7-4-206 - Minority owned businesses. - Tennessee Statutes

7-4-206. Minority owned businesses.

(a)  A metropolitan government, in soliciting bids for the construction of a publicly owned convention center in excess of four hundred million dollars ($400,000,000) in costs located within the territory of that metropolitan government, shall actively solicit bids from minority owned businesses. The metropolitan government shall strive to maximize participation of minority owned businesses through both prime and second tier business contracting opportunities.

(b)  (1)  The metropolitan council shall ensure that the funds that are deposited into the convention center fund created pursuant to this part, are expended in a nondiscriminatory manner.

     (2)  The metropolitan government shall monitor the expenditure of funds from the convention center fund to ensure that all contractors, vendors, suppliers and professional services providers receiving compensation from the fund do not discriminate in hiring, partnering, contracting or subcontracting on the basis of race, religion, ethnic background, or sex.

     (3)  The metropolitan government shall monitor the results of minority owned business participation. The metropolitan government shall periodically investigate to ascertain whether minority owned business participation is being achieved at a level contemplated pursuant to subsection (a) and shall report information to the comptroller of the treasury in the manner proscribed in subdivision (b)(4).

     (4)  The metropolitan government shall prepare and submit a quarterly report entitled “the convention center compliance report,” which shall be submitted to the comptroller of the treasury no later than twenty (20) business days after the end of any calendar quarter in which funds are expended from the convention center fund. The report shall include:

          (A)  Data on the race, religion, ethnic background and sex of the workforce of each person that receives funds from the convention center fund;

          (B)  Data on the actual expenditure of funds to minority owned businesses from the convention center fund; and

          (C)  Data summarizing the findings of all periodic investigations conducted in accordance with subdivision (b)(3).

     (5)  The comptroller of the treasury shall, upon receipt of the report from the metropolitan government, transmit a synopsis of the report to the chairs and membership of the state and local government committees of the senate and the house of representatives.

[Acts 2007, ch. 422, § 7.]