(a) The Legislature hereby declares that it serves a public purpose, and it is of benefit to the state, to promote and facilitate the fullest possible participation by all citizens in the affairs of the State of California in every possible way. It is also essential that opportunity is provided for full participation in our free enterprise system by small business enterprises.

(b) Further, it is the declared policy of the Legislature that the state should aid, counsel, assist, and protect, to the maximum extent possible, the interests of small business concerns, including microbusinesses, in order to preserve free competitive enterprise and to ensure that a fair proportion of the total purchases and contracts or subcontracts for property and services for the state.

Terms Used In California Government Code 14836

  • Small business: means an independently owned and operated business that is not dominant in its field of operation, the principal office of which is located in California, the officers of which are domiciled in California, and which, together with affiliates, has 100 or fewer employees, and average annual gross receipts of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) or less over the previous three years, or is a manufacturer, as defined in subdivision (c), with 100 or fewer employees. See California Government Code 14837
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18

(c) In supporting the success of California small businesses, the state economy is strengthened by the diversity and resiliency of its small businesses and it is essential to ensure all small businesses are able to fully participate in the domestic and global markets, including, but not limited to, businesses owned by women, disabled individuals, people who identify as LGBTQ, immigrants, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 730, Sec. 4. (AB 2019) Effective January 1, 2023.)

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