999.11. The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall appoint the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program Advocate. The California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program Advocate shall report directly to the secretary and shall do all of the following:
(a) Promote implementation of the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program.
(b) Support and facilitate the activities of administering agencies and existing and potential disabled veteran business enterprises to achieve the goals specified in Sections 999.1 and 999.2, including, but not limited to, both of the following:
(1) Assisting awarding departments in identifying certified disabled veteran business enterprises that can offer their services for contracts that contract procurement staff have difficulty identifying.
(2) Assisting disabled veteran business enterprises in effectively utilizing certification documents and the state electronic procurement system in identifying which products and services businesses have on offer.
(c) Coordinate with the agency Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program Advocate appointed in all awarding departments pursuant to Section 999.12.
(d) Establish a method of monitoring adherence to the goals specified in Sections 999.1 and 999.2.
(e) Establish and promote a system to track the effectiveness of promotional activities undertaken by state agencies.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 28, Sec. 124. (SB 1380) Effective January 1, 2023.)