Sec. 375.222. DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES. (a) A district shall attempt to stimulate the growth of disadvantaged businesses inside its boundaries by encouraging the full participation of disadvantaged businesses in all phases of its procurement activities and affording those disadvantaged businesses a full and fair opportunity to compete for district contracts.

(b) A district shall establish one or more programs designed to increase participation by disadvantaged businesses in public contract awards. Each program shall be structured to further remedial goals and shall be established to eradicate the effects of any prior discrimination.

(c) The board shall review each of its disadvantaged business programs on an annual basis to determine if each program is the most effective method for remedying historical discriminatory actions. The board's review shall determine whether statistically significant disparities exist between the disadvantaged businesses in the relevant market that are qualified to undertake district work and the percentage of total district funds that are awarded to disadvantaged businesses.

(d) A program established by a district under this section must attempt to remedy any statistically significant disparities that are found to exist, and, because a program is remedial in nature, it continues only until its purposes and objectives are met as determined by the regular periodic review.

Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 16, Sec. 13.05(a), eff. Aug. 26, 1991.