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5/29/2025
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House approves Giraldo bill to provide contractors with list of minority and women-owned businesses
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STATE HOUSE — The House of Representatives today approved legislation introduced by Rep. Joshua J. Giraldo (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls) that would provide a list of minority-owned businesses to all contractors of state funded and state directed public construction programs.
The legislation is one of 15 bills that have been identified by the Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus as legislative priorities. The bill (2025-H 5684) would require the Department of Administration to provide a list of certified minority and women-owned business enterprises to each prospective contractor of a construction project, and would prohibit the issuance of a waiver from this requirement until the contractor received assistance from the department.
“This legislation is an important milestone for equitable procurement by expanding opportunities for historically excluded business owners,” said Representative Giraldo. “By promoting exposure to minority and women-owned businesses, we also promote transparency and accountability in the construction process.”
Ellijah McLean, manager of government relations and policy for United Way Rhode Island, testified in favor of the legislation, telling the House Labor Committee, “As highlighted in a 2023 Brookings Institution report, Black- and Latino-owned businesses are significantly underrepresented in public contracting, receiving less than 2% of federal procurement dollars nationally, despite representing a much larger share of the population and small business sector. Rhode Island must continue to lead with policies that correct these imbalances. Strengthening supports for MWBEs ensures that public investments generate shared economic prosperity across all communities.”
The measure now moves to the Senate where similar legislation (2025-S 0311) has been introduced by Sen. Lammis J. Vargas (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence).
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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