Authorizes municipalities and districts thereof to contract for certain goods and services jointly with the state or other municipalities

6 Co-sponsors

• David Carlucci
• Patrick M. Gallivan
• Jack M. Martins
• Suzi Oppenheimer
• Patty Ritchie
• David J. Valesky

BILL NUMBER:S5525C

Title of bill

An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to providing local governments greater contract flexibility and cost savings by permitting certain shared purchasing among political subdivisions; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof

Purpose

Authorizes municipalities and districts thereof to contract for goods and services jointly with federal and any state or other municipality.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 amends section 103 of the general municipal law by adding a new subdivision 16 to authorize any officer, board or agency of a county, political subdivision or any district therein authorized to make purchases of apparatus, materials, equipment or supplies, or to contract for services, may make such purchase, or may contract for such services, as may be required by such contract let by the United States of America or any agency thereof, any state or other county or political subdivision if such contract was let in a manner that constitutes competitive bidding consistent with state law and made available for use by other government entities.

Section 2 contains the effective date and provisions for repeal five years after such date.

Justification

Cooperative purchasing, also commonly referred to as piggy-backing, is a procurement method whereby if a government agency has already gone through the procurement process and awarded a contract to one or more venders for a particular product or service, the contract can be utilized by other government agencies on the same terms and conditions. Piggy-backing has been proven to reduce administrative and product cost, increase efficiencies and stretch shrinking budgets during difficult times.

Forty-eight states have either explicitly authorized cooperative purchasing or they have enacted a general joint powers statute or intergovernmental cooperation law that permits local public agencies to purchase from cooperative contracts that were solicited by another public agency. New York does not have statutory language in place that authorizes cooperative purchasing between New York's local governments and the federal, state or local governments elsewhere in the United States. This bill would amend the General Municipal Law to allow for such cooperative purchasing.

Legislative history

New Bill.

Fiscal implications

None to the State.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire and be deemed repealed five years after such date.