Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sbe Procurement Affairs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Governor's office seeks repeal of dormant interdepartmental advisory committee, modernizes definitions
Summary
The governor's Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs asked the committee to repeal an inactive advisory committee and replace it with a governor's subcabinet created by executive order; the Department of Disabilities supported modernizing sheltered‑workshop language, while senators sought assurance about stakeholder representation.
Davon Gardner of the governor's Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs presented House Bill 826, asking the committee to repeal the statute establishing the Interdepartmental Advisory Committee on Small, Minority and Women's Business Affairs because the statutory body has been inactive and its functions are performed through a governor's socioeconomic‑procurement subcabinet created by executive order.
"Due to the inactivity, GATLA proposes to repeal the Interdepartmental Advisory Committee... In its place, executive order... established a governor's subcabinet on socioeconomic procurement participation to provide counsel to the special secretary," Gardner said. The office said the new subcabinet streamlines coordination across agencies and enhances authority for procurement participation goals.
Gardner noted concurrence with the Maryland Department of Disabilities to modernize the statutory definition of "sheltered workshop" and related language for programs serving people with disabilities. Several senators asked for clarifying detail: one senator said the updated definition appeared broader than the older sheltered‑workshop language and asked whether the change could inadvertently broaden eligibility for special procurement preferences; Gardner said he would follow up with the Department of Disabilities and provide clarifying documentation.
Senators also asked whether the subcabinet retains stakeholder participation and whether parent‑ or nonprofit‑voice representation would continue; Gardner said the executive order organizes participation differently but that the statutory advisory committee had not convened in practice and the subcabinet enhances operations and authority.
No formal committee vote is recorded in the transcript. The sponsor said the change modernizes definitions and eliminates an inactive advisory committee while preserving and improving program coordination under the governor's office.
