What's happening
This bill allows local governments to post procurement bid notices online for greater transparency and modernization of the process.
Why it matters
Empowers local governments to use online platforms for procurement notices only after passing a local law. , ensuring public input and local legislative oversight before shifting away from traditional newspaper postings.
Mandates clear public communication by requiring prominent website links to all current and past bid requests. , making it easier for businesses and residents to track government contracting opportunities and hold officials accountable.
Sets minimum standards for online transparency. , such as posting full bid specifications (or a summary and directions to full documents) and specifying where and when bids will be opened, which could reduce confusion and level the playing field for potential vendors.
Preserves flexibility by allowing continued use of newspapers and other publicity methods. , ensuring that those without internet access or who rely on traditional media are not excluded from the procurement process.
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Who cares
Local governments and procurement officials
The bill would let them adopt a local law replacing the existing bid-notice procedure with postings on both their own website and the New York State Contract Reporter, subject to notice and posting requirements.
Businesses bidding on local government contracts
Participating municipalities would have to post bid requests online for at least five consecutive days before bid opening, including specifications or a summary explaining where complete specifications are available.
Local newspapers
Municipalities choosing online bid notices would have to publish notice of that choice once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation, while newspapers could still publish bid information on their own initiative.
Government transparency advocates
Participating municipalities would have to maintain a conspicuous website notice linking to current and previous bid requests and disclose when and where bids would be publicly opened and read.
Headline styles
Modernize Local Purchasing Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to local governments
- Referred to local governments
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1831
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. MAGNARELLI, HUNTER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to modernizing and increasing the transparency of local government procurement of goods and services
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "local government procurement modernization and transparency act".
§ 2. Section 103 of the general municipal law is amended by adding a new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
17. (a) As an alternative to the notice procedure set forth in subdivision two of this section, a political subdivision may provide notice of requests for bids by posting the requests on the New York State Contract Reporter website. In addition, the municipality must post notice of requests for bids on a website maintained by the political subdivision itself. Before a political subdivision may utilize the online notification method outlined in this subdivision, the political subdivision must adopt a local law which provides that all requests for bids will be posted online pursuant to the procedures outlined in this subdivision. After a political subdivision adopts a local law pursuant to this paragraph, notice of the local law's adoption must be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the political subdivision. In addition, a political subdivision must continuously and conspicuously post on its website that notices of requests for bids are posted online with a link to the webpage where current and previous requests for bids have been posted.
(b) Once a political subdivision has designated the online bid notification process as the method for requesting bids, each request for bids must be continuously posted for at least five consecutive days on both the political subdivision's website and the New York State Contract
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00649-01-9
A. 1831 2
Reporter website before the bid opening deadline. For the purpose of calculating the number of days, the first day the request for bids is posted online may not be counted but the day of the bid opening may be counted. The website posting must include the bid specifications, unless it is infeasible to post the bid specifications on the website in which case a summary of the request for bids must be posted online with a statement that the complete bid specifications are available in the office of the clerk of the political subdivision. The website posting must also include a statement indicating the address to which bids must be delivered and a statement of the date, time, and place where the bids will be publicly opened and read.
(c) Nothing in this subdivision precludes a political subdivision from publicizing notices of a request for bids in other manners in addition to the methods outlined in this subdivision. Nothing in this subdivision precludes a newspaper from publishing information of its own accord regarding any political subdivision's notice of request for bids or request for proposals.
§ 3. 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.