Childcare business enterprise participation goal: childcare bid preference.

Existing law establishes bid preferences and participation goals in public contracting for certain types of bidders. The Small Business Procurement and Contract Act establishes a minimum goal of 25% procurement participation for small businesses, including microbusinesses, in the provision of goods, information technology, and services to the state, and in the construction of state facilities. The Small Business Procurement and Contract Act requires that state agencies awarding contracts for goods, information technology, services, and construction give 5% bid preferences, as specified, to small business and microbusiness bidders. The California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program requires state departments that award contracts to establish 3% participation goals for certain types of contracts for certified disabled veteran business enterprises, as defined. This bill would require an awarding department, defined as a state agency, department, governmental entity, or other officer or entity empowered by law to enter into contracts on behalf of the state, to have a statewide procurement participation goal of not less than an unspecified percentage for childcare business enterprises, as defined. The bill would require an awarding department, within its respective area of responsibility, to provide for a bid preference in an unspecified percentage, as prescribed, to contractors, companies, or businesses that engage in specified business activities relating to childcare, if their bid is otherwise similar to that of other bidders. The bill would require the Department of General Services to adopt rules and regulations for the purpose of implementing these provisions.