(a) (1) The department shall develop and submit to the Legislature, by January 1, 2019, a detailed outreach plan intended to increase procurement opportunities for new and limited contracting small business enterprises, including, but not limited to, those owned by women, minority, disabled veterans, LGBT, and other disadvantaged groups, in all the department’s transportation programs, including, but not limited to, state road repairs, bridge repair and maintenance, trade corridors, congestion commute corridors, and local partnerships.

(2) The department shall update the outreach plan based on the outcome of any disparity study undertaken every three years as part of the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (Part 26 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations).

(b) The department shall undertake all of the following outreach activities, which shall be included in the plan:

(1) Sponsor, fund, or partner with apprenticeship programs, including those engaged in specific efforts to increase participation in the transportation construction industry of all groups, including, but not limited to, women, minorities, LGBT, disabled veterans, disadvantaged youth, and formerly incarcerated individuals.

(2) Host, fund, or partner with organizations that host workshops, training classes, and other activities around the state focused on opportunities to contract with the department. Contracting opportunities discussed may include, but shall not be limited to, construction, communication, and consulting services in the areas of engineering, environmental, and surveying services.

(3) Sponsor meetings to introduce prime contractors to new and limited contracting small business enterprises, including, but not limited to, those owned by women, minority, disabled veterans, LGBT, and other disadvantaged groups.

(4) Sponsor opportunities, including, but not limited to, prebid meetings and the department’s Calmentor program, to increase contacts between prime contractors and new and limited contracting small business enterprises, including, but not limited to, those owned by women, minority, disabled veterans, LGBT, and other disadvantaged groups.

(5) Partner with organizations representing persons and business enterprises from underrepresented groups, including, but not limited to, women, minority, disabled veterans, LGBT, and other disadvantaged groups, in a manner that will inform members of these organizations on opportunities to participate in transportation contracts.

(c) By January 1, 2019, the department shall submit the outreach plan prepared pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), and each update thereafter, to the California Legislative Black Caucus, California Latino Legislative Caucus, California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, California Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus, and California Legislative Women’s Caucus.

(d) The department shall annually report to the Legislature, pursuant to Section 14110.2, the percentages of entities receiving public contracts from the department, disaggregated by classifications, including, but not limited to, new and limited contracting enterprises, and women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises, and further disaggregated within each of these classifications by contract size categories, as determined by the department.

(e) All reports to the Legislature required by this section shall be submitted in conformance with Section 9795.

(f) The Inspector General of the Independent Office of Audits and Investigations shall review, audit, and report on the department’s outreach efforts required by this section. In addition, the Inspector General shall audit businesses as appropriate to ensure that persons associated with entities that do not meet the definition of a new or limited contracting small business enterprise do not create a new associated entity that would meet the definition of a new or limited contracting small business enterprise and thereby subvert the purposes of this section.

(g) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Limited contracting small business enterprise” means a certified small business, as defined in Section 14837, that has received fewer than five public contracts from the department in the previous two years or has received public contracts from the department totaling less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in the previous two years.

(2) ”New small business enterprise” means a certified small business, as defined in Section 14837, that has not received a public contract from the department in the previous two years.

(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 95, Sec. 4. (SB 103) Effective July 21, 2017.)