HARRY HUGHES, Governor

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[(2)] (II) Locating potential sources for various

products and services and affirmatively seeking to locate

potential minority business enterprise sources for various
products and services;

[(3)] (III) Assisting small businesses in complying
with the procedures for bidding on State contracts;

[(4)] (IV) Examining requests from using authorities
for purchase of products or services to help determine which
invitations to bid are to be designated small business
set-asides;

[(5)] (V) Simplifying procurement specifications and
terms in order to increase the opportunities for small business
participation;

[(6)] (VI) Investigating the responsibility of
bidders on small business set-asides; and

[(7)] (VII) Providing to a small business the reason
for which any bid by the small business for a small business
set-aside was rejected.

(2) The Secretary shall be provided assistance from
the Department of Economic and Community Development in
specifying procedures for [paragraphs (c) (1) and (2)] PARAGRAPHS
(1) (I) AND (II) OF THIS SUBSECTION.

(d)   [The] EACH Secretary may designate purchase requests
for specified supplies or services, which have been requested
through or with the approval of the Secretary, as small business
set-asides. The invitation to bid shall indicate purchases that
have been designated small business set-asides.

(e)  Each small business set-aside purchase shall be made
through bidding procedures established by the Secretary.
Invitations to bid shall be sent to small businesses in addition
to regular bidders to establish a reasonable price range
commensurate with current market conditions. Subject to
subsection (f) of this section, the purchase, contract, or
expenditure of funds shall be awarded in accordance with this
article.

(f)  (1) EACH SECRETARY SHALL ESTABLISH, FOR EACH CLASS OF
BUSINESSES, A PREDETERMINED PERCENTAGE PREFERENCE FOR THE
PURPOSES OF PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION. THE PREDETERMINED
PERCENTAGE PREFERENCES SHALL MAY VARY FROM INDUSTRY TO INDUSTRY
TO REFLECT DIFFERENT INDUSTRY CHARACTERISTICS. THE PERCENTAGE IS
SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.

(2) The Secretary shall accept the lowest responsive
and responsible bid from a small business for a small business
set-aside, if the bid does not exceed by [5 percent] THE
PREDETERMINED PERCENTAGE PREFERENCE the bid received from the