HOYLMAN, NGLCC & USBLN INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE LGBT-OWNED, DISABILITY-OWNED, AND VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES IN STATE CONTRACTING

Introduced with support of The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, the business voice of the LGBT community

Builds on successful efforts in Massachusetts and California to aid LGBT-owned businesses in state procurement processes 

NEW YORK – State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), with support from The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and US Business Leadership Network (USBLN), introduced legislation today that would encourage greater diversity in New York State’s procurement process by ensuring equal access to contracting opportunities for certified LGBT-, disability-, and veteran-owned small businesses.

The Supplier Diversity Act would make New York the first state to legislatively establish a comprehensive, statewide program to provide traditionally underrepresented small businesses with greater economic opportunity through meaningful participation in New York State’s nearly $240 billion contracting and procurement system. The legislation, which expands on recent initiatives in Massachusetts and California, will cultivate innovation, create jobs, and drive economic growth for an estimated 86,000 LGBT-owned, 25,000 veteran-owned, and thousands of disability-owned businesses throughout the state.

Under the provisions of the bill, the State would create a new Division of Supplier Diversity within Office of General Services that would serve as a resource for the establishment, growth and success of small businesses owned by members of the LGBT, disability, or veteran communities.

Among its responsibilities, the Division of Supplier Diversity would:

• Establish a directory of certified, contract-ready small businesses.
• Develop a statewide plan to promote LGBT-, disability-, and veteran-owned small businesses.
• Coordinate the training of personnel across state agencies to ensure greater awareness of the unique challenges and barriers to entry that these businesses and their owners face.

The NGLCC, which is named as an officially recognized certification provider in this law, serves as the exclusive third-party certification body for LGBT-owned businesses in America. Currently over one-third of the Fortune 500 recognize this certification and seek these innovative businesses nationwide. Similarly, the USBLN would serve as the official certification provider for qualified disability-owned businesses.

Senator Brad Hoylman said: “New York State currently has more than 50,000 contracts worth nearly $240 billion a year.  The success of our state’s Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise program has demonstrated that our state has an opportunity and responsibility to leverage those tremendous resources to ensure a seat at the table for those who remain underrepresented in state contracting or the business world. The Supplier Diversity Act will make New York a true engine of economic development, creating jobs and opportunities for the LGBT, disability and veteran communities.”

“Nothing says ‘Ever Upward’ like allowing New York to live up to its state motto, always leading the way to equality by creating greater access to the American Dream. The Supplier Diversity Act has the power to create the greatest economic advancement for LGBT and disabled New Yorkers by offering the equal seat at the table they deserve as tax-paying, job creating citizens of the state,” said NGLCC Co-Founder & CEO Chance Mitchell. “LGBT and disability inclusive procurement opportunities means that there will be greater diverse business visibility across New York. Economic visibility, just like social visibility, is essential in building a diverse and inclusive society, as we have previously demonstrated in our work with the Fortune 500, federal agencies, and the states of Massachusetts and California.”

“Expanding New York’s supplier diversity pool would create huge economic opportunities for growing, lesbian-owned companies like ours,” said Cindi Creager and Rainie Cole, Co-Founders of CreagerCole Communications LLC, a New York based public relations firm. “As a certified LGBTBE in New York, we welcome the chance to do business with the state that we love and to bring our authentic selves to the negotiating table as we vie for contracts here. A victory like this in New York would be a great boon to our company and allow us to contribute to maintaining and growing a vibrant economy in the Empire State.”

“This historic legislative opportunity in New York offers other states—and the entire federal government—a replicable framework to promote the intentional inclusion of certified LGBT Business Enterprises into their procurement and contracting codes. We thank Senator Hoylman for his continued leadership on behalf of all diverse communities in New York,” said NGLCC Senior Vice President Sam McClure.  “As we saw with the over 200% increase in LGBTBE certifications following California’s AB1678 mandate, we expect a major increase in applications for job-creating, economy-innovating LGBT businesses throughout the State of New York.  For those in the State of New York looking to get involved with these opportunities, we encourage getting involved with NGLCCNY, our NY metro affiliate office.”

The NGLCC Supplier Diversity Initiative was inspired by the National Minority Supplier Development Council and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council, respectively, and their mission to create opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses to gain development and procurement opportunities.  The USBLN was created to certify the disability business community, and is named in the bill as a recognized third party certification body along with NGLCC. In addition to certification, the USBLN created a Disability Equality Index, a joint initiative with the American Association of People with Disabilities, which offers businesses an opportunity to receive an objective score on their disability inclusion policies and practices.

“We are happy to see New York lead the way for including people with disabilities in their state supply chain,” said Jill Houghton, Executive Director, USBLN. “There are an estimated 57 million Americans with disabilities and around 11 percent of persons with disabilities who are working are self-employed. Our certification process is a critical tool to assist disability-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses gain access to supply chain contracting opportunities. This advocacy will pave the way to create economic growth and business viability for men and women with disabilities across New York state. Our partnership with NGLCC is a great example of diverse communities working together to strengthen both corporate and governmental supply chains. We hope this New York legislation will become a shining example for other states across the nation.”