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Committee releases bill changing small‑business set‑aside eligibility, removing 100‑employee cap
Summary
Assembly Bill 4928 would revise eligibility for the state's Small Business Enterprise (SBE) set‑aside program by removing a 100‑employee cap and changing the gross‑revenue lookback from three years to five years; business and construction groups urged release.
The committee released Assembly Bill 4928, which would revise eligibility rules for the state small business set‑aside (SBE) program by removing a 100‑employee limit and changing the gross‑revenue measurement from a three‑year to a five‑year standard.
Proponents told the committee the 100‑employee cap, established when the program was created in 1984, constrains hiring and growth for firms that otherwise meet the federal revenue‑based definition of a small business. Joe Feuerlise, president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey, said the change would expand the pool of eligible firms, promote hiring, and improve competition and project delivery for major capital agencies such as the Department of Transportation, New Jersey Transit and the Turnpike Authority.
Feuerlise and other witnesses said the bill would remove what they called an arbitrary barrier to growth for firms that rely on SBE set asides. "The 100 employee limit ... represents an arbitrary barrier on hiring," Feuerlise said, arguing that the federal revenue cap revised periodically by the U.S. Small Business Administration already serves to define small businesses.
Formal action: Committee members voted to release Assembly Bill 4928 after testimony. Assemblyman Sharfenberger moved the motion to release; committee members recorded affirmative responses and the chair announced "The bill is released." The transcript does not show any nay votes, abstentions, or recorded amendments.
What’s next: Releasing the bill advances it out of committee for further legislative consideration; the hearing transcript does not record implementation details, cost estimates, or any specific amendment language.
Votes at a glance: On the motion to release Assembly Bill 4928 the record shows yes responses from Assemblyman Sharfenberger; Assemblyman Keane; Assemblywoman McCann Stamato; Assemblyman Miller; Assemblywoman Koyasas Gill; Vice Chairwoman Speight; and Chairman Stanley.
