What's happening
This bill prohibits certain public officials from selling or contracting real property to the state or city without competitive bidding.
Why it matters
Expands conflict-of-interest rules. The bill closes a loophole by adding "real property" to existing prohibitions, making it harder for public officials or their associates to profit from land or property sales to the government without a fair, transparent process.
Addresses indirect influence. The restrictions apply not just to direct sales, but also to situations where officials have significant control over a corporation or firm involved in such transactions, aiming to prevent backdoor deals and self-dealing.
Targets major urban political influence. Special attention is given to political party chairs in large cities (over one million residents), reflecting concerns about corruption risks in urban real estate dealings.
Promotes public trust. By requiring competitive bidding for these transactions, the legislation aims to ensure taxpayer money is spent fairly, reducing the risk of favoritism and enhancing transparency in public real estate purchases.
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Who cares
State officials, legislators and employees
The bill would require public notice and competitive bidding for their real property sales worth more than $25 to state agencies or private entities whose contracting decisions are controlled by state agencies or officers.
Political party chairmen
The bill would extend those real property restrictions to chairmen selling to state agencies and to county chairmen in cities with more than one million residents selling to city agencies, including covered private-entity transactions.
Businesses affiliated with covered officials and party chairmen
Firms and associations they belong to, and corporations in which they own or control at least 10 percent of stock, would face the same real property sale restrictions.
State and city agencies
Agencies buying real property from covered sellers would need to use awards or contracts let after public notice and competitive bidding for transactions worth more than $25.
Headline styles
Limit Officials' State Property Sales
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
179
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to the sale of real property to the state by certain public officials
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 4 of section 73 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter 242 of the laws of 1989, are amended to read as follows:
(a) No statewide elected official, state officer or employee, member of the legislature, legislative employee or political party chairman or firm or association of which such person is a member, or corporation, ten per centum or more of the stock of which is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such person, shall (i) sell any goods [or], services or real property having a value in excess of twenty-five dollars to any state agency, or (ii) contract for or provide such goods [or], services or real property with or to any private entity where the power to contract, appoint or retain on behalf of such private entity is exercised, directly or indirectly, by a state agency or officer thereof, unless such goods [or], services or real property are provided pursuant to an award or contract let after public notice and competitive bidding. This paragraph shall not apply to the publication of resolutions, advertisements or other legal propositions or notices in newspapers designated pursuant to law for such purpose and for which the rates are fixed pursuant to law.
(b) No political party chairman of a county wholly included in a city with a population of more than one million, or firm or association of which such person is a member, or corporation, ten per centum or more of the stock of which is owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such person, shall (i) sell any goods [or], services or real property having
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01934-01-9
A. 179 2
a value in excess of twenty-five dollars to any city agency, or (ii) contract for or provide such goods [or], services or real property with or to any private entity where the power to contract, appoint or retain on behalf of such private entity is exercised directly or indirectly, by a city agency or officer thereof, unless such goods [or], services or real property are provided pursuant to an award or contract let after public notice and competitive bidding. This paragraph shall not apply to the publication of resolutions, advertisements or other legal propositions or notices in newspapers designated pursuant to law for such purpose and for which the rates are fixed pursuant to law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.