OKLAHOMA
Passed by House or Senate
In 2023, Senator Michael Bergstrom sponsored Senate Bill 119, which created the Right to Start Act. The engrossed version provided that entrepreneurs who have been an active participant in the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology accelerator program or a tenant within the last three years of a certified incubator qualified for the Oklahoma Supplier Diversity Initiative. The bill passed in the House and in the Senate, but ended up in a Conference Committee. The policy as initially introduced in a more wide ranging way around new, young businesses can be found here.
Introduced
In 2023, Senator Jo Anna Dossett sponsored Senate Bill 812, which required tracking of government contracts for new, young businesses less than five years old and a report to the legislature on recommendations on improving access to state contracts for new Oklahoma businesses that have been in operation for less than five years. The bill passed out of a Senate Committee.
In 2023, Representative Daniel Pae sponsored House Bill 2111, which required 5% of all state contracts to be awarded to businesses that have been in operation for less than five years. The measure directs the State Purchasing Director to prepare and implement a bid-preference program that shall add a percentage to the price of the lowest bid and if the eligible new corporation submits a bid that falls below the lowest bid plus the percentage, it shall receive the contract in the event the percentage of such funds expended on eligible new corporations is less than 10%.
In 2022, Senator Adam Pugh & Senator Jo Anna Dossett sponsored Senate Bill 1838, which required 5% of all state contracts to be awarded to businesses that have been in operation for less than five years. The measure directs the State Purchasing Director to prepare and implement a bid-preference program that shall add a percentage to the price of the lowest bid and if the eligible new corporation submits a bid that falls below the lowest bid plus the percentage, it shall receive the contract in the event the percentage of such funds expended on eligible new corporations is less than 10%. The bill passed out of a Senate Committee.
New businesses create almost all net new jobs in the United States. Entrepreneurs create stronger communities, grow GDP, create homegrown jobs, increase community wealth, diversify goods and services, increase lifetime incomes, and fight inequality and poverty.
65% of Americans believe it's harder to start a business today compared to their parent’s generation. 94% of Americans believe “it’s important to America’s future” that citizens have a fair opportunity to start and grow their own businesses. 81% of entrepreneurs say that the government favors big businesses over them, and 69% say the government doesn’t care about them at all.
Streamlining processes and removing barriers and unnecessary burdens for new, young companies to start and grow is critical to expanding entrepreneurial opportunity for all.
Many states are realizing the importance of new, young businesses to their economic growth and are working to change and update policies.
Your State Needs Entrepreneurs.
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Right to Start shares best practices to help policymakers support entrepreneurs. We are a leading, national nonpartisan civic organization working to expand entrepreneurial opportunity for all throughout the United States by changing minds, changing policies and changing communities. Our policy recommendations are pro-growth measures, which will remove barriers and streamline processes to starting, cut red tape, advance homegrown job creation, and build a stronger connection between entrepreneurs and government.
Disclaimer - For Informational Purposes