S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  2793

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 20, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee on Local Governments

AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to allowing West-
  chester county to require bidders for public  works,  construction  or
  purchase  contracts  to  hire  and  retain persons residing in certain
  targeted communities

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The  general  municipal  law  is  amended by adding a new
section 103-h to read as follows:
  S 103-H. CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS IN  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY;  TARGETED
COMMUNITIES. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, A "TARGETED COMMUNITY"
SHALL MEAN ANY CITY, TOWN, OR VILLAGE WITHIN A COUNTY WHERE THE COMBINED
AVERAGE  OF THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND THE POVERTY RATE OF SUCH COMMUNITY
IS GREATER THAN THE COMBINED  COUNTYWIDE  AVERAGE  OF  UNEMPLOYMENT  AND
POVERTY RATE BY TEN PERCENT.
  2. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW, THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER MAY
REQUIRE THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER FOR ALL PUBLIC WORKS, CONSTRUCTION
OR  PURCHASE  CONTRACTS  TO  HIRE AND RETAIN PERSONS RESIDING IN CERTAIN
TARGETED COMMUNITIES HAVING THE HIGHEST  RATES  OF  UNEMPLOYMENT  WITHIN
SUCH COUNTY.
  3. THE COUNTY MAY REQUIRE THAT:
  A.  AT  LEAST TEN PERCENT OF THE LABOR COSTS OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS
AWARDED BY THE COUNTY BE SPENT TO HIRE PERSONS RESIDING IN THE  TARGETED
COMMUNITIES WITHIN THAT COUNTY;
  B.  AT  LEAST  TWENTY  PERCENT  OF  THE  LABOR  COSTS  OF CONSTRUCTION
CONTRACTS BE SPENT TO HIRE PERSONS RESIDING IN THE TARGETED COMMUNITIES,
IF THE COMBINED AVERAGE UNEMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY  RATE  FOR  A  TARGETED
COMMUNITY  IS  GREATER  THAN  TWENTY  PERCENT OF THE COMBINED COUNTYWIDE
AVERAGE OF UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND THE POVERTY RATE; AND

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD05640-01-5

              

A. 2793                             2

  C. AT  LEAST  THIRTY  PERCENT  OF  THE  LABOR  COSTS  OF  CONSTRUCTION
CONTRACTS  COST BE SPENT TO HIRE PERSONS RESIDING IN THE TARGETED COMMU-
NITIES IF THE COMBINED AVERAGE COMMUNITY UNEMPLOYMENT AND  POVERTY  RATE
IS  GREATER  THAN  THIRTY  PERCENT OF THE COMBINED COUNTYWIDE AVERAGE OF
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND THE POVERTY RATE.
  4.  THE  COMBINED  AVERAGE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND POVERTY RATE SHALL BE
COMPUTED ANNUALLY BASED ON STATISTICS PUBLISHED BY THE  NEW  YORK  STATE
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS OR SIMILAR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR THE PERIOD
ENDING DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST OF THE YEAR PRECEDING THE YEAR IN WHICH THE
CONTRACT  IS  AWARDED.  THE  COMBINED  AVERAGE  SHALL  BE THE SUM OF THE
PRECEDING YEAR END UNEMPLOYMENT RATE PLUS THE PRECEDING YEAR END POVERTY
RATE DIVIDED BY TWO.
  5. THE COMBINED AVERAGE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND POVERTY  RATE  SHALL  BE
ESTABLISHED ANNUALLY BY RESOLUTION OR LOCAL LAW OF THE COUNTY.
  6.  THE  COUNTY MAY REQUIRE THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER TO ESTABLISH
APPRENTICESHIP AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR  WORKERS  RESIDING  WITHIN  THE
TARGETED  COMMUNITIES  IN  CERTAIN  CONSTRUCTION  TRADES  SPECIFIED IN A
RESOLUTION OR LOCAL LAW PASSED BY SUCH COUNTY.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
have become a law.