PRINTER'S NO. 1758
No. 1329 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY C. WILLIAMS, SCHWARTZ, KITCHEN, O'PAKE, WAGNER,
STOUT, LOGAN, COSTA AND KUKOVICH, MARCH 5, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MARCH 5, 2002
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Women's Business Ownership Council; providing
2 for its powers and duties; and making an appropriation.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Women's
7 Business Ownership Act.
8 Section 2. Women's Business Ownership Council.
9 (a) Council established.--There is established within the
10 Department of Community and Economic Development the Women's
11 Business Ownership Council. The council shall consist of ten
12 members, with five persons appointed by the Governor, one person
13 appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate, one person
14 appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, one person
15 appointed by the Majority Leader of the House of
16 Representatives, one person appointed by the Minority Leader of
17 the House of Representatives and one person appointed by the
18 Governor from the Pennsylvania Commission for Women.
1 (b) Qualifications of council members.--Appointed members
2 shall be uniquely qualified by education, professional knowledge
3 or experience to serve on the council and shall reflect the
4 ethnic, cultural and geographic diversity of this Commonwealth.
5 Of the ten members, at least five shall be women business
6 owners. For purposes of this act, a woman business owner shall
7 be defined as a woman who is either:
8 (1) the principal of a company or business concern, 51%
9 of which is owned, operated and controlled by women; or
10 (2) a senior officer or director of a company or
11 business concern who also has either:
12 (i) material responsibility for the daily operations
13 and management of the overall company or business
14 concern; or
15 (ii) material responsibility for the policymaking of
16 the company or business concern.
17 (c) Initial appointment.--Of the initial appointments,
18 members shall be randomly assigned to staggered terms, four
19 members shall be appointed for a term of three years, three
20 members shall be appointed for a term of two years and three
21 members shall be appointed for a term of one year. Upon the
22 expiration of each member's term, a successor shall be appointed
23 for a term of three years.
24 (d) Vacancy in office.--In the case of a vacancy in the
25 office of any member, a successor shall be appointed for the
26 remainder of the unexpired term by the person designated as
27 responsible for making the appointment. No member shall serve
28 more than three consecutive terms. Members shall serve without
29 compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in
30 connection with the performance of their duties as members.
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1 (e) Chairperson.--One of the members shall be designated as
2 chairperson by the Governor. In the event the Governor does not
3 appoint the chairperson within 60 days after the effective date
4 of this act, the council shall convene and elect a chairperson
5 by a simple majority vote. Upon a vacancy in the position of
6 chairperson, the Governor shall have 30 days from the date of
7 the resignation to appoint a new chairperson. In the event the
8 Governor does not appoint a new chairperson within 30 days, the
9 council shall convene and elect a new chairperson by a simple
10 majority vote.
11 (f) First meeting of council.--The first meeting of the
12 council shall be held within 90 days after the effective date of
13 this act. The council shall meet quarterly and may hold other
14 meetings on the call of the chairperson. Six members shall
15 constitute a quorum. The council may adopt rules it deems
16 necessary to govern its own procedures. The Department of
17 Community and Economic Development shall cooperate with the
18 council to fulfill the purposes of this act and shall provide
19 the council with necessary staff and administrative support.
20 (g) Fund.--The council may apply for grants from the public
21 and private sector and is authorized to accept grants, gifts and
22 donations which shall be deposited into a special fund in the
23 State Treasury to be known as the Women's Business Ownership
24 Fund.
25 (h) Executive director.--The women's business advocate shall
26 serve as executive director of the council.
27 Section 3. Duties and responsibilities of council.
28 (a) Hearings.--The council shall conduct hearings, as
29 necessary, and issue an annual report to the Governor and the
30 General Assembly regarding the status of women business owners
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1 within this Commonwealth. In that regard, the council shall
2 review the following:
3 (1) The status of women-owned businesses Statewide,
4 including progress made and barriers that remain, in order to
5 assist these businesses to enter the mainstream of the
6 Pennsylvania economy.
7 (2) The role of State and local government in assisting
8 and promoting aid to and the promotion of women-owned
9 businesses.
10 (3) Data collected by private and public sector entities
11 relating to women-owned businesses.
12 (4) Any other government initiatives that may exist
13 relating to women-owned businesses, including, but not
14 limited to, those relating to State and local procurement.
15 (b) Council recommendation.--The council shall recommend to
16 the Governor and the General Assembly, on an annual basis, all
17 of the following:
18 (1) New private sector initiatives that would provide
19 management and technical assistance to women-owned
20 businesses.
21 (2) Ways to promote greater access to public and private
22 sector financing and procurement opportunities for these
23 businesses.
24 (3) Detailed multiyear plans of action with specific
25 goals and timetables for both public and private sector
26 actions needed to overcome discriminatory barriers to full
27 participation in the economic mainstream.
28 (c) Information from State agencies.--The council may hold
29 hearings, take testimony and request information from State
30 agencies.
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1 Section 4. Appropriation.
2 The sum of $25,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary,
3 is hereby appropriated to the Department of Community and
4 Economic Development for the fiscal year July 1, 2001, to June
5 30, 2002, to carry out the provisions of this act.
6 Section 5. Effective date.
7 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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