View Amendment Current Amendment: 8a to Bill 3066 Reps. BUTLER GARRICK and J. E. SMITH propose the following Amendment No. 8a to H. 3066 (COUNCIL\MS\7787AHB12):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by deleting Section 1-30-125(A)(15), as contained in SECTION 4, and inserting:

/            (15)      Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification as established by Section 11-35-5270, formerly known as the Small and Minority Business Assistance Office; and /

Amend the bill further, by deleting Section 11-35-5270, as contained in SECTION 7V., Part V, and inserting:

/      Section 11-35-5270.      A Small and Minority Business Assistance Office (SMBAO) shall The Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification must be established within the Department of Administration to assist the board Department of Administration and the Department of Revenue in carrying out the intent of this article. The responsibilities of the division shall include, but are not be limited to, the following:
     (1)      Assist assisting the chief procurement officers and governmental bodies in developing policies and procedures which will facilitate awarding contracts to small and minority firms;
     (2)      Assist 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)      Assist assisting with the procurement and management training for small and minority firm owners;
     (4)      Assist assisting in the identification of responsive small and minority firms;
     (5)      Receive and process receiving and processing applications to be registered as a minority firm in accordance with Section 11-35-5230(B);
     (6)      create a new Uniform Certification System to streamline the certification process and reduce the redundancy in certifying women and minority-owned businesses and create a centralized small and minority business contracting and certification database.
     (7)      The SMBAO may revoke revoking the certification of any firm which 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)(8)      After a period of one year, the SMBAO 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." /

Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.