Priority to Projects that Provide Employment for Current and Former Employees of the Coal Industry~9.docx

This is a procurement preference document issued by the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Division of Illinois regarding employment requirements for construction projects funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, P.L. 117-58). The document establishes a policy preference for contractors that employ current and former coal industry employees on AML reclamation projects with total values exceeding $100,000. Bidders seeking to utilize this preference must demonstrate that they employ at least two current employees who are former coal mine workers at the time of bid submission. These declared former coal mine employees must be committed to working on the awarded AML reclamation project, or bidders must commit to hiring at least two such employees if awarded the contract.

The preference mechanism allows qualified bidders employing former coal industry workers to receive contract award consideration even if their bid exceeds the lowest bid by up to 2 percent. The AML Division maintains its standard policy of awarding contracts to the lowest responsible bidder; however, this preference provision creates an exception to that practice. Bidders must provide documentation verifying the coal industry employment history of their declared employees at the time of bid submission to qualify for this preference consideration under Section 40701 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.