Section 311 - [Expires 12/31/2024] Division of minority and women's business development1. The head of the division of minority and women's business development shall be the director who shall be appointed by the governor and hold office at the pleasure of the commissioner. It shall be the duty of the director of the division of minority and women's business development to assist the governor in the formulation and implementation of laws and policies relating to minority and women-owned business enterprises.2. The director may appoint such deputies, assistants, and other employees as may be needed for the performance of the duties prescribed herein subject to the provisions of the civil service law and the rules and regulations of the civil service commission. The director may request and shall receive from any department, division, board, bureau, executive commission or agency of the state such assistance as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this article.3. The director shall have the following powers and duties:(a) to encourage and assist contracting agencies in their efforts to increase participation by minority and women-owned business enterprises on state contracts and subcontracts so as to facilitate the award of a fair share of such contracts to them;(b) to develop standardized forms and reporting documents necessary to implement this article;(c) to conduct educational programs consistent with the purposes of this article;(d) to review periodically the practices and procedures of each contracting agency with respect to compliance with the provisions of this article, and to require them to file periodic reports with the division of minority and women's business development as to the level of minority and women-owned business enterprises participation in the awarding of agency contracts for goods and services;(d-1) to require all contracting state agencies to develop a four-year growth plan to determine a means of promoting and increasing participation by minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises with respect to state contracts and subcontracts. Every four years, beginning September fifteenth, two thousand twenty, each contracting state agency shall submit a four-year growth plan as part of its annual report to the governor and legislature pursuant to section one hundred sixty-four of this chapter.(e) on January first of each year report to the governor and the chairpersons of the senate finance and assembly ways and means committees on the level of minority and women-owned business enterprises participating in each agency's contracts for goods and services and on activities of the office and effort by each contracting agency to promote employment of minority group members and women, and to promote and increase participation by certified businesses with respect to state contracts and subcontracts so as to facilitate the award of a fair share of state contracts to such businesses. The comptroller shall assist the division in collecting information on the participation of certified business for each contracting agency. Such report may recommend new activities and programs to effectuate the purposes of this article;(f) to prepare and update, no less than annually, a directory of certified minority and women-owned business enterprises which shall, wherever practicable, (i) make publicly available records of all certifications and recertifications, (ii) be divided into categories of labor, services, supplies, equipment, materials and recognized construction trades, and (iii) indicate areas or locations of the state where such enterprises are available to perform services;(g) to appoint independent hearing officers who by contract or terms of employment shall preside over adjudicatory hearings pursuant to section three hundred fourteen of this article for the office and who are assigned no other work by the office;(h) to make publicly available on the division's website records of all revocations of certification for convictions for fraudulently misrepresenting the status of minority or women-owned business enterprises or for evidence of fraudulent conduct with regard to participation of a minority or women-owned business enterprise in the performance of state contracts and the reasoning for such revocations after a final determination has been made, provided that information falling into the categories enumerated in paragraphs (a) through (j) of subdivision two of section eighty-seven of the public officers law shall be withheld;(i) notwithstanding the provisions of section two hundred ninety-six of this chapter, to file a complaint pursuant to the provisions of section two hundred ninety-seven of this chapter where the director has knowledge that a contractor may have violated the provisions of paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subdivision one of section two hundred ninety-six of this chapter where such violation is unrelated, separate or distinct from the state contract as expressed by its terms;(j) to streamline the state certification process to accept federal and municipal corporation certifications;(k) to make publicly available on the division's website records of all waivers of compliance reported pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision six of section three hundred thirteen of this article , including the reasoning for denial of such waivers after a final determination has been made, provided that information falling into the categories enumerated in paragraphs (a) through (j) of subdivision two of section eighty-seven of the public officers law shall be withheld;(l) to work in conjunction with the industrial commissioner pursuant to paragraph (j) of subdivision one of section eight hundred eleven of the labor law to assist contractors in identifying minority group members and women who are participating in apprenticeship agreements under article twenty-three of the labor law ; and
(m) to coordinate with appropriate offices, agencies, or authorities, where applicable, to conduct site visits or perform inspections of financial records of minority or women-owned business enterprises in accordance with this article and the regulations of the director.
4.The director shall provide assistance to, and facilitate access to programs serving certified businesses as well as applicants to ensure that such businesses benefit, as needed, from technical, managerial and financial, and general business assistance; training; marketing; organization and personnel skill development; project management assistance; technology assistance; bond and insurance education assistance; and other business development assistance. The director shall maintain a toll-free number at the department of economic development to be used to answer questions concerning the MWBE certification process. In addition, the director may, either independently or in conjunction with other state agencies: (a) develop a clearinghouse of information on programs and services provided by entities that may assist such businesses;(b) review bonding and paperwork requirements imposed by contracting agencies that may unnecessarily impede the ability of such businesses to compete; and(c) seek to maximize utilization by minority and women-owned business enterprises of available federal resources including but not limited to federal grants, loans, loan guarantees, surety bonding guarantees, technical assistance, and programs and services of the federal small business administration.(d) conduct outreach events, training workshops, seminars, and other such educational programs throughout the state, including all regional offices, to state agencies, external stakeholders, and the public, to promote awareness and utilization of minority and women-owned business enterprises; and(e) identify and establish mentorship opportunities and other business development programs to increase capacity and better prepare MWBEs for bidding on contracts with state agencies upon successful completion of the mentorship opportunity. Such mentorship opportunities shall be intended to ensure that mentor and mentee are connected based on a commercially useful function.Amended by New York Laws 2023, ch. 40,Sec. 5, eff. 3/3/2023.Amended by New York Laws 2023, ch. 40,Sec. 3, eff. 4/4/2023.Amended by New York Laws 2022, ch. 567,Sec. 2, eff. 4/4/2023.Amended by New York Laws 2021, ch. 825,Sec. 1, eff. 3/1/2022.Amended by New York Laws 2019, ch. 96,Sec. 2, eff. 1/11/2020.