Assembly Public Hearing — Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program (January 23, 2025)

Summary

A notice of a public hearing by the Assembly Standing Committees on Governmental Operations and on Small Business, the Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises, and the Task Force on Women's Issues. The subject is the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program and the results of the most recent MWBE disparity study. The hearing is set for Thursday, January 23rd, 2025, at 9:00 am in Hearing Room B, Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York, with oral testimony by invitation only and limited to 10 minutes. The notice says Article 15-A of the Executive Law, which establishes the MWBE program, is set to expire on July 1, 2025. It is signed by chairs John T. McDonald III, Marianne Buttenschon, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas.

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    ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
          ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
         ASSEMBLY SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT OF MINORITY
              AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES
              ASSEMBLY TASK FORCE ON WOMEN’S ISSUES

SUBJECT:       The Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program

PURPOSE:       To examine the MWBE program and the results from the most recent MWBE
               disparity study commissioned by the Division of Minority and Women’s Business
               Development.

                                            Thursday
                                      January 23rd, 2025
                                             9:00 am
                                        Hearing Room B
                                   Legislative Office Building
                                   Albany, New York 12248

                    ORAL TESTIMONY WILL BE BY INVITATION ONLY

Article 15-A of the Executive Law, which establishes New York State’s Minority and Women-
Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program to promote employment and business
opportunities for minorities and women on state contracts, is set to expire on July 1, 2025. This
statute provides the framework for the MWBE certification and procurement program and
establishes targeted goals for the sourcing of services and commodities by certified MWBE
businesses. Empire State Development’s Division of Minority and Women’s Business
Development is responsible for establishing a statewide certification program, encouraging and
assisting state agencies to increase MWBE participation, and commissioning a statewide
disparity study per statute to evaluate the participation of MWBEs on state contracts and
determine whether MWBEs have had equal access to contracting opportunities with the State. In
addition, the State administers several programs through its various agencies to provide MWBEs
with technical, legal, and financial assistance.

The Committees, Subcommittee, and Task Force are interested in receiving feedback from
various stakeholders regarding the results of the 2024 MWBE Disparity Study as well as
recommendations concerning the program overall. Testimony should include evaluations of the
current structure, implementation, and utilization of the program, including the certification and
re-certification processes for MWBEs, and explore whether improvements could be made to
further enhance opportunities for underrepresented businesses in New York State.

Oral testimony will be limited to 10 minutes’ duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the
Committees, Subcommittee, and Task Force will attempt to accommodate individual requests to
speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the
attached reply form or communicated as early as possible.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The
Committees, Subcommittee, and Task Force would appreciate advance receipt of prepared
statements.

Attendees and participants at any legislative public hearing should be aware that these
proceedings are video recorded. Their likenesses may be included in any video coverage shown
on television or the internet.
In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with
its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with
disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable
request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.



        John T. McDonald III                                Marianne Buttenschon
         Member of Assembly                                  Member of Assembly
                Chair                                               Chair
      Committee on Governmental                           Committee on Small Business
             Operations

     Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn                              Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas
        Member of Assembly                                    Member of Assembly
                Chair                                                 Chair
 Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority                    Task Force on Women’s Issues
and Women-Owned Business Enterprises
                            PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons invited to present testimony at the public hearing on the Minority and Women-Owned
Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program are requested to complete this reply form as soon as
possible and mail, email, or fax it to:

                                      Olivia Alderman
                                          Analyst
                                  Assembly Committee on
                                 Governmental Operations
                                     Room 513 – Capitol
                                 Albany, New York 12248
                             Email: aldermano@nyassembly.gov
                                   Phone: (518) 455-4355
                                   Fax: (518) 455-7250


      I plan to attend the following public hearing on the Minority and Women-Owned
      Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program to be conducted by the Assembly Standing
      Committees on Governmental Operations and Small Business, Subcommittee on
      Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise, and Task Force on
      Women’s Issues on January 23, 2025.

      I have been invited to make a public statement at the hearing. My statement will be
      limited to 10 of minutes, and I will answer any questions which may arise. I will provide
      10 copies of my prepared statement.

      I will address my remarks to the following subjects:




      I do not plan to attend the above hearing.

      I would like to be added to the Committee mailing list for notices and reports.

      I would like to be removed from the Committee mailing list.

      I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the
      type of assistance required: _________________________________________
      _____________________________________________________________________


NAME: ______________________________________________________________________

TITLE: ______________________________________________________________________

ORGANIZATION: ____________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________

E-MAIL: ____________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE: ________________________________________________________________

FAX TELEPHONE: ___________________________________________________________


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