State Senator Patty Ritchie is announcing her legislation to boost the economy and create jobs in rural communities by making more businesses eligible to be certified for state contract work has been approved by the Legislature. 

Under the measure, the requirement for businesses to become a minority and/or women-owned business enterprise (MWBE)—a designation that can help small businesses land state contracts—to have a net worth of less than $3.5 million in order to become certified would be eliminated. 

“Every day, the state awards contracts to businesses, however, there are many businesses that are left out of these opportunities for growth due to net worth restrictions,” said Senator Patty Ritchie. “Through this legislation, we can help more small businesses expand their operations, which in turn, will boost our overall economy and create much-needed jobs for the people of our region and our state.”

The bipartisan measure is sponsored in the Assembly by Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte of Brooklyn.

The need for this legislation stemmed from a business that contacted Senator Ritchie, explaining they had been removed from the MWBE program and ruled ineligible from future state contracts because the business’s value was above the $3.5 million threshold. 

For fiscal year 2015-16, certified MWBEs secured $1.9 billion in state contracts.  In addition, since 2011, over 5,500 businesses have become certified MWBEs.  Senator Ritchie also serves as a member of the Governor’s MWBE Task Force, which seeks out ways to expand opportunities for minority and/or women owned businesses across New York.