(a) There is hereby established within the department the Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services. The duties of the office shall include:

(1) Compiling and maintaining a comprehensive bidders list of qualified small businesses and disabled veteran business enterprises, and noting which small businesses also qualify as microbusinesses.

(2) Coordinating with the Federal Small Business Administration, the Minority Business Development Agency, the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program Advocate, appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to Section 999.11 of the Military and Veterans Code, and the Small Business Advocate, appointed by the Governor pursuant to Section 12098.3.

(3) Providing technical and managerial aids to small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises, by conducting workshops on matters in connection with government procurement and contracting.

(4) Assisting small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises, in complying with the procedures for bidding on state contracts.

(5) Working with appropriate state, federal, local, and private organizations and business enterprises in disseminating information on bidding procedures and opportunities available to small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises.

(6) Making recommendations to the department and other state agencies for simplification of specifications and terms in order to increase the opportunities for small business, microbusiness, and disabled veteran business enterprise participation.

(7) Developing, by regulation, other programs and practices that are reasonably necessary to aid and protect the interest of small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises in contracting with the state, including, but not limited to, those specified in Article 6 (commencing with Section 999) of Chapter 6 of Division 4 of the Military and Veterans Code.

(8) Making efforts to develop, in cooperation with associations representing counties, cities, and special districts, a core statewide small business certification application that may be adopted by all participating entities, with any supplemental provisions to be added as necessary by the respective entities.

(b) The information furnished by each contractor requesting a small business or microbusiness preference shall be under penalty of perjury.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 676, Sec. 2. (AB 230) Effective January 1, 2020.)