SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, No. 1866

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

ADOPTED FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Sponsored by:

Senator  VIN GOPAL

District 11 (Monmouth)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Cruz-Perez, Corrado, Singleton, Diegnan, Brown, Addiego and Pou

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes price preference program on State contracts for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Substitute as adopted by the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee.

An Act concerning preferences for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses and supplementing P.L.1954, c.84 (C.52:34-6 et seq.).

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.    In awarding a contract which is paid with State funds and publicly advertised for bids, a State agency shall give a preference of up to 10 percent of the amount of the contract to a qualified disabled veterans’ business.  If the qualified disabled veterans’ business otherwise meets the requirements of the contract solicitation and with the preference is the lowest bidder, a State agency shall enter into a procurement contract with the qualified disabled veterans’ business.  If two or more qualified disabled veterans’ businesses are the lowest bidders on a contract, the qualified disabled veterans’ business with the lowest bid shall be awarded the contract.

     If a disabled-veteran owner dies during the term of a contract or in the bidding process for a contract and the surviving spouse acquires the disabled-veteran’s ownership interest in the business, the business shall remain eligible for the preference and that contract during the term of the contract or the bidding process for that contract. 

     As used in this act:

     “Disabled veteran” means a resident of this State who has been certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as having any degree of service-connected disability. 

     “Qualified disabled veterans’ business” means a business which (1) has its principal place of business in the State, (2) is independently owned and operated, (3) at least 51 percent of which is owned and controlled by persons who are disabled veterans, and (4) the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more disabled veterans or, in the case of a disabled veteran with a permanent and severe disability, are controlled by the spouse of such veteran. 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.