S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
624
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 10, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the state finance law and the education law, in relation
to the oversight of certain contracts by the comptroller
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 112 of the state
finance law, as amended by a chapter of the laws of 2022, amending the
state finance law and the education law relating to restoring oversight
of certain contracts by the comptroller, as proposed in legislative
bills numbers S. 6809-A and A. 7925-A, is amended to read as follows:
(a) (I) Before any contract: (1) made for or by any state agency,
department, board, officer, commission, or institution, except the
office of general services or its customer agencies serviced by the
office of general services business services center, shall be executed
or become effective, whenever such contract exceeds fifty thousand
dollars in amount [and before any contract], IT SHALL FIRST BE APPROVED
BY THE OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER AND FILED IN HIS OR HER OFFICE; (2)
made for or by the office of general services, whether for itself or for
its customer agencies serviced by the office of general services busi-
ness services center, shall be executed or become effective, whenever
such contract exceeds eighty-five thousand dollars in amount, IT SHALL
FIRST BE APPROVED BY THE COMPTROLLER AND FILED IN HIS OR HER OFFICE; OR
(3) ESTABLISHED AS A CENTRALIZED CONTRACT THROUGH THE OFFICE OF GENERAL
SERVICES SHALL BE EXECUTED OR BECOME EFFECTIVE, WHENEVER SUCH CONTRACT
EXCEEDS ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN AMOUNT, it shall
first be approved by the comptroller and filed in his or her office;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, BEFORE ANY PURCHASE ORDER OR OTHER PROCUREMENT TRANS-
ACTION ISSUED UNDER SUCH CENTRALIZED CONTRACT, WHICH EXCEEDS TWO HUNDRED
THOUSAND DOLLARS IN AMOUNT SHALL BE EXECUTED OR BECOME EFFECTIVE, IT
SHALL FIRST BE APPROVED BY THE COMPTROLLER AND FILED IN HIS OR HER
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04224-01-3
A. 624 2
OFFICE. Provided, FURTHER, however, that WITH the EXCEPTION OF CONTRACTS
IDENTIFIED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH THE comptroller shall
make a final written determination with respect to approval of such
contract within ninety days of the submission of such contract to his or
her office unless the comptroller shall notify, in writing, the state
agency, department, board, officer, commission, or institution, prior to
the expiration of the ninety day period, and for good cause, of the need
for an extension of not more than fifteen days, or a reasonable period
of time agreed to by such state agency, department, board, officer,
commission, or institution and provided, further, that such written
determination or extension shall be made part of the procurement record
pursuant to paragraph f of subdivision one of section one hundred
sixty-three of this chapter.
(II) BEFORE ANY CONTRACT ESTABLISHED AS A CENTRALIZED CONTRACT THROUGH
THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES, AS PROVIDED FOR IN ITEM THREE OF SUBPAR-
AGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH, OR ANY CONTRACT MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH
SUBDIVISION FIVE, SIX OR PARAGRAPH B OF SUBDIVISION SIXTEEN OF SECTION
THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE OF THE EDUCATION LAW, SECTION THREE HUNDRED
SEVENTY-THREE OF THE EDUCATION LAW, SECTION SIXTY-TWO HUNDRED EIGHTEEN
OF THE EDUCATION LAW, OR SECTION SIXTY-TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE OF THE
EDUCATION LAW, SHALL BE EXECUTED OR BECOME EFFECTIVE, SUCH CONTRACT
SHALL FIRST BE APPROVED BY THE COMPTROLLER AND FILED IN HIS OR HER
OFFICE. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE COMPTROLLER SHALL MAKE A FINAL
WRITTEN DETERMINATION WITH RESPECT TO APPROVAL OF SUCH CONTRACT WITHIN
SEVENTY-FIVE DAYS OF THE SUBMISSION OF SUCH CONTRACT TO HIS OR HER
OFFICE UNLESS THE COMPTROLLER SHALL NOTIFY, IN WRITING, THE STATE AGEN-
CY, DEPARTMENT, BOARD, OFFICER, COMMISSION, OR INSTITUTION, PRIOR TO THE
EXPIRATION OF THE SEVENTY-FIVE DAY PERIOD, AND FOR GOOD CAUSE, OF THE
NEED FOR AN EXTENSION OF NOT MORE THAN FIFTEEN DAYS, OR A REASONABLE
PERIOD OF TIME AGREED TO BY SUCH STATE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT, BOARD, OFFI-
CER, COMMISSION, OR INSTITUTION AND PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT SUCH WRITTEN
DETERMINATION OR EXTENSION SHALL BE MADE PART OF THE PROCUREMENT RECORD
PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH F OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED
SIXTY-THREE OF THIS CHAPTER.
§ 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 5 of section 355 of the education law,
as added by a chapter of the laws of 2022, amending the state finance
law and the education law relating to restoring oversight of certain
contracts by the comptroller, as proposed in legislative bills numbers
S. 6809-A and A. 7925-A, is amended to read as follows:
a. (i) purchase materials, proprietary electronic information
resources including but not limited to academic, professional, and
industry journals, reference handbooks and manuals, research tracking
tools, indexes and abstracts; AND equipment and supplies, including
computer equipment and motor vehicles, where the amount for a single
purchase does not exceed [fifty] SEVENTY-FIVE thousand dollars, (ii)
execute contracts for services and construction contracts to an amount
not exceeding [fifty] SEVENTY-FIVE thousand dollars, and (iii) contract
for printing to an amount not exceeding [fifty] SEVENTY-FIVE thousand
dollars, without prior approval by any other state officer or agency,
but subject to rules and regulations of the state comptroller not other-
wise inconsistent with the provisions of this section and in accordance
with the guidelines promulgated by the state university board of trus-
tees after consultation with the state comptroller. In addition, the
trustees, after consultation with the commissioner of general services,
are authorized to annually negotiate with the state comptroller
increases in the aforementioned dollar limits and the exemption of any
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articles, categories of articles, services, or commodities from these
limits;
§ 3. Items (A) and (B) of subparagraph (i) of paragraph b of subdivi-
sion 16 of section 355 of the education law, as added by a chapter of
the laws of 2022, amending the state finance law and the education law
relating to restoring oversight of certain contracts by the comptroller,
as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6809-A and A. 7925-A, are
amended to read as follows:
(A) for any contract which does not exceed [seventy-five] ONE HUNDRED
FIFTY thousand dollars; or
(B) for joint or group purchasing arrangements which do not exceed
[seventy-five] ONE HUNDRED FIFTY thousand dollars without prior approval
by any other state officer or agency in accordance with procedures and
requirements found in paragraph a of subdivision five of this section.
§ 4. Subdivision 12 of section 373 of the education law, as added by a
chapter of the laws of 2022, amending the state finance law and the
education law relating to restoring oversight of certain contracts by
the comptroller, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6809-A and
A. 7925-A, is amended to read as follows:
12. To make and execute contracts, lease agreements, and all other
instruments necessary or convenient for the exercise of its corporate
powers and the fulfillment of its corporate purposes under this article
TO AN AMOUNT NOT EXCEEDING SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS WITHOUT PRIOR
APPROVAL BY ANY OTHER STATE OFFICER OR AGENCY; NOTWITHSTANDING THE FORE-
GOING, ALL CONTRACTS, LEASE AGREEMENTS, AND ALL OTHER INSTRUMENTS
EXCEEDING SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN AMOUNT SHALL BE SUBJECT TO
SECTION ONE HUNDRED TWELVE OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW;
§ 5. Subdivision a of section 6218 of the education law, as added by a
chapter of the laws of 2022, amending the state finance law and the
education law relating to restoring oversight of certain contracts by
the comptroller, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6809-A and
A. 7925-A, is amended to read as follows:
a. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision two of section one
hundred twelve and sections one hundred fifteen, one hundred sixty-one
and one hundred sixty-three of the state finance law and section three
of the New York state printing and public documents law or any other law
to the contrary, the city university trustees are authorized and
empowered to:
(i) purchase materials; proprietary electronic information resources,
including, but not limited to, academic, professional and industry jour-
nals, reference handbooks and manuals, research tracking tools, indexes
and abstracts; and equipment and supplies, including computer equipment
and motor vehicles, where the amount for a single purchase does not
exceed [fifty] SEVENTY-FIVE thousand dollars, (ii) execute contracts for
services AND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS to an amount not exceeding [fifty]
SEVENTY-FIVE thousand dollars, and (iii) contract for printing to an
amount not exceeding [fifty] SEVENTY-FIVE thousand dollars, without
prior approval by any other state officer or agency, but subject to
rules and regulations of the state comptroller not otherwise inconsist-
ent with the provisions of this section and in accordance with the
guidelines promulgated by the city university board of trustees after
consultation with the state comptroller. In addition, the trustees are
authorized to annually negotiate with the state comptroller increases in
the aforementioned dollar limits and the exemption of any articles,
categories of articles, services, or commodities from these limits.
Guidelines promulgated by the city university board of trustees shall,
A. 624 4
to the extent practicable, require that competitive proposals be solic-
ited for purchases, and shall include requirements that purchases and
contracts authorized under this section be at the lowest available
price.
§ 6. Subdivision 9 of section 6275 of the education law, as amended by
chapter 332 of the laws of 1975, is amended to read as follows:
(9) to make and execute contracts, leases, subleases and all other
instruments or agreements necessary or convenient for the exercise of
its corporate powers and purposes TO AN AMOUNT NOT EXCEEDING SEVENTY-
FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL BY ANY OTHER STATE OFFICER
OR AGENCY; NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, ALL CONTRACTS, LEASES,
SUBLEASES, AND ALL OTHER INSTRUMENTS OR AGREEMENTS EXCEEDING SEVENTY-
FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN AMOUNT SHALL BE SUBJECT TO SECTION ONE HUNDRED
TWELVE OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW;
§ 7. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same
manner as a chapter of the laws of 2022, amending the state finance law
and the education law relating to restoring oversight of certain
contracts by the comptroller, as proposed in legislative bills numbers
S. 6809-A and A. 7925-A, takes effect.