Flexibility for the commissioner of administration provision to determine eligibility for the preference in state contracting for small businesses

This bill amends Minnesota law to give the commissioner of administration more flexibility in defining "small business" for state contracting preferences. Currently, the commissioner must use the federal size standard from the Code of Federal Regulations; this bill allows them to adopt that standard *or* another standard instead. It directly affects small businesses in Minnesota seeking state contracts, as their eligibility could change based on the standard the commissioner chooses. The policy change replaces a mandatory federal definition with a flexible approach for determining which businesses qualify for contracting preferences.