Senate Bill sb1976

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1976

    By Senator Meek





    36-1332-02                                              See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to historically underutilized

  3         business bondings; providing a short title;

  4         providing definitions; prohibiting state

  5         governmental agencies from requiring certain

  6         bonding companies, agents, or brokers for

  7         certain public construction contracts under

  8         certain circumstances; requiring the Department

  9         of Management Services to establish a program

10         to provide certain surety assistance services

11         to historically underutilized businesses;

12         authorizing the department to contract with

13         certain entities to implement the program;

14         providing an effective date.

15

16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

17

18         Section 1.  Short title.--This act may be cited as the

19  "State Historically Underutilized Businesses Bonding Act."

20         Section 2.  Bonding for historically underutilized

21  businesses.--

22         (1)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this act, the term:

23         (a)  "Historically underutilized business" means a

24  small business that is a profit-making corporation, sole

25  proprietorship, partnership, or joint venture in which more

26  than 50 percent of the shares of stock or other equitable

27  securities are owned by one or more persons who are members of

28  the following groups:

29         1.  Black American, including all persons having

30  origins of black racial groups of Africa.

31

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1976
    36-1332-02                                              See HB




  1         2.  Hispanic American, including all persons of

  2  Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or

  3  other Spanish or Portuguese culture or origin, regardless of

  4  race.

  5         3.  Asian Pacific American, including persons whose

  6  origins are from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos,

  7  Cambodia, the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Territories

  8  of the Pacific, or the Northern Marianas, and Subcontinent

  9  Asian Americans, which includes persons whose origins are from

10  India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, or Nepal.

11         4.  Native American, including persons who are American

12  Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, or Native Hawaiians.

13         5.  Women, including women of any ethnicity.

14         (b)  "Small business" means an entity that qualifies as

15  a small business pursuant to 13 C.F.R. s. 121.

16         (2)  BONDING FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED

17  BUSINESSES.--

18         (a)  A state governmental entity may not require a

19  contractor or subcontractor for any public building

20  construction contract or other public construction contract to

21  obtain a surety bond from any specific insurance or surety

22  company, agent, or broker. To the extent consistent with law,

23  the government entity may require a contractor or

24  subcontractor to meet any part or all of the bonding or

25  insurance requirements for the contract under a negotiated

26  arrangement.

27         (b)  The Department of Management Services shall

28  establish a program to provide surety technical assistance

29  services for the benefit of historically underutilized

30  businesses. The department may contract with insurance

31

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1976
    36-1332-02                                              See HB




  1  companies, surety companies, agents, or brokers to implement

  2  this program.

  3         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002,

  4  and shall apply to all state construction contracts executed

  5  on or after that date.

  6

  7            *****************************************

  8                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

  9
      Prohibits state governmental entities from requiring a
10    contractor or subcontractor for public building
      construction contracts or other public construction
11    contracts to obtain a surety bond from any specific
      insurance or surety company, agent, or broker but
12    authorizes a government entity to require a contractor or
      subcontractor to meet any part or all of the bonding or
13    insurance requirements for a public construction project
      under a negotiated arrangement. Requires the Department
14    of Management Services to establish a program to provide
      surety technical assistance services for the benefit of
15    historically underutilized businesses and authorizes the
      department to contract with insurance companies, surety
16    companies, agents, or brokers to implement the program.

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.