(a) Except as provided in subsections (a-1) and (b) of this section or § 2-218.45, each agency shall set aside contracts or procurements of $250,000 or less for qualified small business enterprises.

(a-1) If an agency determines in writing that there are not at least 2 qualified small business enterprises that can provide the services or goods that are the subject of the contract, the agency may use any qualified certified business enterprise to fulfill the requirements of subsection (a) of this section.

(b) An agency may decline to award a contract or procurement set aside under this section, and may thereafter issue the contract or procurement in the open market, if the agency determines in writing that the bids for the contract or procurement set aside for a small or certified business enterprise are believed to be 12% or more above the likely price on the open market.

(c) Each written determination pursuant to subsections (a-1) or (b) of this section shall be submitted to the Director, who shall post a copy of the determination so that it can reasonably be accessed by the public via the Department's website or such other locations as the Department may establish.

(Oct. 20, 2005, D.C. Law 16-33, § 2344, 52 DCR 7503; June 10, 2014, D.C. Law 20-108, § 2(u), 61 DCR 3892.)

The 2014 amendment by D.C. Law 20-108 rewrote the section heading; rewrote (a); added (a-1); in (b), substituted “decline” for “refuse,” and added a comma following “market,” and added “or certified”; and added (c).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 2344 of Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2005 (D.C. Act 16-168, July 26, 2005, 52 DCR 7667).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of D.C. Law 20-108, § 4(c), see § 7005 of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-377, July 14, 2014, 61 DCR 7598, 20 STAT 3696).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of D.C. Law 20-108, § 4(c), see § 7005 of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-449, October 10, 2014, 61 DCR 10915, 20 STAT 4188).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of D.C. Law 20-108, § 4(c), see § 7005 of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Second Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-566, January 9, 2015, 62 DCR 884, 21 STAT 541).

Applicability of D.C. Law 20-108: Section 4(a) of D.C. Law 20-108 provided that applications pending as of June 10, 2014, shall not be subject to the provisions of the act.

Section 4(b) of D.C. Law 20-108 provided that, except as provided in § 2-218.46(f), contracts existing or pending as of June 10, 2014, shall not be affected by the provisions of the act.

Section 4(c) of D.C. Law 20-108 provided that the act shall apply upon the inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, as certified by the Chief Financial Officer to the Budget Director of the Council in a certification published by the Council in the District of Columbia Register.

Section 4(c) of D.C. Law 20-108 was repealed by D.C. Law 20-155, § 7005.