SB 656: Small business: small business liaison.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law establishes the Office of Small Business Advocate within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to advocate for causes of small businesses and to provide small businesses with the information they need to survive in the marketplace and requires the Governor to appoint a Small Business Advocate.

Executive Order No. S-02-06 establishes a 25% small business participation goal for the state’s procurement and contracting processes. Existing law requires a state agency that significantly regulates small business or that significantly impacts small business to designate at least one person to serve as a small business liaison. Existing law requires the small business liaison to be responsible for specified duties relating to interactions between the state agency and small businesses, including assisting the agency secretary, department director, or executive officer of the state agency in ensuring that the procurement and contracting processes of the state agency are administered in order to meet or exceed the 25% small business participation goal, and developing and sharing innovative procurement and contracting practices from the public and private sectors to increase opportunities for small businesses.

This bill would require all state agencies to designate at least one person to serve as a small business liaison. The bill would also require a small business liaison to annually submit certain information to the advocate, including a list of all current contracts between the state agency and a small business, all contracts of the state agency that include a subcontract with a small business, and the total dollar amount paid to a small business under those contracts or subcontracts. The bill would require the advocate to post the information on its internet website.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. February 2, 2026Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
2. May 23, 2025May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
3. May 16, 2025Set for hearing May 23.
4. May 12, 2025May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
5. May 2, 2025Set for hearing May 12.
6. April 28, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 917.) (April 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
7. April 24, 2025Set for hearing April 28.
8. April 22, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on B. P. & E.D. (Ayes 12. Noes 0. Page 830.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.
9. April 21, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on G.O.
10. April 11, 2025Set for hearing April 22.
11. April 2, 2025Re-referred to Coms. on G.O. and B. P. & E.D.
12. March 25, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.