Section 37.014 - Minority business advocacy commission established - members - qualifications - terms - vacancy - per diem and expenses - meetings - duties - staff1. There is hereby established the "Missouri Minority Business Advocacy Commission". The commission shall consist of nine members:(1) The director of the department of economic development;(2) The commissioner of the office of administration;(3) Three minority business persons, appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be designated chairman of the commission;(4) Two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;(5) Two members of the senate appointed by the president pro tempore of the senate. No more than two of the three members appointed by the governor may be of the same political party. Appointed members of the commission shall serve four-year terms, except that of the initial appointments made by the governor, one shall be for a two-year term, one shall be for a three-year term and one shall be for a four-year term. A vacancy occurs if a legislative member leaves office for any reason. Any vacancy on the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
2. Each member appointed by the governor shall receive as compensation a per diem of up to thirty-five dollars for each day devoted to the affairs of the commission and be reimbursed for his or her actual and necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of his or her official duties.3. Each legislative member of the commission is entitled to receive the same per diem, mileage, and travel allowances paid to members of the general assembly serving on interim committees. The allowances specified in this subsection shall be paid from the amounts appropriated for that purpose.4. The commission shall meet at least three times each year and at other times as the chairman deems necessary.5. The duties of the commission shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) Identify minority businesses in the state;(2) Assess the needs of minority businesses;(3) Initiate aggressive programs to assist minority businesses in obtaining state contracts and federal agency procurements;(4) Give special publicity to procurement, bidding, and qualifying procedures;(5) Include minority businesses on solicitation mailing lists;(6) Make recommendations regarding policies, programs and procedures to be implemented by the commissioner of the office of administration;(7) Prepare and maintain timely data on minority business qualified to bid on state and federal procurement projects;(8) Prepare a review of the commission and the various affected departments of government to be submitted to the governor and the general assembly on March first and October first of each year, evaluating progress made in the areas defined in this subsection;(9) Provide a focal point and assist and counsel minority small businesses in their dealings with federal, state and local governments regarding the obtaining of business licenses and permits, including, but not limited to, providing ready access to information regarding government requirements which affect minority small business;(10) Analyze current legislation and regulation as it affects minority business for the purpose of determining methods of elimination or simplification of unnecessary regulatory requirements;(11) Assist minority businesses in obtaining available technical and financial assistance;(12) Initiate and encourage minority business education programs, including programs in cooperation with various public and private educational institutions;(13) Receive complaints and recommendations concerning policies and activities of federal, state and local governmental agencies which affect minority small businesses, and develop, in cooperation with the agency involved, proposals for changes in policies or activities to alleviate any unnecessary adverse effects to minority small business.6. The office of administration shall furnish administrative support and staff for the effective operation of the commission.Added by 2014 Mo. Laws, HRB 1299,s A, eff. 8/28/2014.