Certified Business Enterprise assistance

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*NOTE: This section was created by temporary legislation that will expire on February 4, 2022.*

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on October 22, 2021. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Permanent Version.*

(a) Notwithstanding subchapter IX-A of this chapter, or any other provision of District law or regulation, during the period from March 11, 2020, until November 5, 2021, any contract for a government-assisted project in excess of $250,000 that is unrelated to the District's response to the COVID-19 emergency but entered into during the COVID-19 emergency, absent a waiver pursuant to § 2-218.51, shall provide that:

(1) At least 50% of the dollar volume of the contract be subcontracted to small business enterprises; or

(2) If there are insufficient qualified small business enterprises to meet the requirement of paragraph (1) of this subsection, the subcontracting requirement may be satisfied by subcontracting 50% of the dollar volume ("CBE minimum expenditure") to any qualified certified business enterprises; provided, that best efforts shall be made to ensure that qualified small business enterprises are significant participants in the overall subcontracting work.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a certified business enterprise awarded a contract for a government-assisted project in excess of $250,000 that is unrelated to the District's response to the COVID-19 emergency but entered into during the COVID-19 emergency shall:

(1) Perform at least 35% of the contracting effort with its own organization and resources if the certified business enterprise is granted points or a price reduction pursuant to § 2-218.43 or selected through a set-aside program; and

(2) If the certified business enterprise subcontracts, ensure that 50% of the dollar volume of the subcontracted effort be with certified business enterprises unless a waiver is granted pursuant to § 2-218.51.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a certified joint venture awarded a contract for a government-assisted project in excess of $250,000 that is unrelated to the District's response to the COVID-19 emergency but entered into during the COVID-19 emergency shall:

(1) Perform at least 50% of the contracting effort with its own organization and resources if the certified joint venture is granted points or a price reduction pursuant to § 2-218.43 or selected through a set-aside program; and

(2) If the certified joint venture subcontracts, 50% of the dollar volume of the subcontracted effort shall be with certified business enterprises unless a waiver is granted pursuant to § 2-218.51.

(d)(1) For every dollar expended by a beneficiary with a resident-owned business, the beneficiary shall receive a credit for $1.10 against the CBE minimum expenditure.

(2) For every dollar expended by a beneficiary with a disadvantaged business enterprise, the beneficiary shall receive a credit for $1.25 against the CBE minimum expenditure.

(3) For every dollar expended by a beneficiary that uses a company designated as both a disadvantaged business enterprise under § 2-218.33 and as a resident-owned business under § 2-218.02(15), the beneficiary shall receive a credit for $1.30 against the CBE minimum expenditure.

(e) For the purposes of this section, the term:

(1) "Beneficiary" has the same meaning as set forth in § 2-218.02(1B).

(2) "Best efforts" means that a beneficiary is obligated to make its best attempt to accomplish the agreed-to goal, even when there is uncertainty or difficulty.

(3) "COVID-19 emergency" means the emergencies declared in the Declaration of Public Emergency (Mayor's Order 2020-045) together with the Declaration of Public Health Emergency (Mayor's Order 2020-046), declared on March 11, 2020, including any extension of those declared emergencies.

(4) "Disadvantaged business enterprise" has the same meaning as set forth in § 2-218.33.

(5) "Government-assisted project" has the same meaning as set forth in § 2-218.02(9A).

(6) "Longtime resident business" has the same meaning as set forth in§ 2-218.02(13).

(7) "Resident-owned business" has the same meaning as set forth in § 2-218.02(15).

(8) "Small Business Enterprises" has the same meaning as set forth in § 2-218.32.

(f) Contracts entered into on an emergency basis or that are made in furtherance of, or that are related to, the District's response to the COVID-19 emergency shall not be subject to the requirements of subchapter IX-A of this chapter or subchapter X of this chapter.

(June 24, 2021, D.C. Law 24-9, § 203, 68 DCR 004824; July 24, 2021, D.C. Act 24-125, § 3(g), 68 DCR 007342.)

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 3(g) of Public Emergency Extension and Eviction and Utility Moratorium Phasing Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-125, July 24, 2021, 68 DCR 007342).

For temporary (90 days) amendment to this section, see § 3 of D.C. Act 23-524.

For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 203 of Coronavirus Support Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-96, June 7, 2021, 68 DCR 006025).

For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 203 of Coronavirus Support Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-30, Mar. 17, 2021, 68 DCR 003101).

For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 203 of Coronavirus Support Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-328, June 8, 2020, 67 DCR 7598).

For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 203 of Coronavirus Support Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-326, May 27, 2020, 67 DCR 7045).

Temporary Legislation

For temporary (225 days) creation of this section, see § 203 of Coronavirus Support Temporary Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Law 24-9, June 24, 2021, 68 DCR 004824).

For temporary (225 days) creation of this section, see § 203 of Coronavirus Support Temporary Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-130, Oct. 9, 2020, 67 DCR 8622).


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