Bill Text: NY A10180 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to increased participation in state contracts and subcontracts by certified minority and women-owned business enterprises; requires quarterly reports from contracting agencies; addresses consequences if contracting agency fails to comply with reporting requirements; relates to certain performance and payment bond requirements.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-24 - referred to governmental operations [A10180 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A10180-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          10180

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     March 24, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Governmental Operations

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  executive  law, in relation to participation by
          minority group  members  and  women  with  respect  to  certain  state
          contracts; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to perform-
          ance and payment bond requirements

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Subdivisions 3 and 4 of section 311 of the  executive  law,
     2  subdivision  3  as  added by chapter 261 of the laws of 1988, paragraphs
     3  (d) and (e) of subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 55  of  the  laws  of
     4  1992,  paragraph  (d-1)  of  subdivision 3 and paragraphs (d) and (e) of
     5  subdivision 4 as added and paragraphs (f), (i) and (j) of subdivision  3
     6  and  the  opening paragraph of subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 96 of
     7  the laws of 2019, paragraphs (g) and (h) of subdivision 3 as amended  by
     8  section  1 of part BB of chapter 59 of the laws of 2006, and subdivision
     9  4 as amended by chapter 361 of the laws of 2009, are amended to read  as
    10  follows:
    11    3. The director shall have the following powers and duties:
    12    (a)  to  encourage and assist contracting agencies in their efforts to
    13  increase participation by minority and women-owned business  enterprises
    14  on state contracts and subcontracts [so as] to facilitate the award of a
    15  fair  share  of  such contracts to them and to provide on the division's
    16  website a list of each contracting  agency's  minority  and  women-owned
    17  business enterprises certification outreach seminars;
    18    (b) to develop standardized forms and reporting documents necessary to
    19  implement this article;
    20    (c)  to conduct educational outreach programs to encourage the certif-
    21  ication of minority and women-owned business enterprises consistent with
    22  the purposes of this article;
    23    (d) to review [periodically] quarterly the practices and procedures of
    24  each contracting agency with respect to compliance with  the  provisions
    25  of  this  article,  and  to  require  them  to file [periodic] quarterly
    26  reports with the division of minority and women's  business  development

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07105-03-0

        A. 10180                            2

     1  as to the level of minority and women-owned business enterprises partic-
     2  ipation  in  the  awarding  of  agency  contracts for goods and services
     3  including but not limited to the number of state  contracts  awarded  to
     4  certified  minority-owned or women-owned business enterprises, the maxi-
     5  mum dollar amount obligated pursuant to all  those  contracts,  and  the
     6  total  expenditures  made  pursuant to all such contracts; the number of
     7  state contracts awarded to certified minority  or  women-owned  business
     8  enterprises,  the  maximum dollar amount obligated pursuant to all those
     9  contracts,  and  the  total  expenditures  made  pursuant  to  all  such
    10  contracts;  the number of state contracts awarded which include a utili-
    11  zation plan for business participation by certified minority  or  women-
    12  owned  business  enterprises,  the  maximum amount obligated pursuant to
    13  those contracts, and the total expenditures made pursuant  to  all  such
    14  contracts; the number of state contracts awarded upon which a waiver was
    15  granted  from goals required by the contracts for business participation
    16  by certified minority or women-owned business enterprises, and the maxi-
    17  mum amount obligated pursuant to those contracts; the  number  of  state
    18  contracts  awarded which required goals for employment of minority group
    19  members and women; and the number of state contracts awarded  for  which
    20  waivers of employment goals required by the contracts have been granted;
    21    (d-1) to require all contracting state agencies to develop a four-year
    22  growth  plan  to  determine  a means of promoting and increasing partic-
    23  ipation by minority-owned  and  women-owned  business  enterprises  with
    24  respect to state contracts and subcontracts. Every four years, beginning
    25  September  fifteenth, two thousand twenty, each contracting state agency
    26  shall submit a four-year growth plan as part of its annual report to the
    27  governor and legislature pursuant to section one hundred  sixty-four  of
    28  this chapter[.];
    29    (e)  on  January first of each year report to the governor, the tempo-
    30  rary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the  minority
    31  leaders  of  the  senate  and  the assembly, and the chairpersons of the
    32  senate finance and assembly ways and means  committees  on  the  [level]
    33  actual  versus  projected  levels  of  minority and women-owned business
    34  enterprises participating in each agency's contracts  for  goods  [and],
    35  services  and  construction,  including but not limited to the number of
    36  state contracts awarded to certified minority-owned or women-owned busi-
    37  ness enterprises, the maximum dollar amount obligated  pursuant  to  all
    38  those  contracts,  and  the total expenditures made pursuant to all such
    39  contracts, and on activities of the office and effort by each  contract-
    40  ing  agency  to  promote employment of minority group members and women,
    41  and to promote and increase participation by certified  businesses  with
    42  respect  to  state  contracts  and  subcontracts so as to facilitate the
    43  award of a fair share of state contracts to such businesses.  The  comp-
    44  troller  shall  assist  the  division  in  collecting information on the
    45  participation of certified business for each  contracting  agency.  Such
    46  report  may  recommend  new  activities  and  programs to effectuate the
    47  purposes of this article;
    48    (f) the director shall list in the division's annual report the  names
    49  of  non-compliant  agencies  and  the  extent  of their noncompliance in
    50  submitting its quarterly minority and  women-owned  business  enterprise
    51  utilization reports; and, shall implement a master list of all the state
    52  agencies  required to file quarterly compliance reports and shall attach
    53  such list to the division's annual report.
    54    (g) to prepare and update, no less than [annually] quarterly, a direc-
    55  tory of certified minority and women-owned  business  enterprises  which
    56  shall,  wherever  practicable,  be  divided  into  categories  of labor,

        A. 10180                            3

     1  services, supplies, equipment,  materials  and  recognized  construction
     2  trades  and  which  shall indicate areas or locations of the state where
     3  such enterprises are available to perform  services,  and  to  use  this
     4  information  to  create an internet based, centralized state registry to
     5  enable appropriate state certified  minority  and  women-owned  business
     6  enterprises to access contract and subcontract opportunities;
     7    [(g)]  (h)  to appoint independent hearing officers who by contract or
     8  terms of employment shall preside over adjudicatory hearings pursuant to
     9  section three hundred fourteen of this article for the  office  and  who
    10  are assigned no other work by the office;
    11    [(h)]  (i) notwithstanding the provisions of section two hundred nine-
    12  ty-six of this chapter, to file a complaint pursuant to  the  provisions
    13  of  section  two hundred ninety-seven of this chapter where the director
    14  has knowledge that a contractor may  have  violated  the  provisions  of
    15  paragraph  (a),  (b)  or  (c)  of subdivision one of section two hundred
    16  ninety-six of this chapter where such violation is  unrelated,  separate
    17  or distinct from the state contract as expressed by its terms; and
    18    [(i)]  (j)  to  streamline  the  state certification process to accept
    19  federal and municipal corporation certifications.
    20    [(j)] (k) to make publicly available records of all waivers of compli-
    21  ance reported pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision  six  of  section
    22  three hundred thirteen of this article on the division's website.
    23    4.  The director shall provide assistance to, and facilitate access to
    24  programs serving certified businesses as well as  applicants  to  ensure
    25  that  such businesses benefit, as needed, from technical, managerial and
    26  financial, and general business assistance; training; marketing;  organ-
    27  ization  and personnel skill development; project management assistance;
    28  technology assistance; bond  and  insurance  education  assistance;  and
    29  other  business  development  assistance.  The director shall maintain a
    30  toll-free number at the department of economic development to be used to
    31  answer questions concerning the MWBE certification process. In addition,
    32  the director [may] shall, either independently or  in  conjunction  with
    33  other state agencies:
    34    (a)  develop  a  clearinghouse of information on programs and services
    35  provided by entities that may assist such businesses;
    36    (b) review bonding and paperwork requirements imposed  by  contracting
    37  agencies that may unnecessarily impede the ability of such businesses to
    38  compete; [and]
    39    (c)  seek to maximize utilization by minority and women-owned business
    40  enterprises of available federal resources including but not limited  to
    41  federal grants, loans, loan guarantees, surety bonding guarantees, tech-
    42  nical  assistance,  and programs and services of the federal small busi-
    43  ness administration[.];
    44    (d) conduct outreach events, training workshops, seminars,  and  other
    45  such  educational  programs throughout the state, including all regional
    46  offices, to state agencies, external stakeholders, and  the  public,  to
    47  promote  awareness  and utilization of minority and women-owned business
    48  enterprises; and
    49    (e) identify and establish mentorship opportunities and other business
    50  development programs to increase capacity and better prepare  MWBEs  for
    51  bidding  on  contracts with state agencies upon successful completion of
    52  the mentorship  opportunity.  Such  mentorship  opportunities  shall  be
    53  intended  to  ensure  that  mentor  and  mentee are connected based on a
    54  commercially useful function.
    55    § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 312 of the executive law,  as  added  by
    56  chapter 261 of the laws of 1988, is amended to read as follows:

        A. 10180                            4

     1    5.  The director shall promulgate rules and regulations to ensure that
     2  contractors and subcontractors undertake programs of affirmative  action
     3  and equal employment opportunity as required by this section. Such rules
     4  and regulations as they pertain to any particular agency shall be devel-
     5  oped  after consultation with contracting agencies. Such rules and regu-
     6  lations [may] shall require a contractor, after notice in a  bid  solic-
     7  itation,  to  submit  an equal employment opportunity program [after bid
     8  opening and prior to the award of any contract] at  the  time  bids  are
     9  submitted,  and  [may]  shall require the contractor or subcontractor to
    10  submit compliance reports relating to the  contractor's  or  subcontrac-
    11  tor's  operation  and implementation of any equal employment opportunity
    12  program in effect as of the date the contract is executed. The contract-
    13  ing agency [may recommend to the director that] shall have the right  to
    14  recommend  that  the  director  take appropriate action according to the
    15  procedures set forth in section three hundred sixteen  of  this  article
    16  against  the  contractor for noncompliance with the requirements of this
    17  section. The contracting agency  shall  be  responsible  for  monitoring
    18  compliance with this section.
    19    §  3. Paragraph (j) of subdivision 2-a of section 313 of the executive
    20  law, as amended by chapter 96 of the laws of 2019, is amended and a  new
    21  paragraph (k) is added to read as follows:
    22    (j)  require  each  agency to consult the most current disparity study
    23  when calculating agency-wide and contract specific  participation  goals
    24  pursuant to this article; [and]
    25    (k)   encourage   joint  ventures,  partnerships,  and  mentor-protege
    26  relationships as defined in section one hundred forty-seven of the state
    27  finance law, between prime  contractors  and  minority  and  women-owned
    28  business enterprises; and
    29    §  4.  Subdivision 3 and paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 313
    30  of the executive law, as amended by chapter 96 of the laws of 2019,  are
    31  amended to read as follows:
    32    3.  Solely  for the purpose of providing the opportunity for [meaning-
    33  ful] increased participation by certified businesses in the  performance
    34  of  state  contracts  as provided in this section, state contracts shall
    35  include leases of real property by a state agency to a lessee where: the
    36  terms of such leases provide for the construction, demolition,  replace-
    37  ment, major repair or renovation of real property and improvements ther-
    38  eon  by  such  lessee;  and  the  cost of such construction, demolition,
    39  replacement, major repair or renovation of real  property  and  improve-
    40  ments  thereon  shall  exceed  the  sum of one hundred thousand dollars.
    41  Reports to the director pursuant to section  three  hundred  fifteen  of
    42  this  article  shall  include  activities with respect to all such state
    43  contracts. Contracting agencies shall include or require to be  included
    44  with respect to state contracts for the acquisition, construction, demo-
    45  lition,  replacement,  major  repair  or renovation of real property and
    46  improvements thereon, such provisions as [may]  shall  be  necessary  to
    47  effectuate the provisions of this section in every bid specification and
    48  state  contract, including, but not limited to: (a) provisions requiring
    49  contractors to make a good faith effort to solicit active  participation
    50  by  enterprises identified in the directory of certified businesses; (b)
    51  requiring the parties to agree as a  condition  of  entering  into  such
    52  contract, to be bound by the provisions of section three hundred sixteen
    53  of  this  article;  and  (c)  requiring  the  contractor  to include the
    54  provisions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of  this  subdivision  in
    55  every  subcontract  in a manner that the provisions will be binding upon
    56  each  subcontractor  as  to  work  in  connection  with  such  contract.

        A. 10180                            5

     1  Provided,  however,  that  no  such  provisions  shall  be  binding upon
     2  contractors  or  subcontractors  in  the  performance  of  work  or  the
     3  provision  of services that are unrelated, separate or distinct from the
     4  state  contract  as  expressed by its terms, and nothing in this section
     5  shall authorize the director or any contracting  agency  to  impose  any
     6  requirement  on  a  contractor or subcontractor except with respect to a
     7  state contract.
     8    (a) Contracting agencies shall administer the  rules  and  regulations
     9  promulgated  by the director in a good faith effort to achieve the maxi-
    10  mum feasible participation by minority and women owned  business  enter-
    11  prises  adopted  pursuant  to  this  article  and the regulations of the
    12  director. Such rules and regulations:  shall  require  a  contractor  to
    13  submit  a  utilization [plan after bids are opened] at the time bids are
    14  submitted, when bids are required[, but prior to the award  of  a  state
    15  contract];  shall  require the contracting agency to review the utiliza-
    16  tion plan submitted by the contractor and to post the  utilization  plan
    17  and any waivers of compliance issued pursuant to subdivision six of this
    18  section  on  the  website  of  the contracting agency; shall require the
    19  contracting agency to notify the contractor in writing within  a  period
    20  of  time  specified  by the director as to any deficiencies contained in
    21  the contractor's utilization plan; shall require remedy thereof within a
    22  period of time specified by the director; shall require  the  contractor
    23  to submit [periodic] quarterly compliance reports relating to the opera-
    24  tion  and  implementation  of  any utilization plan; shall not allow any
    25  automatic waivers but shall allow a contractor to apply for a partial or
    26  total waiver of the minority and women-owned business enterprise partic-
    27  ipation requirements pursuant to subdivisions  six  and  seven  of  this
    28  section;  shall allow a contractor to file a complaint with the director
    29  pursuant to subdivision eight of this section in the event a contracting
    30  agency has failed or refused to issue  a  waiver  of  the  minority  and
    31  women-owned business enterprise participation requirements or has denied
    32  such  request for a waiver; and shall allow a contracting agency to file
    33  a complaint with the director  pursuant  to  subdivision  nine  of  this
    34  section  in  the  event  a contractor is failing or has failed to comply
    35  with the minority  and  women-owned  business  enterprise  participation
    36  requirements  set  forth  in the state contract where no waiver has been
    37  granted.
    38    § 5. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 315  of  the  executive  law,  as
    39  amended  by  chapter  96  of the laws of 2019, are amended and three new
    40  subdivisions 2-b, 3-a and 8 are added to read as follows:
    41    1. Each contracting agency shall be responsible for  monitoring  state
    42  contracts under its jurisdiction, and recommending matters to the office
    43  respecting  non-compliance  with  the provisions of this article so that
    44  the office [may] shall take such action as [is  appropriate]  stated  in
    45  subdivision three of section three hundred sixteen of this article. Each
    46  contracting  agency  shall have the right to recommend that the director
    47  impose a sanction, penalty, or fine for  three  or  more  violations  of
    48  subdivision  one  of  section  three hundred sixteen of this article, to
    49  ensure compliance with the provisions of this  article,  the  rules  and
    50  regulations  of  the  director  issued  hereunder  and  the  contractual
    51  provisions required pursuant to this article. All  contracting  agencies
    52  shall  comply  with  the  rules  and  regulations  of the office and are
    53  directed to cooperate with the office and to furnish to the office  such
    54  information  and assistance as may be required in the performance of its
    55  functions under this article.

        A. 10180                            6

     1    2-b.  Each contracting agency when notifying a contractor of a winning
     2  bid award shall also notify any minority or women-owned business  enter-
     3  prises  affiliated  with such contractor, per the contractor's submitted
     4  utilization plan, of such contractor's receipt of the winning bid award.
     5    3.  (a)  Each  contracting  agency shall report to the commissioner of
     6  economic development, the  commissioner  of  general  services  and  the
     7  director  with respect to activities undertaken to promote employment of
     8  minority group members and women and promote and increase  participation
     9  by  certified  businesses  with  respect  to state contracts and subcon-
    10  tracts. Such reports shall be submitted [no later than May fifteenth  of
    11  every year] quarterly and shall include such information as is necessary
    12  for  the  director  to  determine whether the contracting agency and any
    13  contractor to the contracting agency have complied with the purposes  of
    14  this  article,  including,  without  limitation, the number   of   state
    15  contracts awarded to certified minority or women-owned  business  enter-
    16  prises;  the  maximum  dollar amount   obligated pursuant  to all  those
    17  contracts,   and   the total expenditures made pursuant  to  all    such
    18  contracts;  the  number  of  state contracts awarded which   include   a
    19  utilization  plan  for  business  participation by certified minority or
    20  women-owned business enterprises, the maximum amount obligated  pursuant
    21  to those contracts, and the total expenditures made pursuant to all such
    22  contracts; a summary of all waivers of the requirements of  subdivisions
    23  six  and seven of section three hundred thirteen of this article allowed
    24  by the contracting agency during  the  period  covered  by  the  report,
    25  including  a  description  of the basis of the waiver request [and], the
    26  rationale for granting any such waiver and any instances  in  which  the
    27  contract  agency  has  deemed a contractor to have committed a violation
    28  pursuant to section three hundred sixteen of this article and such other
    29  information as the director shall require; and the maximum amount  obli-
    30  gated pursuant to those contracts; the number of state contracts awarded
    31  which  required    goals    for employment of minority group members and
    32  women; and the number of state contracts awarded for which  waivers   of
    33  employment  goals   required   by  the contracts have been granted. Each
    34  agency shall also include in such annual report whether or  not  it  has
    35  been  required  to prepare a remedial plan, and, if so, the plan and the
    36  extent to which the agency has complied with each element of the plan.
    37    (b) In addition, each contracting agency shall be responsible for  the
    38  cost  of  an  independent  audit  resulting  from  the agency's repeated
    39  violations of this section.
    40    3-a. Within thirty days after completion,  a  copy  of  the  quarterly
    41  minority and women-owned business enterprise report shall be transmitted
    42  to the commissioner of economic development, the commissioner of general
    43  services, and the director. A contracting agency, which has not let more
    44  than two million dollars in service and/or construction contracts within
    45  the applicable period may apply to the commissioner of economic develop-
    46  ment,  and  the director for a waiver of the required annual report. The
    47  waiver application shall be made on such form  as  the  commissioner  of
    48  economic development and the director may prescribe.
    49    8.  If  a  contracting  agency  shall  fail  to  file or substantially
    50  complete, as determined by the commissioner of economic development  and
    51  the  director,  the  report required by this section, the director shall
    52  provide notice to the contracting agency. The  notice  shall  state  the
    53  following:
    54    (a)  that  the  failure to file a report as required is a violation of
    55  this section, or in the case of an insufficient report,  the  manner  in
    56  which the report submitted is deficient;

        A. 10180                            7

     1    (b)  that  the  contracting agency has thirty days to comply with this
     2  section or provide an adequate written explanation to  the  commissioner
     3  of economic development and the commissioner of general services and the
     4  director  of  the  contracting  agency's  reasons  for  the inability to
     5  comply; and
     6    (c)  that the contracting agency's continued failure to provide either
     7  the required report or an adequate explanation will result in  an  inde-
     8  pendent  audit  of  the  contracting  agency, the cost of which shall be
     9  borne by the contracting agency.
    10    § 6. Section 316 of the executive law, as amended by  chapter  175  of
    11  the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
    12    §  316.  [Enforcement]  Violations and enforcement.   1. It shall be a
    13  violation for any person or entity to:
    14    a. intentionally use or acquire an MWBE name through deceit  or  other
    15  dishonest means in order to negotiate a lower bid from a non-MWBE.
    16    b.  submit  to  the  department  of economic development, documents or
    17  other material as evidence of a good faith effort  to  comply  with  the
    18  provisions  of  this  article  without, in fact, having entered into any
    19  contract, agreement, subcontract, or sub-agreement with an MWBE for  the
    20  use  or  purchase of such business enterprise's goods or services in the
    21  performance of the awarded state contract.
    22    c. fail to provide  an  MWBE  with  sufficient  information  or  other
    23  required  supporting  documentation  in  order for the MWBE to prepare a
    24  proper bid.
    25    2. Upon receipt by the director of a complaint by a contracting agency
    26  that a contractor has violated the provisions of a state contract  which
    27  have been included to comply with the provisions of this article or of a
    28  contractor that a contracting agency has violated such provisions or has
    29  failed  or  refused  to  issue  a  waiver where one has been applied for
    30  pursuant to subdivision six of section three hundred  thirteen  of  this
    31  article  or  has  denied such application, the director shall attempt to
    32  resolve the matter giving rise to such complaint. If efforts to  resolve
    33  such  matter  to  the  satisfaction of all parties are unsuccessful, the
    34  director shall refer the matter, within thirty days of  the  receipt  of
    35  the  complaint,  to  the division's hearing officers. Upon conclusion of
    36  the administrative hearing, the hearing  officer  shall  submit  to  the
    37  director  his  or  her  decision  regarding the alleged violation of the
    38  contract and recommendations  regarding  the  imposition  of  sanctions,
    39  fines  or  penalties.  The  director,  within ten days of receipt of the
    40  decision, shall file a determination of such matter and  shall  cause  a
    41  copy  of  such  determination  along  with  a copy of this article to be
    42  served upon the contractor by personal  service  or  by  certified  mail
    43  return  receipt  requested. The decision of the hearing officer shall be
    44  final and may only be vacated or modified as provided in article  seven-
    45  ty-eight  of  the  civil practice law and rules upon an application made
    46  within the time provided by  such  article.  The  determination  of  the
    47  director as to the imposition of any fines, sanctions or penalties shall
    48  be  reviewable  pursuant  to article seventy-eight of the civil practice
    49  law and rules. The penalties imposed for any violation which is premised
    50  upon  either  a  fraudulent  or  intentional  misrepresentation  by  the
    51  contractor  or the contractor's willful and intentional disregard of the
    52  minority and  women-owned  participation  requirement  included  in  the
    53  contract may include a determination that the contractor shall be ineli-
    54  gible  to  submit a bid to any contracting agency or be awarded any such
    55  contract for a period not to exceed one year following the final  deter-
    56  mination;  provided  however, if a contractor has previously been deter-

        A. 10180                            8

     1  mined to be ineligible to submit a bid pursuant  to  this  section,  the
     2  penalties imposed for any subsequent violation, if such violation occurs
     3  within  five  years  of the first violation, may include a determination
     4  that the contractor shall be ineligible to submit a bid to any contract-
     5  ing  agency  or  be awarded any such contract for a period not to exceed
     6  five years following the final determination. The division  of  minority
     7  and  women's  business  development shall maintain a website listing all
     8  contractors that have been deemed ineligible to submit a bid pursuant to
     9  this section and the date after which each contractor shall  once  again
    10  become eligible to submit bids.
    11    3.    The  director  shall  impose a sanction, penalty, or fine on any
    12  individual or entity that has three or more violations of  this  article
    13  within five years. Such fine shall be paid by such individual or entity.
    14  Such  fine shall be remitted and deposited into a fund, to be managed by
    15  the commissioner of economic development.  Such funds shall be  used  to
    16  subsidize  the  facilitation  of  the  provisions of this article. Other
    17  sanctions shall include barring such entity or individual from contract-
    18  ing with such agency for a period not to exceed five years.
    19    § 7. Subdivision 1 of section 137 of the state finance law,  as  sepa-
    20  rately amended by section 17 of part MM of chapter 57 and chapter 619 of
    21  the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:
    22    1. In addition to other bond or bonds, if any, required by law for the
    23  completion  of  a  work specified in a contract for the prosecution of a
    24  public improvement for the state of New York a municipal corporation,  a
    25  public benefit corporation or a commission appointed pursuant to law, or
    26  in the absence of any such requirement, the comptroller may or the other
    27  appropriate  official, respectively, shall nevertheless require prior to
    28  the approval of any such contract a bond guaranteeing prompt payment  of
    29  moneys  due to all persons furnishing labor or materials to the contrac-
    30  tor or any subcontractors in the prosecution of the work provided for in
    31  such contract. Whenever a municipal corporation issues a permit  subject
    32  to  compliance  with  section  two hundred twenty of the labor law, such
    33  permittee or its contractor or subcontractors furnishing  workers  shall
    34  post a payment bond subject to this section. Provided, however, that all
    35  performance  bonds  and payment bonds may, at the discretion of the head
    36  of the state agency, public benefit corporation or commission, or his or
    37  her designee, be dispensed with for the completion of a  work  specified
    38  in  a contract for the prosecution of a public improvement for the state
    39  of New York for which bids are solicited where the aggregate  amount  of
    40  the contract is under one hundred thousand dollars and provided further,
    41  that  in  a  case  where  the  contract  is  not subject to the multiple
    42  contract award requirements of section one hundred thirty-five  of  this
    43  article,  such  requirements may be dispensed with where the head of the
    44  state agency, public benefit corporation or commission finds it to be in
    45  the public interest and where  the  aggregate  amount  of  the  contract
    46  awarded or to be awarded is less than two hundred thousand dollars. In a
    47  case  where  a  contract  is awarded to a small business concern or to a
    48  minority or women-owned business  concern,  all  performance  bonds  and
    49  payment  bonds  may  be  dispensed with when the aggregate amount of the
    50  contract is under five hundred thousand dollars. Advertisements for bids
    51  shall provide information as to the requirements  for,  or  dispensation
    52  of,  performance  and  payment  bonds.  Provided further, that in a case
    53  where a performance or payment bond is dispensed with, twenty per centum
    54  may be retained from each progress payment or estimate until the  entire
    55  contract work has been completed and accepted, at which time the head of
    56  the  state agency, public benefit corporation or commission shall, pend-

        A. 10180                            9

     1  ing the payment of the final estimate, pay not  to  exceed  seventy-five
     2  per centum of the amount of the retained percentage.
     3    §  8.  Subdivision  4  of  section  139-f of the state finance law, as
     4  amended by chapter 83 of the  laws  of  1995,  is  amended  to  read  as
     5  follows:
     6    4.  Notwithstanding  any other provision of this section or other law,
     7  requirements for the furnishing of a performance bond or a payment  bond
     8  may  be dispensed with at the discretion of the head of the state agency
     9  or corporation, or his or her designee, where  the  public  owner  is  a
    10  state  agency  or  corporation  described  in  subdivision one-a of this
    11  section and the aggregate amount  of  the  contract  awarded  or  to  be
    12  awarded  is  under  fifty  thousand  dollars  and,  in  a case where the
    13  contract is not subject to the multiple contract award  requirements  of
    14  section  one  hundred thirty-five of this article, such requirements may
    15  be dispensed with where the head of  the  state  agency  or  corporation
    16  finds  it to be in the public interest and where the aggregate amount of
    17  the contract awarded or to be awarded  is  under  two  hundred  thousand
    18  dollars.  In  a  case  where  a  contract is awarded to a small business
    19  concern or to a minority or women-owned business concern,  all  perform-
    20  ance  bonds  and  payment bonds may be dispensed with when the aggregate
    21  amount of the contract is under five hundred  thousand  dollars.  Adver-
    22  tisements for proposals shall provide information as to the requirements
    23  for,  or  dispensation  of,  performance  and  payment  bonds.  Provided
    24  further, that in a case where a performance or payment bond is dispensed
    25  with, twenty per centum may be retained from each  progress  payment  or
    26  estimate until the entire contract work has been completed and accepted,
    27  at which time the head of the state agency or corporation shall, pending
    28  the  payment  of  the final estimate, pay not to exceed seventy-five per
    29  centum of the amount of the retained percentage.
    30    § 9. The opening paragraph of section 139-g of the state finance  law,
    31  as  amended  by  chapter  636 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as
    32  follows:
    33    In every state agency, department and authority  which  has  let  more
    34  than two million dollars in service and construction contracts and state
    35  assisted project contracts in the prior fiscal year, the chief executive
    36  officer  of  that agency, department or authority shall, with respect to
    37  those contracts and state assisted project contracts let by his  or  her
    38  agency, department or authority:
    39    § 10. The opening paragraph of subdivision (b) of section 139-g of the
    40  state  finance  law,  as  amended by chapter 636 of the laws of 2003, is
    41  amended to read as follows:
    42    identify all small-business and  certified  women  and  minority-owned
    43  business  concerns which, in the judgment of the chief executive officer
    44  of that agency, department or authority, can bid on those contracts  and
    45  state  assisted  project contracts which are usually and customarily let
    46  by that agency, department or authority,  or  in  which  that  authority
    47  provides  a  grant  or  loan  or tax exempt financing, with a reasonable
    48  expectation of success. Such chief executive officers  shall  carry  out
    49  the provisions of this subdivision:
    50    §  11.   Section 139-g of the state finance law is amended by adding a
    51  new subdivision (e) to read as follows:
    52    (e) for the purposes of this section, the following words  shall  have
    53  the following meanings:
    54    (i) "State assisted project contract" shall mean any written agreement
    55  arising  out  of  a  state  assisted  housing  project or state assisted
    56  economic development project or state assisted higher education  project

        A. 10180                           10

     1  or  state  assisted  hospital or health care facility project, for which
     2  the total project cost exceeds two million dollars  and  for  which  the
     3  project  owner is committed to spend or does expend funds for the acqui-
     4  sition,  construction,  demolition,  replacement, major repair, or reno-
     5  vation of real property and improvements thereon for such project.
     6    (ii) "State assisted housing project" shall mean those projects  which
     7  receive  from  the  New  York  state  housing  finance agency tax-exempt
     8  financing for all or part of the total project cost.
     9    (iii) "State assisted economic development project" shall  mean  those
    10  projects which receive from the New York foundation of science technolo-
    11  gy  and innovation, or the urban development corporation and its subsid-
    12  iaries a grant or loan or tax-exempt financing for all or  part  of  the
    13  total project cost.
    14    (iv)  "State  assisted  higher  education  project"  shall  mean those
    15  projects which receive from the dormitory authority of the state of  New
    16  York  a  grant  or  loan  or tax-exempt financing for all or part of the
    17  total project cost.
    18    (v) "State assisted hospital or health care  facility  project"  shall
    19  mean  those  projects  which receive from the dormitory authority of the
    20  state of New York a grant or loan or tax-exempt  financing  for  all  or
    21  part of the total project cost.
    22    §  12.  This  act shall take effect immediately, provided however, the
    23  amendments to article 15-A of the executive law  made  by  sections  one
    24  through  six of this act shall not affect the expiration of such article
    25  and shall expire therewith.
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