NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7686

Senate Bill S7686

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Includes middle eastern and north African persons in the definition of minority group member for purposes of participation by minority group members and women with respect to state contracts

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Procurement And Contracts Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 29, 2025	referred to procurement and contracts

2025-S7686 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2691
Current Committee:: Senate Procurement And Contracts
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §310, Exec L

2025-S7686 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Includes Middle Eastern and North African persons in the definition of "minority group member" for purposes of participation by minority group members and women with respect to state contracts.

2025-S7686 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7686

SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to including middle east-
ern and north African persons in the definition of "minority group
member" for purposes of participation by minority group members and
women with respect to state contracts

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Includes middle eastern and north African persons in the definition of
minority group member for purposes of participation by minority group
members and women with respect to state contracts

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends subdivision 8 of section 310 of the executive law to
include Middle Eastern and North African persons in minority groups
eligible for Minority and Women owned Business Enterprise contracts

Section two sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) communities across New York
State remain underserved, exhibiting higher rates of language needs,
housing insecurity, poverty, domestic abuse, and health disparities.
Despite this, MENA individuals, organizations, and businesses face
difficulties when attempting to receive equity-based support due to
their classification as white.

While the Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program
was created to include minority groups in business development opportu-
nities it did not include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) commu-
nities in the definition of minority groups. The Institute for Social
Policy and Understanding released a report examining the contributions
of Muslim Americans to the city. The report found that Muslims owned
about 100,000 small businesses including restaurants, fashion stores,
and bodegas. Additionally, the latest Census data indicates that there
are over 280,000 MENA New Yorkers but noted that recent studies indicate
that the actual figure is over half a million.

This bill will ensure that MENA communities can access the economic
support they need to ensure their businesses thrive.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that the
amendments to subdivision 8 of section 310 of the executive law made by
section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and
shall be deemed repealed therewith.

2025-S7686 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7686
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 29, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Procurement and Contracts
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to including middle east-
   ern  and  north  African  persons in the definition of "minority group
   member" for purposes of participation by minority  group  members  and
   women with respect to state contracts
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subdivision 8 of section  310  of
 the  executive  law,  as  added  by chapter 261 of the laws of 1988, are
 amended and a new paragraph (e) is added to read as follows:
   (c) Native American or Alaskan native persons having origins in any of
 the original peoples of North America[.];
   (d) Asian and Pacific Islander persons having origins in  any  of  the
 Far  East  countries,  South  East  Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the
 Pacific Islands[.];
   (E) MIDDLE EASTERN AND NORTH AFRICAN PERSONS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided,  however,  that
 the amendments to subdivision 8 of section 310 of the executive law made
 by  section  one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section
 and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06277-01-5

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