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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>71511</law_id><section_number>15.2-965.1</section_number><catch_line>Participation of small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>2.2-4310</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="9">General Powers of Local Governments</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="5">Additional Powers</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may enact an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> providing that whenever there exists (i) a rational basis for small business enhancement, or (ii) a persuasive analysis that documents a statistically significant disparity between the availability and utilization of women-owned and minority-owned businesses, the chief executive of the local governing entity shall be authorized and encouraged to require implementation of appropriate enhancement and remedial measures consistent with prevailing <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-257787" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-965.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> A small, women-owned, or minority-owned business that is certified by the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Powers of Director" href="/2.2-1606/">2.2-1606</a> shall not be required by any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> to obtain any additional certification to participate in any program designed to enhance the participation of such businesses as vendors or to remedy any documented disparity. <a id="paragraph-257788" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-965.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2004, cc. 865, 891; 2006, cc. 831, 921; 2009, c. 869; 2013, c. 482.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
