Okla. Stat. tit. 74, § 74-85.45j.11: Oklahoma Supplier Diversity Initiative

A. There is hereby created the "Oklahoma Supplier Diversity

Initiative", which shall be a state-sponsored supplier diversity

program to provide a resource for state agencies and private

businesses to utilize diverse firms in procurement opportunities to

encourage growth in the economy of the state. The program shall

provide convenience for qualified and certified small business

enterprises and minority business enterprises in contracting

projects in underserved areas.

B. The program shall allow diverse business enterprises to

register with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and

allow registered vendors to be automatically notified of

opportunities to do business with the state for specific

commodities. The program shall provide for simplified vendor

registration processes.

C. The program shall authorize the Oklahoma Department of

Commerce to develop a diversity certification program to qualify and

certify diverse business enterprises for the state.

D. To qualify for the program, businesses shall have less than

five hundred total employees, an annual revenue equal to or less

than Twenty-five Million Dollars ($25,000,000.00) and be certified

as one of the following:

1. An Oklahoma Department of Transportation Disadvantaged

Business Enterprise;

2. Any of the following entities certified by the United States

Small Business Administration:

a. Woman-Owned Small Business,

b. Minority-Business Enterprise,

c. Small Disadvantaged Business,

d. Service-disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business,

e. HUBZone Small Business Concern, and

f. 8(a) Business Development Program;

3. A Native American-owned Business; or

4. A Veteran-owned Business.

E. The Central Purchasing Division of the Office of Management

and Enterprise Services shall:

1. Amend the vendor registration process to require diversity

certification check off and size standard information; and

2. Create a search tool for all state agencies and public or

private entities to utilize to obtain contact information for

diverse firms for the purpose of promoting procurement opportunities

within the state.

F. On or before September 1 of each year, the State Purchasing

Director shall submit a report to the Governor, the Speaker of the

House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate

on the status of the percentile of state funds expended on contracts

awarded to a certified Oklahoma Department of Transportation

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and all of the entities certified

by the United States Small Business Administration mentioned in

subsection D of this section in the preceding fiscal year. The

report may include related economic impacts when applicable. The

report, statistics or other information concerning the participation

in the program shall be retained by the Office of Management and

Enterprise Services.

G. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce shall promulgate rules

to create and administer the Oklahoma Supplier Diversity Initiative.