Pa. launches comprehensive outreach/training programs for small businesses
Sep. 20—WILKES-BARRE — Since taking office, the Shapiro-Davis Administration has grown state contracting opportunities for small businesses (SBs), small diverse businesses (SDBs), and veteran business enterprises (VBEs) and continues to launch comprehensive training and outreach programs to help guide them through registering with the state and bidding on Commonwealth contracts.
Workshops, increased outreach initiatives, and the recently introduced Mentor Protégé Program (MPP) that pairs seasoned prime contractors with the owners of SBs, SDBs, and VBEs, are helping these businesses improve management and bidding skills needed to acquire Commonwealth business.
DGS has held more than 70 outreach events across the Commonwealth since the beginning of the Shapiro-Davis Administration, reaching more than 3,000 Pennsylvania business owners who want to learn more about state contracting.
"The Shapiro-Davis Administration is working hard to reach out to small businesses and help them get in the game when it comes to pursuing contracts with the Commonwealth," said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who chairs the Pennsylvania Advisory Council for Inclusive Procurement (PACIP). "Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the beating heart of so many Pennsylvania communities. By supporting these businesses, we're creating ladders of opportunity and helping Pennsylvanians to create jobs and generational wealth."
Initiated under Executive Order 2023-18 signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro in September 2023, the MPP is one of several measures the Department of General Services (DGS) is leading to expand Commonwealth contracting opportunities, outreach, and training for SBs, SDBs, and VBEs. Additional efforts include:
Updating the Commonwealth's definition of a SB by raising the revenue limit from $38.5 million to $47 million, helping more SBs, SDBs, and VBEs to compete for state business contracts.
Increasing outreach efforts to help more SBs, SDBs, and VBEs secure state contracting opportunities. Each month, DGS' Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion, and Small Business Opportunities (BDISBO) issues a Notice of Forthcoming Procurements and a Notice of Forthcoming Construction Opportunities to over 5,000 SB and SDB advocates and stakeholder organizations registered with BDISBO.
Leading and coordinating efforts with other Commonwealth agencies and the PACIP to advise Commonwealth agencies on ways to make state contracting opportunities more inclusive.
Reducing the time it takes to certify a small business with DGS by 33 percent and implementing a prompt pay policy to ensure non-construction prime contractors pay subcontractors within 10 days of receiving payment from the Commonwealth.
"At DGS, we are committed to providing Pennsylvania's small businesses the tools, training, and opportunities they need to succeed in the Commonwealth's contracting environment," said DGS Secretary Reggie McNeil. "By launching initiatives like the Mentor Protégé Program and expanding our outreach efforts, we're not just opening doors—we're breaking down barriers that have historically kept small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses from thriving."
House passes Protecting U.S. Business Sovereignty Act
The House of Representatives this week passed H.R. 4790 — the Prioritizing Economic Growth Over Woke Policies Act — introduced by U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Michigan.
The bill includes a beneficial provision authored by U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas — H.R. 4653, the Protecting U.S. Business Sovereignty Act.
Rep. Meuser's legislation specifically targets foreign overreach by addressing the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), requiring the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to study how this EU directive harms U.S. businesses.
CSDDD imposes politically motivated environmental and social mandates on U.S. businesses operating in European markets, threatening U.S. economic sovereignty, and harming our economy. Any U.S. business that does $100 million in revenue in the EU is captured and forced to comply or face heavy penalties.
"Let me be clear — Republicans are not against ESG as an investment choice," Meuser said. "If individual investors want to prioritize environmental, social, or governance factors, that's their freedom. What we oppose is when these ideological views are mandated — when investors and businesses are forced to comply with burdensome regulations that prioritize political ideology over profitability."
Meuser said his legislation prioritizes economic growth, limits regulatory overreach, and safeguards the freedom of choice for American investors.
Meuser urges the Senate to swiftly pass this important legislation to ensure American businesses and investors are protected from harmful, unnecessary mandates.
Bill to protect savings accounts for people with disabilities passes Senate
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, this week applauded the Senate's passage of his bipartisan Ensuring Nationwide Access to a Better Life Experience (ENABLE) Act, which would extend three key provisions of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program.
ABLE, created by Sen. Casey in 2014, allows people with disabilities and their families to save and invest through tax-free savings accounts without losing eligibility for federal programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Three provisions that make the program accessible to more people with disabilities and make it easier for those in the program to save are set to expire in 2025. The bipartisan ENABLE Act, which Casey introduced alongside Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) earlier this year, would enshrine these provisions into law permanently.
"For years, people with disabilities were barred from saving for the future, meaning they couldn't save for a home, purchase needed assistive technology, or save for an accessible car," Casey said. "I worked to create the ABLE program to knock down those barriers, and ever since I've been working across the aisle to make sure the program is as effective as it can be. Now that my bipartisan bill to prevent some key ABLE provisions from expiring has passed the Senate, it is on its way to ensuring that as many people with disabilities as possible across the country can continue to benefit from opening ABLE accounts."
Casey said people with disabilities are more than twice as likely to live in poverty compared to people without disabilities, yet households including a person with a work-limiting disability need, on average, 28% more income to obtain the same standard of living as people without disabilities.
For a long time, Casey said this intersection of disability and poverty was made worse by asset limitations for federal assistance programs that many people with disabilities rely on. Casey created the ABLE program to fix problem for more than 181,000 people with disabilities across the United States, who have saved approximately $2 billion since the program was created.
Three key ABLE provisions are set to expire in 2025:
—ABLE to Work: A person with a disability who is employed can contribute an additional amount to his or her ABLE account. This additional contribution cannot be greater than either:
— The prior year's federal poverty level for a one-person household ($15,060 in 2024), or the beneficiary's yearly compensation.
—ABLE Saver's Credit: A person with a disability who makes qualified contributions to their ABLE account can qualify for a nonrefundable saver's credit of up to $1,000.
—529 to ABLE rollover: A person with a disability may rollover from a 529 education savings account to an ABLE account funds that are less than or equal to the annual ABLE contribution limit are not subject to income taxation.
PCCD streamlines process for victims of crime to receive financial compensation
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) this week announced two new initiatives aimed at streamlining the Victim Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP) and accelerating financial support for victims of crime.
These initiatives include enhanced collaboration with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) to improve the turnaround time for obtaining police reports and an online filing option for compensation claims.
VCAP is a critical financial lifeline for crime victims and their families across the Commonwealth. The program provides coverage for costs associated with victimization, including relocation, counseling, crime scene clean-up, medical expenses, funeral costs, and more.
Each year, VCAP receives an average of 12,000 claims for eligible expenses and over the past five years, PCCD has paid more than 76,000 VCAP claims totaling $65 million in eligible expenses for citizens across all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
"Every step we take to simplify and speed up our processes is a step toward better supporting victims who have already endured so much," said Mike Pennington, PCCD Executive Director. "By making it easier for individuals to access financial help and streamlining the process on the back end, victims of crime and their families can more readily begin the healing and recovery process. These changes are about more than just efficiency — they're about making a real difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians who need it most."
Earlier this year, PCCD Chair, Lt. Governor Austin Davis, and other PCCD officials joined victim services professionals, survivors, and advocates in to highlight the importance of investing in VCAP and supporting victims and their families. The Shapiro-Davis Administration secured $5 million in the 2024-25 state budget to ensure continued assistance for those impacted by violence and crime across Pennsylvania.
Additionally, at the direction of the Lt. Governor, PCCD began work on its Resources for Victims of Gun Violence initiative, to identify existing resources and address gaps to better support survivors, families, and caregivers in Pennsylvania affected by gun violence.
Enhancing police reports' turnaround time
PCCD recently collaborated with PSP to streamline the process of receiving police reports, an important component in processing claims. In May 2024, a new collection database was created, allowing PCCD staff to directly request police reports and enabling PSP to upload them promptly into the database. This streamlined process has drastically reduced the turnaround time, with VCAP now receiving police reports within days instead of months. This enhancement has resulted in quicker access to essential documentation, accelerating the delivery of support to victims of crime.
"The PSP recognizes the multifaceted impact of criminal acts on victims, so in our pursuit of justice, we must ensure victims receive timely compensation to recover their health, security, and dignity," said Colonel Christopher Paris, Commissioner of PSP. "I am thankful we were able to expedite this process because no barrier should stand between a victim and their path to healing."
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter
