Nevada considers adjusting thresholds for veteran business preference program

NV News - Published Apr 12, 2024

[NOTE: unable to find any other source for the NV Current article - seems to be quotes from a session of Nevada Assembly but cant find a transcript anywhere]

Nevada lawmakers are considering possible remedies to the State's Veteran's Preference program, as administered by the Public Works Division of the Nevada Department of Administration, due to a lack of contract awards made under to the program to businesses owned by veterans with disabilities, according to reporting from Nevada Current.

The Public Works Division awarded 32 contracts subject to a bidding preference for veterans with service-connected disabilities in 2023, but received no bids from any firms qualified under the program. Only four veteran contractors in the state are currently prequalified under the program.

One area the Assembly may look at in aiming to increase participation is adjusting the monetary thresholds for the bidding preference program. Currently, the threshold for contracts subject to the bidding preference program is $250,000, as long as the business in question is owned by a veteran considered 50 percent or more disabled, according to ratings by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Contracts under $100,000 are subject to the preference for veterans with any disability rating. Raising these thresholds would make more contracts subject to the preference program. 

Learn more about the preference program at https://publicworks.nv.gov/Bids/Veteran_s_Preference/.