Beginning in 2008, the nation is experiencing a deep economic recession that has resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs a month nationwide and a high rate of unemployment. Pennsylvanians statewide have not escaped the economic downturn and have suffered job loss, loss of health care benefits and, in some cases, home foreclosures. Congress passed legislation, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, under which the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania received significant Federal funds for infrastructure projects and other State government needs. Congressional passage and Presidential approval of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the subsequent allocation of funds to this Commonwealth made it necessary and appropriate to ensure that minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged-owned business enterprises were in a position to participate fully in economic recovery activities anticipated by the Federal Government.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives appointed a select committee to consist of seven members, four from the majority party and three from the minority party, to investigate the awarding of Commonwealth contracts for the purpose of ascertaining the degree to which minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged-owned business enterprises have been awarded Commonwealth contracts between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2008, the number of all such contracts awarded by appropriate categories, the number awarded by subject of business enterprise, the geographic location of the contracts and the total monetary value of such contracts.