15 ILCS 405/23.9 — Illinois Code / Chapter 15 / Act 405 / Section 23.9
Section 23.9
Status: in_force

(15 ILCS 405/23.9) Sec. 23.9. Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative. The State Comptroller Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative is created to provide greater opportunities for minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and small businesses with 20 or fewer employees in this State to participate in the State procurement process. The initiative shall be administered by the Comptroller. Under this initiative, the Comptroller is responsible for the following: (i) outreach to minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and small businesses capable of providing services to the State; (ii) education of minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and small businesses concerning State contracting and procurement; (iii) notification of minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and small businesses of State contracting opportunities; and (iv) maintenance of an online database of State contracts that identifies the contracts awarded to minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and small businesses that includes the total amount paid by State agencies to contractors and the percentage paid to minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and small businesses. The Business Enterprise Council created under Section 5 of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act shall provide the Comptroller with names, Federal Employer Identification Numbers, and designations of Business Enterprise Program certified vendors to fulfill the Comptroller's responsibilities under this Section, including, but not limited to, identification of minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities. The Comptroller shall annually prepare and submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly concerning the progress of this initiative including the following information for the preceding fiscal year: (i) a statement of the total amounts paid by each executive branch agency to contractors since the previous report; (ii) the percentage of the amounts that were paid to minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and small businesses; (iii) the successes achieved and the challenges faced by the Comptroller in operating outreach programs for minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and small businesses; (iv) the challenges each executive branch agency may face in hiring qualified minority, woman, and small business employees and employees with disabilities and contracting with qualified minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and small businesses; and (v) any other information, findings, conclusions, and recommendations for legislative or agency action, as the Comptroller deems appropriate. On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, any bidder or offeror awarded a contract of $1,000 or more under Section 20-10, 20-15, 20-25, or 20-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code is required to pay a fee of $15 to cover expenses related to the administration of this Section. The Comptroller shall deduct the fee from the first check issued to the vendor under the contract and deposit the fee into the Comptroller's Administrative Fund. Contracts administered for statewide orders placed by agencies (commonly referred to as "statewide master contracts") are exempt from this fee. Each Chief Procurement Officer shall provide the Comptroller with names and Federal Employer Identification Numbers of vendors registered in the Illinois Small Business Set Aside Program to aid the Comptroller in fulfilling his or her responsibilities under this Section. (Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 100-391, eff. 8-25-17; 100-801, eff. 8-10-18.)