The Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification must be established within the Department of Administration to assist the Department of Administration and the Department of Revenue in carrying out the intent of this article. The responsibilities of the division include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) assisting the chief procurement officers and governmental bodies in developing policies and procedures which will facilitate awarding contracts to small and minority firms;

(2) assisting the chief procurement officers in aiding small and minority-owned firms and community-based business in developing organizations to provide technical assistance to minority firms;

(3) assisting with the procurement and management training for small and minority firm owners;

(4) assisting in the identification of responsive small and minority firms;

(5) receiving and processing applications to be registered as a minority firm in accordance with Section 11-35-5230(B);

(6) revoking the certification of any firm that has been found to have engaged in any of the following:

(a) fraud or deceit in obtaining the certification;

(b) furnishing of substantially inaccurate or incomplete information concerning ownership or financial status;

(c) failure to report changes which affect the requirements for certification;

(d) gross negligence, incompetence, financial irresponsibility, or misconduct in the practice of his business; or

(e) wilful violation of any provision of this article.

(7) After a period of one year, the division may reissue a certificate of eligibility provided acceptable evidence has been presented to the commission that the conditions which caused the revocation have been corrected.

HISTORY: 1981 Act No. 148, Section 1; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 98; 1997 Act No. 153, Section 1; 2006 Act No. 376, Section 61; 2014 Act No. 121 (S.22), Pt V, Section 7.V, eff July 1, 2015.

Effect of Amendment

2014 Act No. 121, Section 7.V, rewrote the section.