New Jersey legislators are pushing Assembly Bill A3496. It would require state agencies to make a good-faith effort to increase non-advertised goods-and-services contracts awarded to certified minority- and women-owned businesses by 30% over the next five years. 

The General Assembly passed the bill, and the Senate now awaits approval.

Under current law, the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property can delegate purchasing authority to agencies for contracts up to $250,000. However, several criteria must be met before the amount can be sanctioned. Agencies must verify that funds are available, confirm the goods and services aren’t available through any other contract, and maintain auditable records.

The legislation will create a robust reporting system to track progress, with each agency submitting a written report to the State Treasury every 30 days.

The State Treasurer, who also formulates guidelines and directives for agencies to use, will then submit a report to the governor and legislators every six months. These reports will act as a benchmark for measuring the success of the program.