§ 15-4-307 - Minority Business Advisory Council. - Arkansas Statutes

15-4-307. Minority Business Advisory Council.

(a) The Division of Minority Business Enterprise of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission shall be represented by a statewide Minority Business Advisory Council and shall report to that council.

(b) (1) The council shall consist of seven (7) members.

(2) The council shall:

(A) Monitor progress, make recommendations, and develop strategic plans for performance improvement; and

(B) Report to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(c) (1) The Governor shall appoint three (3) members of the council with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(2) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall appoint two (2) members of the council.

(3) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint two (2) members of the council.

(4) Appointments shall reflect and be representative of the minority business community, resource organizations, entrepreneurs, corporations, and other minority business advocates.

(d) Except as otherwise provided by law, members of the council shall serve without compensation.

(e) The term of office of the council shall be at the pleasure of the appointing officer.

(f) There is established a formal relationship between the council and the Administrator of the Division of Minority Business Enterprise of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

(g) (1) The administrator and the small disadvantaged business officer shall be the liaison to the council and shall be responsible for submitting to the council any reports and documents under the provisions of this section.

(2) Their duties in relation to this section shall be considered official duty in the conduct of state business.

(h) The council's duties and responsibilities shall be to:

(1) Review reports and interpret each agency's achievement of its goals;

(2) Advise the Governor when an agency has not reached its goals;

(3) Make annual reports to the Governor;

(4) Recommend to the state agency, the division, and the Office of State Procurement of the Department of Finance and Administration corrective actions to strengthen minority business opportunities in the state; and

(5) Conduct public hearings when necessary to obtain public input and support for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this subchapter.

(i) Each state agency, through its minority business officer, shall submit to the division, the council, and the office the agency's plan to reach its goals for the coming fiscal year and shall:

(1) Be submitted to the division by June 30 of each year;

(2) Contain the name of the state agency submitting the plan;

(3) Contain a policy statement signed by the agency head expressing a commitment to use minority businesses in all aspects of contracting to the maximum extent feasible;

(4) Identify the name of the minority business officer in the agency who is responsible for developing and administering the compliance plan;

(5) Establish a timetable for the agency to reach its goals under the plan and the manner in which the agency intends to reach its goals; and

(6) Contain any other procedures the division deems necessary to comply with the goals and the compliance plan.