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Council proposes new rules to increase transparency in awarding city contracts to disadvantaged business enterprises.

Official:Amending Title 17 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Contracts and Procurement," by adding measures to bring greater transparency, equitability, and accessibility to the process of procurement of disadvantaged business enterprises while encouraging disadvantaged business enterprises to grow in size and capability; all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Oh

Introduced: February 2, 2017

: Committee on Commerce & Economic Development

disadvantaged businessesprocurement

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2016–2019 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill aims to increase transparency and fairness in how the city awards contracts to small businesses owned by disadvantaged individuals. It would require more detailed reporting on these contracts and set new rules for what makes a business eligible.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

The bill amends Title 17 of The Philadelphia Code to

Define "disadvantaged business enterprises" as businesses owned by individuals who are minorities, women, or people with disabilities, and set forth the process for determining eligibility.
Require City agencies to submit annual reports on the contracts awarded to disadvantaged business enterprises, including the amount of contracts awarded and the number of employees hired from these businesses.
Establish a new requirement that City agencies set aside a certain percentage of contracts for disadvantaged business enterprises, although the specific percentage is not specified in the text.
Mandate that City agencies consider the capability and size of disadvantaged business enterprises when awarding contracts.