House Resolution 190
By: Representatives Miller of the 62nd, Willis of the 55th, Crawford of the 89th, Wilkerson of
the 38th, Cannon of the 58th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Creating the House Study Committee on Minority Business Enterprises, Women Owned
Businesses, and Veteran Owned Businesses in State Contracting; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, as the purchasing agent for the State of Georgia, the Department of
Administrative Services is responsible for the procurement of roughly $4.5 billion of goods
and services each year for state agencies, the University System of Georgia, and the
Technical College System of Georgia; and
WHEREAS, the State Purchasing Division negotiates contracts to ensure customers receive
the best value for the dollars they spend, while providing suppliers with a fair opportunity
to compete for business with state entities; and
WHEREAS, minority business enterprises, women owned businesses, and veteran owned
businesses, particularly those that are under resourced and operate at lower capacities, are
important to the growth and success of Georgia's economy; and
WHEREAS, there is a need to determine how best to increase outreach and improve access
to contracting opportunities for minority business enterprises, women owned businesses, and
veteran owned businesses, especially those that are most in need of increased resources and
capacity levels; and
WHEREAS, the development of strategies to attract more bidders, and to ensure that such
bidders are able to identify bid opportunities, possess the readiness to bid, and are taking
advantage of any available state and federal grants and other funding to maximize their
viability, may serve to increase the likelihood of participation in state contracts by minority
business enterprises, women owned businesses, and veteran owned businesses that are most
in need of such opportunities; and
WHEREAS, knowing the current level of participation of minority business enterprises,
women owned businesses, and veteran owned businesses in state contracts and how this
compares to the number of qualified minority business enterprises, women owned
businesses, and veteran owned businesses ready, willing, and able to provide goods and
services under state contracts is necessary in order to determine what steps and strategies
would be most effective in increasing outreach to and improving access for such enterprises
and businesses that are most in need.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee
on Minority Business Enterprises, Women Owned Businesses, and Veteran Owned
Businesses in State Contracting.
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the
House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives. The Speaker shall also appoint an additional three nonlegislative
members of the committee, one of whom shall be the owner of a minority business
enterprise, one of whom shall be the owner of a women owned business, and one of
whom shall be the owner of a veteran owned business. The Speaker shall designate a
legislative member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.
(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,
issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto, including, but not limited to, a
determination of where data sets may be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender,
disability, veteran status, or other key demographic variables, and recommend any action
or legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.
(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee
may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or
convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and
accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.
(5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.
(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided
for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
(B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,
or who are state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the
committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the
performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they
are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.
(C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state
employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that
specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state
employees.
(D) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member
of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds
necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds
appropriated to the House of Representatives; except that funds for the reimbursement
of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and for the
reimbursement of the expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated
to or otherwise available to their respective agencies.
(6) Report.
(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that
include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the
same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.
(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for
proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)
of this paragraph.
(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of
abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.
A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with
the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the
House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu
thereof.
(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.