What's happening
This bill allows New York municipalities to add extra qualification requirements to requests for proposal for contract bids.
Why it matters
Empowers municipalities to set higher or more specific standards. By allowing local governments to add extra qualification requirements, the bill enables them to demand more specialized experience, certifications, or other criteria from contractors, potentially raising the quality of work or tailoring bids to community needs.
Could limit or expand competition for public contracts. Stricter or additional qualifications may reduce the pool of eligible bidders, possibly favoring local firms or those with unique skills, but also potentially excluding smaller or less experienced companies.
Reflects local priorities or concerns. Municipalities might use this authority to address local policy goals—such as encouraging minority or women-owned business participation, requiring environmental sustainability credentials, or prioritizing local hiring—making contract awards more responsive to community values.
Shifts some procurement oversight from state to local level. By letting municipalities adopt their own qualification criteria through local law, the bill decentralizes decision-making, giving communities more control over how public funds are spent and who performs public work.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Towns Set Bid Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to local government
- Referred to local government
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4357
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 10, 2017
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to request for proposals and the addition of qualifications by municipalities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 103 of the general municipal law is amended by adding a new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
17. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, in issuing a request for a proposal pursuant to this section a municipality may adopt a local law that would provide for including additional qualifications in the request for proposal for contract bids.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00347-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to request for proposals and the addition of qualifications by municipalities
Purpose
To provide municipalities with the ability to require contract terms on municipal contracts.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends section 103 of the general municipal law to add a new paragraph 17 to allow municipalities to adopt a local law so that requests for proposals contain qualifications for bidders.
Justification
Currently, § 103 of the NY State General Municipal Law prevents municipalities across the state from including qualifications in municipal contracts that must ultimately serve these areas. This keeps a municipality from meeting its sustainability, social responsibility or other preferences as reflected in local laws or ordinances when using their funds to retain a contractor.
Municipalities should be able to consider local community issues, local preference, worker rights, and simply responsible budgeting, in qualifications on RFPs for their own municipal contracts. This legislation grants localities across the State the ability to include qualifications in RFPs for contract bids.
Legislative history
2015-16: S.5496 Referred to Local Government
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act would take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.