An Act to amend and reenact § 2.2-1605 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity; powers and duties; employment services organizations and service disabled veteran-owned and military family-owned businesses.
HB460 amends the powers and duties of the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity under § 2.2-1605. The bill expands and clarifies the department’s role in supporting small businesses, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, and military family-owned businesses. It also adds or reinforces duties related to employment services organizations, procurement support, complaint handling, mentorship, and coordination with state agencies and other partners.
The measure directs the department to continue coordinating state programs that affect small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses, while also strengthening its role as a liaison between businesses and state government. It requires the department to encourage training and retraining for jobs at new or expanding facilities, assist small business growth and job creation, develop industry communication programs, produce economic and job-creation reports, and review SWaM plans annually with feedback aimed at improving procurement outcomes. The bill also references the department’s authority to implement remediation or enhancement measures for certified businesses and to manage complaints about subcontracting plan compliance.
HB460 updates the statutory duties of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, expanding the department’s administrative and advisory responsibilities in procurement, business development, and workforce support. It affects state law governing SWaM participation, state contracting oversight, and the department’s coordination with agencies responsible for procurement and economic development. The bill also broadens the department’s focus to include employment services organizations and businesses owned by service-disabled veterans and military families, which may affect certification, outreach, and procurement practices for affected businesses and state agencies.
The bill appears to have been enacted without recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, suggesting limited visible controversy in the available record. Its subject matter is generally supportive of small-business development and state procurement access, which typically draws broad bipartisan or cross-sector support. The final chapter status indicates the measure was approved and became law.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or votes. Based on the text, any debate would likely center on the scope of the department’s authority, the administrative burden on state agencies and contractors, and how procurement goals and remediation measures should be implemented. Potentially affected stakeholders include state procurement officials, certified SWaM businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, military family-owned businesses, and employment services organizations.