock unconditionally owned by one or more disabled veterans;  

               (3)       Subsidiary that is wholly owned by a parent  
                 corporation, but only if at least 51% of the voting stock of  
                 the parent corporation is unconditionally owned by one or  
                 more disabled veterans; or
               (4)       Joint venture in which at least 51% of the joint  
                 venture's management, control, and earnings are held by one  
                 or more disabled veterans.








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            ii)    The management and control of the daily business operations  
              are by one or more disabled veterans.  The disabled veterans who  
              exercise management and control are not required to be the same  
              disabled veterans as the owners of the business.

            iii)   It has a home office located in the United States, which is  
              not a branch or subsidiary of a foreign corporation, foreign  
              firm, or other foreign-based business.

       4)Requires an awarding state department to require a prime contractor  
         that had committed to using a DVBE to certify upon completion of the  
         contract:

          a)   The total amount the prime contractor received under the  
            contract.
          b)   The name and address of the DVBE that participated in the  
            performance of the contract.
          c)   The amount each DVBE received from the prime contractor.
          d)   That all payments under the contract have been made to the  
            DVBE.

       5)Provides that a person or entity that knowingly provides false  
         information shall be subject to a civil penalty for each violation in  
         the minimum amount of $2,500 and the maximum amount of $25,000.  

        FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown

        COMMENTS  :   

        1)Author's Purpose  :  According to the author, "Governors Gray Davis and  
         Arnold Schwarzenegger, in 2001 and 2006, respectively, each signed an  
         executive order requiring all departments, agencies and commissions  
         to establish and achieve a 25% small businesses participation rate in  
         state procurement contracts. Unfortunately, the state has only met  
         this target three times despite the importance small businesses play  
         in the state's economy. Businesses with less than 100 employees  
         comprise more than 98.3% of all California businesses, and are  
         responsible for employing more than 57.9% of all workers in the  
         state. Codifying this executive order, not only places the policy in  
         statute, only to be removed by the Legislature, but also sends a  
         strong message to potential investors that the State of California  
         supports small businesses.

         Created in 1989, the DVBE program grants preference within the  








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         state's procurement process to businesses owned by disabled veterans.  
         According to DGS, there are currently 1,400 certified DVBE businesses  
         within the state.  Current law requires that 3% of all state  
         contracts go to DVBEs.  Between 2009-2012, the program has exceeded  
         expectations with participation rates of 3.78%, 4.82% and 4.67%.  
         Increasing the rate can provide significant economic support to  
         businesses owned by disabled veterans."

        2)Framing the Policy Issue  :  Small businesses play an essential role  
         within the California economy, contributing the most net new jobs,  
         offering an alternative to un- and underemployment, and helping to  
         disburse the financial advantages of the state's globally connected  
         economy.  In recognition of the sacrifices already made by  
         California's disabled veteran community and the important economic  
         role of small businesses, state agencies are mandated to take certain  
         actions to include these two groups in state procurement  
         opportunities.  Unfortunately, participation rates have not been as  
         high as desired with state agencies meeting the 25% small business  
         procurement goal and DVBE 3% goal only four times in the last 11  
         years.

         This bill takes a multifaceted approach to addressing the long  
         standing challenges of small business and DVBE procurement  
         participation including codifying the 25% small business goal and  
         increasing the DVBE goal from 3% to 5%.  These provisions have been  
         included in one or more pieces of prior legislation, which have  
         almost universally died in the legislative fiscal committees.  New  
         evidence that the existing programs need improvement was released by  
         the State Auditor in February 2014, which may offer an even stronger  
         case for the fiscal committees.  This analysis includes information  
         on the state's DVBE program, historic compliance issues, current and  
         prior legislation, and the recently completed state audit of the DVBE  
         program.   Comment 8 includes amendment recommendations.

        3)The Role of Small Businesses within the California Economy  :   
         California's dominance in many economic areas is based, in part, on  
         the significant role small businesses play in the state's $2 trillion  
         economy.  Among other advantages, small businesses are crucial to the  
         state's international competitiveness and are an important means for  
         dispersing the positive economic impacts of trade within the  
         California economy.  California small businesses comprised 96% of the  
         state's 60,000 exporters in 2009, which accounted for over 44% of  
         total exports in the state.  Nationally, small businesses represented  
         only 31.9% of total exports.  These numbers include the export of  
         only goods and not services.








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         Businesses with no employees make up the single largest component of  
         businesses in California, 2.8 million out of an estimated 3.5 million  
         firms in 2010.  As these businesses grow, they continue to serve as  
         an important component of California's dynamic $2 trillion economy.   
         Microenterprises, meaning businesses with less than five employees  
         represent approximately 93% of all businesses in the state, or  
         approximately 3.2 million of all businesses.  Businesses with 99 or  
         less employees comprise nearly 98% of all businesses and employ  
         approximately 38% of all workers.  These non-employer and small  
         employer firms create jobs, generate taxes, and revitalize  
         communities. 

         In hard economic times, smaller size businesses often function as  
         economic engines.  In this most recent recession the trend continued,  
         with the number of nonemployer firms increasing from 2.6 million  
         firms ($137 billion in revenues) for 2008 to 2.8 million firms ($138  
         billion in revenues) for 2010.  In the post-recession economy, small  
         businesses are expected to become increasingly important due to their  
         ability to be more flexible and better suited to meet niche market  
         needs.  

         Their small size, however, results in certain challenges in meeting  
         regulatory requirements, accessing capital, and marketing their goods  
         and services.  California's network of SBDCs provide small size  
         businesses, including business start-ups, with access to quality  
         education, one-on-one counseling, and other business development  
         resources.

        4)Small Business Procurement Act  :  The Small Business Procurement Act,  
         administered through DGS, was implemented more than 30 years ago to  
         establish a small business preference within the state's procurement  
         process that would increase the number of contracts between the state  
         and small businesses.  A DBVE component was added in 1989.

         The Small Business Procurement Act states that it is the policy of  
         the State of California that the state aid the interests of small  
         businesses in order to preserve free competitive enterprise and to  
         ensure that a fair portion of the total purchases and contracts of  
         the state be placed with these enterprises.  The statute further  
         states that DVBE participation is strongly encouraged to address the  
         special needs of disabled veterans seeking rehabilitation and  
         training through entrepreneurship, and to recognize the sacrifices of  
         California's disabled military veterans.  Statute sets an annual 3%  
         DVBE participation goal, and a 25% goal for small and microbusinesses  








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         (through executive order).

         Unfortunately, participation rates have not been as high as desired,  
         with state agencies meeting the 25% small business goal and DVBE 3%  
         goal, in only four out of the last 11 years.  In the most recent  
         report on procurement, 2011-12, DGS reported that the state had  
         entered into $7.4 billion in contracts with $1.8 billion (24.16%)  
         being awarded to small businesses and $337 million (4.67%) to DVBEs.   


        5)Challenges in meeting Procurement Goals  :  If small businesses (over  
         85% of DVBEs are small businesses) are so important to the California  
         economy, why has it been so hard for state agencies to meet the small  
         business and DVBE procurement goals?  Every year, Members craft a  
         range of bills to improve outreach, increase preferences, and use  
         their bully pulpit to help increase small business and DVBE  
         participation rates.  Over the years, direct and innovative  
         approaches have been added including mandating small business and  
         DVBE liaisons at every agency, establishing official state-level  
         Small Business  and DVBE Advocates, and requiring the state join a  
         national on-line contracting platform (BidSync).  

         The 2011-12 Statewide Consolidated Annual Report offers some  
         interesting insights.  As an example, only 86% of the mandatory  
         reporting entities actually reported their contracting activity to  
         DGS.  Of those that did report: mandatory reporters awarded 24.16% of  
         their contracts to small business (failed to meet the goal) and 4.67%  
         to DVBEs (met the goal).

         The DGS report suggests that part of the challenge in increasing  
         small business and DVBE participation lies with helping the state's  
         largest contracting agencies have more outreach and be more  
         effective.  In 2011-12, 62% of all state contracts were awarded by  
         the Department of Corrections (SDCR), the Department of  
         Transportation, the Franchise Tax Board, and the Department of Health  
         Care Services (DHCS).   The top 10 agencies were awarded 80% of all  
         contracts by dollar amount.  This means that regardless of the  
         efforts of the Department of Education (76.23%) and Labor and  
         Workforce Agency (40.59%), the state's largest contracting entities  
         must do a better job in contracting with small and microbusiness if  
         the state is going to reach its goal.  The chart below shows the top  
         10 contracting departments.  


           -------------------------------------------------------------- 








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          |            Top 10 Contracting Agencies in 2011-12            |
           -------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |   Departments    |  Total   |Percent|   Small   |   DVBE    |
          |                  | Contact  |age of | Business  |Participati|
          |                  | Dollars  |Statewi|    and    |    on     |
          |                  |          |  de   |Microbusine|Percentage |
          |                  |          |Spendin|    ss     |           |
          |                  |          |   g   |Participati|           |
          |                  |          |       |    on     |           |
          |                  |          |       |Percentage |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |All Mandatory     |$7,434,297|       |  24.16%   |   4.67%   |
          |Reporters         |,407      |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |Corrections and   |1,960,625,|  26%  |  22.34%   |   5.32%   |
          |Rehabilitation    |290       |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |Transportation    |1,872,767,|  25%  |  23.53%   |   4.04%   |
          |                  |028       |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |Franchise Tax     |442,705,91|  6%   |  21.11%   |   4.57%   |
          |Board             |1         |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |Health Care       |397,931,11|  5%   |   5.41%   |   0.97%   |
          |Services          |1         |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |State Hospitals   |320,585,67|  4%   |  36.27%   |   4.46%   |
          |                  |6         |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |Water Resources   |295,652,44|  4%   |  29.26%   |   8.98%   |
          |                  |9         |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |Finance           |217,578,97|  3%   |  26.06%   |   5.48%   |
          |(primarily the    |7         |       |           |           |
          |FI$CAL)           |          |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |General Services  |187,246,00|  3%   |  38.54%   |   9.64%   |
          |                  |7         |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |Parks and         |163,909,72|  2%   |  36.06%   |   2.82%   |
          |Recreation        |5         |       |           |           |
          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |Motor Vehicles    |116,203,30|  2%   |  24.46%   |   5.97%   |
          |                  |6         |       |           |           |








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          |------------------+----------+-------+-----------+-----------|
          |Top 10 Total      |$5,975,205|       |  23.65%   |   3.7%    |
          |                  |,480      |       |           |           |
           ------------------------------------------------------------- 
           -------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |        Source:  2011-12 Statewide Consolidated Annual Report |
          |prepared by DGS                                               |
           -------------------------------------------------------------- 

         According to DGS, the state's inability to reach is procurement goal  
         in 2011-12 is directly attributable to DHCS' poor performance.  In  
         the report year, DHCS issued a multiyear contract for Medi-Cal Dental  
         Services worth $300 million per year without any small business or  
         DVBE participation.  Had they met their small business goals on this  
         one contract, DHCS would have had a 21% small business participation  
         rate, instead of the reported 5%.  DGS suggests that DHCS focus on  
         certifying the individual dentists that will be subcontracting under  
         the master Delta Dental contract, otherwise this single contract will  
         continue to hold down the state's overall participation rates for  
         years to come. 

         In contrast to DHCS, the SDCR committed to small businesses  
         participation in its largest size contracts including its $225  
         million bulk pharmaceutical purchase, which allowed the department to  
         increase its small business participation by 4.25% over the prior  
         year (18.09% v. 22.34%).  AB 1734 places greater administrative  
         oversight on the performance of poor preforming agencies by requiring  
         mitigation plan was departments that fail to meet their 25% goal.   
         Further, state agencies would have greater pressure to include DVBE  
         participation in every contract with the 5% DVBE goal.  

        6)The DVBE Program  :  Existing law sets a 3% DVBE participation goal in  
         recognition of veterans' contribution and service to the county.  The  
         goal is applied to the state agency or department's overall  
         contracting activities in the given fiscal year and may be achieved  
         by awarding state contracts to DVBEs as prime contractors or when  
         DVBEs are subcontractors on a state contract.  

         Awarding departments have an option of including DVBE participation  
         in every contract or making alternative arrangements, as long as the  
         3% objective is met at the end of the year.  Each agency and  
         department is required to designate a small business and DVBE  
         contracting liaison to facilitate it in meeting the 3% DVBE goal and  
         the 25% small business goal. Departments also have the option of  
         offering a 1% to 5% DVBE contracting preference to assist bidders in  








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         helping to meet the state DVBE goal.  Bidders that are unable or  
         unwilling to include a DVBE in a contract have the option of  
         submitting a DGS approved utilization plan, that commits the  
         businesses to using DVBEs in the future.  DGS is authorized to audit  
         businesses that submit utilization plans to ensure compliance.

         State departments that fail to meet the annual 3% goal can have their  
         delegated contracting authority removed, although DGS has never  
         removed program authority solely based on an agency or department's  
         failure to meet its DVBE contracting goal.  DGS' responsibilities for  
         the DVBE program include:

              Certifying DVBEs (1,300 certified DVBEs);
              Performing outreach to the potential bidders and the veteran  
            community (over 100 events in FY 2012-13);
              Marketing the DVBE program to state agencies;
              Consulting with the California Procurement Contracting Academy  
            on the DVBE training of state contracting staff;
              Preparing an annual report on DVBE participation within state  
            contracting activities; and
              Looking into program abuse by bidders and failure to preform by  
            state agencies.

        1)Concerns with DVBE Program  :  As noted above, the state has only met  
         its DVBE participation goal 4 times in 11 years, however the state  
         has met its goal in each of the last three years.  In addition to the  
         challenges in meeting the goal, significant issues have been raised  
         relative to the accuracy of the reporting data and on fraudulent  
         bidder practices.  In the past several years, the Committee has  
         repeatedly heard from veteran groups about bidders that fail to  
         follow-through on the DVBE commitments made in bid proposals, bidders  
         that use DVBEs but haven't renewed their certification, and of DVBEs  
         being included within bid proposals, but never actually preforming a  
         commercially useful function.  Some of these program concerns have  
         been addressed in recent legislation which increased penalties and  
         heighten some areas of DVBE program oversight, including AB 177  
         (Ruskin and V. Manuel P�rez) Chapter 342, Statutes of 2010 and SB  
         1510 (Wright), Chapter 421, Statutes of 2012, respectively.  A longer  
         list of related bills is included later in the analysis.  

         Other concerns, such as poor reporting of data, lack of enforcement  
         tools, and challenges to increasing the number of certified DVBEs  
         have not been addressed.  Responding to these and other issues,  
                                                                              Senator Hueso, Chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, and  
         Senator Calderon, requested the Joint Legislative Audit Committee in  








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         May 2013 to approve a comprehensive review of the DVBE program by the  
         California State Auditor.  The audit was released in February 2014  
         and among other findings, the State Auditor found the following:

          a)   The objective of the program "to increase DVBE participation in  
            state procurement," is not appropriately being measured through  
            the current reporting system.  The system measurers the award  
            value and the actual amount DVBEs' receive.

          b)   Only a small percentage of certified DVBEs serve as prime  
            contractors.  As an example, only 19% of certified DVBEs served as  
            primes and, of those, 30 firms received 83% funding.

          c)   There is inadequate documentation by state contracting agencies  
            on DVBE participation.

          d)   Reporting methodologies differ by state agencies on DVBE  
            participation.

          e)   DGS has inadequate control over the state's procurement vendor,  
            Bidsync.

          f)   CalVet needs to take a more active role in working with state  
            agencies and tracking outreach activities.

         Based on these findings, the Auditor recommended key actions for the  
         Legislature, DGS, and CalVet.  These recommendations focus on better  
         and more consistent reporting including: verification of DVBE status  
         before finalizing the contract, increasing the number of DVBEs that  
         participate in state contracting, better management of state vendor,  
         and a heightened role and accountability for CalVet.  SB 839 (Correa)  
         was amended in March to include proposed remedies to the reporting  
         and certification issues.  This bill, AB 1734, addresses the issue of  
         how to increase DVBE participation in state contracting.

        2)Amendments  :  Committee staff have been working with the author on  
         amendments to address concerns raised in the state audit and not  
         currently addressed in other legislation.  Staff understands that the  
         following amendments will be presented in committee:

          a)   Require state agencies with contracts over $100 million be  
            certified by DGS, prior to the issuance of the bid request, that  
            the agency has met their DVBE participation goals in two of the  
            last three years including the prior year and that the agency will  
            likely meet their DVBE goal in the current year.








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          b)   Phase-in the increase in DVBE participation using the following  
            schedule:  3% in 2013-14 to 3.5% in 2014-15, and 4% in 2015-16,  
            and 4.5% in 2016-17, and 5% in 2017-18 and thereafter.

          c)   Require DGS to report on the use of utilization plans as an  
            alternative to using DVBE as a prime or subcontractor.  

          d)   Require DGS to modify the existing DVBE incentive program to  
            provide for a higher incentive when the bid comes from a DVBE than  
            from a non-DVBE prime that commits to using a DVBE subcontractor.

          e)   Update the CalVet tracking requirements by requiring that the  
            list of attending at promotion events be annually compared to new  
            DVBE certifications and DVBE prime and subcontract lists.

          f)   Add specificity to the role of the California DBVE Program  
            Advocate.

          g)   Require department-level DVBE liaisons track the impact of  
            their promotional events.

          h)   Make other technical and implementing changes.

        3)Related Legislation  :  Below is a list of related measures including  
         those from the current session and prior sessions.

          a)   Bills introduced in the 2013-14 Legislative Session:

            i)     AB 172 (Weber) State Agency Contracts and Microbusiness  
              Preference:  This bill would have created the microbusiness  
              procurement preference from 5% to 7% for state contracts to  
              purchase goods, services, information technology, and  
              construction of state facilities.  The preference may be awarded  
              to either a microbusiness bidder or a non-microbusiness bidder  
              that uses a microbusiness subcontractor.  Status:  Held on the  
              Suspense File of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, 2013.

            ii)    AB 550 (Brown) Office of Small Business and Disabled  
              Veteran Business Enterprise Services:  This bill would have  
              codified the 25% small business participation goal in state  
              procurement, which was initially set through Executive Order  
              (EO) D-37-01 and EO S-02-06.  The bill also would have made key  
              changes to state procurement procedures for the purpose of  
              increasing small business, including microbusiness, and disabled  








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              veteran-owned business enterprise participation rates.  Status:   
              Held on the Suspense File of the Assembly Committee on  
              Appropriations, 2013.

            iii)   AB 1568 (Grove) Small Business and DVBE Option:  This bill  
              increases the number of quotes from two to three before a state  
              agency can enter into a non-bid contract under $250,000.   
              Status: Pending in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.

            iv)    SB 276 (Roth) Streamline Contract Maximum Value:  This bill  
              modified the Small Business Procurement and Contract Act by  
              increasing the upper limit (from $250,000 to $500,000) of the  
              value of certain contracts that a state agency may award to a  
              certified small business, including a microbusiness, or to a  
              DVBE without complying with specified competitive bidding  
              requirements. Status:  Held in the Senate Committee on  
              Appropriations, 2013. 

            v)     SB 733 (Block) Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise  
              Participation Goals: This bill deletes provisions of law  
              allowing an awarding department to accept submission of a  
              disabled veteran business enterprise utilization plan to meet  
              the 3% statewide participation goal for awarded contracts.  The  
              bill authorizes, instead, a new review process for demonstrating  
              a business' long-term commitment to using veteran-owned  
              businesses. Status:  Pending in the Assembly Committee on Jobs,  
              Economic Development, and the Economy.  

            vi)    SB 839 (Correa) DVBE Program Improvements:  This bill makes  
              changes to the reporting, documentation and oversight of state  
              contracts that include DVBE participation.  Status:  Pending in  
              Assembly Committee on Government Organization.

          b)   Bills introduced in a prior legislative sessions:

            i)     AB 31 (Price) Public Contracts: Small Business Procurement  
              and Contract Act:  This bill increased the maximum contract  
              threshold amount for awards to small business (SME), including  
              microbusiness, and DVBEs under the states streamlined  
              procurement process, from $100,000 to $250,000, as specified.   
              This bill requires contractors to report the contract amount  
              allocated to SMEs and DVBE 's with which they made contract  
              commitments.  Status:  The bill was signed by the Governor,  
              Chapter 212, Statutes of 2009.









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            ii)    AB 177 (Ruskin and V. Manuel P�rez) Enforcement of Small  
              Business Act:  This bill increases and conforms penalties for  
              persons who falsely engage in activities relating to the Small  
              Business Procurement and Contract Act, including small  
              businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran-owned business  
              enterprises.  Status:  The bill was signed by the Governor,  
              Chapter 342, Statutes of 2010.

            iii)   AB 309 (Price) Public Contracts: Small Business  
              Participation:  This bill would have required the establishment  
              of a 25% small business participation goal for all state  
              entities and directs DGS to monitor each agency's progress in  
              meeting this goal.  The bill would have required that the Office  
              of the Small Business Advocate receive the same progress report  
              information as state entities and directs DGS and the Office of  
              the Small Business Advocate to work collaboratively to assist  
              state entities in meeting their goal.  This goal is currently  
              provided for in Executive Order (EO) D-37-01 and EO S-02-06.   
              Status:  Held in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations in May  
              2010.

            iv)    AB 2249 (Ruskin) DVBE Documentation:  This bill requires  
              applicants for small business or DVBE certification to submit a  
              written declaration, under penalty of perjury, that the  
              information submitted to DGS is true and correct.  The bill also  
              authorizes DGS, if it determines that just cause exists, to  
              require the owner of a DVBE or small business to submit the  
              Internal Revenue Service Form 4506-T which would allow DGS to  
              obtain a copy of their tax return.  Finally, the bill requires  
              that at least 51% of the stock or voting stock of a disabled  
              veteran business enterprise be unconditionally owned by disabled  
              veterans.  Status:  Signed by the Governor, Chapter 383,  
              Statutes of 2010.

            v)     SB 67 (Price) Small Business Participation in Public  
              Contracts:  This bill would have authorized DGS to direct all  
              state entities to establish an annual goal of achieving no less  
              than 25% small business participation in state procurement  
              contracts, as specified.  Status:  Held in the Assembly  
              Committee on Appropriations in 2011. 

            vi)    SB 733 (Price) High Speed Rail:  This bill would have  
              required the California High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) to  
              include in its January 1, 2012 business plan a strategy for  
              ensuring California-certified small business participation in  








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              contracts awarded with state and federal funds during all phases  
              of the high-speed rail project.  It also would have required the  
              HSRA to have a strategy for working with the Employment  
              Development Department to ensure that at least 25% of the  
              project workforce at each worksite is from the local workforce.   
              Status:  Held in Senate Committee on Appropriations in 2011.

            vii)   AB 941 (Florez) DVBE Advocates:  This bill requires the  
              Department of Veteran's Affairs and awarding departments to  
              appoint DVBE advocates to assist in meeting participation goals.  
               Status:  Signed by the Governor, Chapter 666, Statutes of 2002.

            viii)  SB 1510 (Wright) Commercial Useful Purpose:  This bill  
              tightens the bidder requirements for demonstrating that a small  
              business, microbusiness, or DVBE will serve a commercially  
              useful function (CUF) in carrying out a state contract.  The  
              purpose of the CUF requirement is to prevent a bidder from using  
              a business as a "pass through" or "front" for another business  
              that would otherwise not qualify for the small business,  
              microbusiness or DVBE bid preference.  By meeting the CUF  
              requirements, a bidder may claim a bid preference on competitive  
              state contract awards goods, services, informational technology  
              and public works.  Status:  The bill was signed by the Governor,  
              Chapter 421, Statutes of 2012.

        9)Double Referral  :  This measure has been referred to two policy  
         committees by the Assembly Committee on Rules.  Should AB 1734 pass  
         this committee, the measure will be referred to the Assembly  
         Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review.
        
       REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

        Support 
        

       CalAsian Chamber of Commerce 
       Coalition of Small and Disabled Veteran Businesses 
       Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Alliance 
       National Federation of Independent Business 
       Small Business California 
       The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

        Opposition 
        
       None received 








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       Analysis Prepared by  :    Toni Symonds / J., E.D. & E. / (916) 319-2090