BTEA Contractors' Guide to the Reauthorized Article 15-A

The New York State MWBE Rules and Regulations 3 Leading the Construction Industry in Diversity Best Practices In 2019, legislation that reauthorized New York State’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program, Article 15-A, was passed and signed into law. The legislation was signed on July 15, 2019 and took effect in January 2020. The purpose of this document is to provide Building Trades Employers Association (BTEA) members with guidance on the new bill, the rules and regulations that were promulgated and their impact on your business. It is strongly recommended that you review this document with your respective legal counsel. BTEA’S Commitment to Building Capacity and Leading Important Conversations Compared to other contractor organizations across New York State and the country, BTEA has the largest number of MWBE members. The pages that follow provide a summary of BTEA’s efforts to support MWBEs and review our continuing progress and commitment to increasing diversity throughout the construction industry. As an organization, BTEA has a longstanding history of diversity and inclusionary efforts. We continue to engage an active internal MWBE Committee that is committed to increasing the capacity of certified MWBEs, while interacting with key stakeholders in the private and public sector to collaborate on important changes. BTEA is at the forefront of important conversations related to the policy changes that support MWBE’s access to government contracts. In addition to our support of increased MWBE participation, BTEA has also led efforts to expand diversity in the Building Trades Union workforce. BTEA has also been instrumental in the utilization of Project Labor Agreements to engage and provide increased opportunities for MWBE contractors to participate on larger, more complex public projects. By providing certified firms with the ability to become a signatory to the union trades, our members are collaborating with MWBEs to introduce them to a unionized workforce and union jobsites. Please use our report as a foundation for better understanding the newly reauthorized Article 15-A. Continue to remain connected with us as BTEA builds opportunities in New York’s construction industry. Louis J. Coletti President and CEO Building Trade Employers Association