The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) says it is reviewing major changes to a federal program designed to help disadvantaged contractors after the Trump administration eliminated race and gender presumptions for participation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation issued an Interim Final Rule on Oct. 3 requiring all states to remove automatic race- and gender-based qualifications from the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program.
Under the new rule, all firms — including those already certified — must individually prove both social and economic disadvantage, regardless of race or sex, to requalify as a DBE.
MnDOT’s Office of Civil Rights Director, Sean Skibbie, said the department is “actively reviewing this direction” and “assessing the options we have to both stay true to our values and successfully deliver a multimodal transportation system that maximizes the health of people, the environment, and our economy.”
“While we don’t have all the answers today,” Skibbie added, “we will remain in touch as we navigate this large change.”
The DBE program aims to ensure fair access for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals on federally funded transportation projects.
