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10/10/2022
Tomorrow, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., the leaders of six departments of transportation will sign a national "Equity Infrastructure Pledge" (EIP) to create opportunities for historically underutilized businesses (HUBs).
The officials — representing the state transportation departments of California, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana and Michigan, as well as the District of Columbia — will sign the EIP as they begin to disburse funding from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials announced last week on its website.
The pledge will define HUBs as firms formally designated as disadvantaged business enterprises, minority- and women-owned business enterprises and small business enterprises, as well as any other business classification used locally in the United States intended to boost the participation of otherwise underutilized firms.
Under the pledge, the EIP Advisory Council will work to secure commitments from public agencies to improve public contracting practices that will help reduce the racial wealth gap by improving contracting opportunities for the HUBs.