What's happening
This bill allows school districts to receive BOCES aid for equipment purchases if they demonstrate cost-effectiveness compared to non-BOCES purchases.
Why it matters
Encourages Smarter Spending. By tying BOCES aid eligibility to cost-effectiveness, the bill incentivizes school districts to thoroughly compare prices and only seek BOCES aid when it leads to real savings, potentially stretching taxpayer dollars further.
Expands Eligible Purchases. The amendment clarifies that a wide range of tangible equipment—including furniture, instructional materials, and classroom aids—can qualify for BOCES aid if the cost-effectiveness test is met, possibly allowing districts to modernize classrooms more affordably.
Requires Proof and Oversight. Districts must now actively demonstrate that their BOCES-facilitated purchases are more cost-effective than buying independently, which could introduce stricter documentation and oversight, impacting administrative processes.
May Shift Procurement Practices. The prospect of additional state aid for cost-effective purchases could change how districts plan and prioritize equipment upgrades, potentially leading to more collaborative and strategic procurement through BOCES.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow BOCES Aid for Equipment
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 4
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Make Equipment Purchases Cheaper
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Crystal Peoples-Stokes
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
596
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 4, 2017
Introduced by Sens. BOYLE, CROCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the cost effectiveness of tangible equipment
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph d of subdivision 4 of section 1950 of the education law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 6 to read as follows:
(6) Cost effectiveness of tangible equipment. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section to the contrary, expenditures incurred by component school districts in compliance with the general municipal law, pursuant to purchase and/or installation contracts entered into on or after January fifteenth, two thousand, for equipment including but not limited to furniture, bulletin boards, tangible instructional materials and classroom aids, shall be an acceptable expense for BOCES aid if the component school district demonstrates the purchase would be more cost-effective than would otherwise be possible if such services were to be purchased without the consideration of BOCES aid.
§ 2. The commissioner shall promulgate rules, regulations and standards to implement the provisions of this act.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05402-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the cost effectiveness of tangible equipment
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of the bill is to allow school districts to receive BOCES aid reimbursement for purchases deemed more cost effective than those through BOCES.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: Allows for BOCES reimbursement to a school district for purchases of tangible equipment made outside of BOCES if those purchases are more cost effective than what could have been purchased through BOCES without the consideration of BOCES aid.
Section 2: Directs the commissioner to promulgate rules, regulations and standards to implement the provisions of this legislation.
Justification
It is incumbent upon school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to ensure that all expenditures are cost effective.
Often school districts are able to find better prices on equipment and supply purchases than those offered by their boards of cooperative educational services. However, because purchases via BOCES are reimbursable, the school district will often purchase from BOCES as opposed to the more cost effective alternative. This extra expense is a waste of taxpayer dollars.
This legislation seeks to encourage BOCES and school districts to exercise due diligence in the procurement of supplies and equipment so they make purchases that are the most cost efficient.
Prior legislative history
S.7938 of 2014 01/13/15 REFERRED TO EDUCATION 01/06/16 REFERRED TO EDUCATION
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.