Bill Would Allow Local Governments to 'Piggy-Back' on Procurement Contracts

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate approved legislation (S.5525B) on June 20th that would allow local governments to cooperatively purchase, or piggy-back, on contracts already approved for other government agencies, including those of other states or the federal government.

The same terms and conditions of a contract already awarded would apply and there is a provision in the legislation to ensure that competitive bidding standards consistent with state law must have been used.

Forty-eight states have either explicitly authorized cooperative purchasing or they have enacted a general joint powers statute or intergovernmental cooperation law that permits local public agencies to purchase from cooperative contracts that were solicited by another public agency.

New York does not have statutory language in place that authorizes cooperative purchasing between New York's local governments and the federal, state or local governments elsewhere in the United States. This bill would amend the General Municipal Law to allow for such cooperative purchasing.

The legislation was delivered to the Assembly, where it is sponsored by Assemblywoman Addie Russell.