32:36-16 Contracts of the commission.

16. Contracts of the Commission.

a. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless otherwise specified:

"Construction item" means any such item or material used in construction and which is procured directly by the Commission or office or any such item or material commonly used in construction which is procured by a person, other than a municipality, under contract with the commission.

"Practicable" means capable of being used without violating the following criteria: performance, availability at a reasonable period of time and maintenance of a satisfactory level of completion.

"Product" means any material, supply, equipment or construction item or other item whether real or personal property which is the subject of any purchase, barter, or other exchange made to procure such product.

"Secondary materials" means any material recovered from or otherwise destined for the waste stream, including but not limited to, post-consumer material, industrial scrap material, and overstock or obsolete inventories from distributors, wholesalers and other companies as defined in rules and regulations promulgated by the New York commissioner of general services but such term does not include those materials and byproducts generated from, and commonly reused within an original manufacturing process.

"Specification" means any description of the physical or functional characteristics, or of the nature of a material, supply, equipment or construction item. It may include a description of any requirement for inspecting, testing or preparing a material, supply, equipment or construction item for delivery.

b. Specifications. The Commission shall create and update product specifications to ensure that:

(1) Specifications do not exclude the use of products manufactured from secondary materials or require that products be manufactured from virgin materials only, provided however, the specifications may include such an exclusion if the Commission demonstrates that for a particular end use a product containing secondary materials would not meet necessary performance standards or that the cost of such products exceeds that of similar products manufactured from virgin materials.

(2) Performance standards, specifications and a product's intended end use are related, and clearly identified when feasible.

(3) Specifications are not overly stringent for a particular end use or performance standard.

(4) Specifications incorporate or require the use of secondary materials to the maximum extent practicable without jeopardizing the performance or intended end use of the product; provided however, where the Commission demonstrates that for a particular end use a product containing secondary materials would not meet necessary performance standards or that the cost of such product exceeds that of similar products manufactured from virgin materials, such specifications need not incorporate or require the use of secondary materials.

c. Ground for cancellation of contract by the Commission. A clause shall be inserted in all specifications or contracts hereafter made or awarded by the Commission, for work or services performed or to be performed or goods sold or to be sold, to provide that upon the refusal by a person, when called before a grand jury, head of a state department, temporary state Commission or other agency of the state of New York or the state of New Jersey, the organized crime task force in the department of law of the state of New York, head of a city department, or other city agency, which is empowered to compel the attendance of witnesses and examine them under oath, to testify in an investigation concerning any transaction or contract had with the applicable state, any political subdivision thereof, a public authority or with any public department, agency or official of the state of New York or the state of New Jersey or of any political subdivision thereof or of a public authority, to sign a waiver of immunity against subsequent criminal prosecution or to answer any relevant question concerning such transaction or contract, such person, and any firm, partnership or corporation of which he or she is a member, partner, director or officer shall be disqualified from thereafter selling to or submitting bids to or receiving awards from or entering into any contracts with the Commission or official thereof, for goods, work or services, for a period of five years after such refusal.

d. Disqualification to contract with the Commission. Any person who, when called before a grand jury, head of a state department, temporary state Commission or other state agency of the state of New York or the state of New Jersey, the organized crime task force in the department of law of the state of New York, head of a city department, or other city agency, which is empowered to compel the attendance of witnesses and examine them under oath, to testify in an investigation concerning any transaction or contract had with the applicable state, any political subdivision thereof, a public authority or with a public department, agency or official of the state or of any political subdivision thereof or of a public authority, refuses to sign a waiver of immunity against subsequent criminal prosecution or to answer any relevant questions concerning such transaction or contract, and any firm, partnership or corporation, of which he or she is a member, partner, director or officer shall be disqualified from thereafter selling to or submitting bids to or receiving awards from or entering into any contracts with the Commission or any official of the commission, for goods, work or services, for a period of five years after such refusal or until a disqualification shall be removed pursuant to the provisions of subsection e. of this section. It shall be the duty of the officer conducting the investigation before the grand jury, the head of a state department, the chairman of the temporary state commission or other state agency of the state of New York or the state of New Jersey, the organized crime task force in the department of law of the state of New York, the head of a city department or other city agency before which the refusal occurs to send notice of such refusal, together with the names of any firm, partnership or corporation of which the person so refusing is known to be a member, partner, officer or director, to the commissioner of transportation of the state of New York or the state of New Jersey, or the commissioner of general services as the case may be, and the appropriate departments, agencies and officials of the applicable state, political subdivisions thereof or public authorities with whom the persons so refusing and any firm, partnership or corporation of which he or she is a member, partner, director or officer, is known to have a contract. However, when such refusal occurs before a body other than a grand jury, notice of refusal shall not be sent for a period of ten days after such refusal occurs. Prior to the expiration of this ten-day period, any person, firm, partnership or corporation which has become liable to the cancellation or termination of a contract or disqualification to contract on account of such refusal may commence a special proceeding at a special term of the supreme court of New York or superior court of New Jersey, held within the judicial district in which the refusal occurred, for an order determining whether the questions in response to which the refusal occurred were relevant and material to the inquiry. Upon the commencement of such proceeding, the sending of such notice of refusal to answer shall be subject to order of the court in which the proceeding was brought in a manner and on such terms as the court may deem just. If a proceeding is not brought within ten days, notice of refusal shall thereupon be sent as provided in this subsection.

e. Removal of disqualification of public contractors by petition.

(1) Any firm, partnership or corporation which has become subject to the cancellation or termination of a contract or disqualification to contract on account of the refusal of a member, partner, director or officer thereof to waive immunity when called to testify, as provided in subsection d. of this section, may, upon ten days' notice to the attorney general of the state in which the refusal occurred and to the officer who conducted the investigation before the grand jury or other body in which the refusal occurred, commence a special proceeding at a special term of the supreme court of New York or superior court of New Jersey held within the judicial district in which the refusal occurred for a judgment discontinuing the disqualification. Such application shall be in the form of a petition setting forth grounds, including that the cooperation by petitioner with the grand jury or other body at the time of the refusal was such, and the amount and degree of control and financial interest, if any, in the petitioning firm, partnership or corporation by the member, partner, officer or director who refused to waive immunity is such that it will not be in the public interest to cancel or terminate petitioner's contracts or to continue the disqualification, as provided in subsection d. of this section. A copy of the petition and accompanying papers shall be served with the notices to be given pursuant to this section.

(2) Upon the filing of a petition described in paragraph (1) of this subsection the court may stay as to petitioner, pending a decision upon the petition, the cancellation or termination of any contracts resulting from such refusal upon such terms as to notice or otherwise as may be just.

(3) At least two days prior to the return day, the officer who conducted the investigation before the grand jury or other body and the attorney general may file answers to the petition or apply for judgment dismissing the petition as a matter of law. On or before the return day the petitioner may file a reply to the answer.

(4) Upon the return day the court may, upon the petition and answer and other papers filed, forthwith render such judgment as the case requires, or if a triable issue of fact is duly raised, it shall forthwith be tried before a court sitting without a jury or before a referee. The provisions of statute or rule governing references in an action shall apply to a reference under this section.

(5) The court shall render judgment dismissing the petition on the merits or discontinuing the disqualification upon the ground that the public interest would be served by its discontinuance, and granting such other relief as to the cancellation or termination of contracts as may be appropriate, but without costs to petitioner.

f. Statement of non-collusion in bids or proposals to the Commission.

(1) Every bid or proposal hereafter made to the Commission or to any official of the Commission, where competitive bidding is utilized, for work or services performed or to be performed or goods sold or to be sold, shall contain the following statement subscribed by the bidder and affirmed by such bidder as true under the penalties of perjury:

"1. By submission of this bid, each bidder and each person signing on behalf of any bidder certifies, and in the case of a joint bid each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of his knowledge and belief:

2. The prices in this bid have been arrived at independently without collusion, consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other bidder or with any competitor;

3. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this bid have not been knowingly disclosed by the bidder and will not knowingly be disclosed by the bidder prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder or to any competitor; and

4. No attempt has been made or will be made by the bidder to induce any other person, partnership or corporation to submit or not to submit a bid for the purpose of restricting competition."

(2) A bid shall not be considered for award nor shall any award be made where the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection have not been complied with; provided however, that if in any case the bidder cannot make the foregoing certification, the bidder shall so state and shall furnish with the bid a signed statement which sets forth in detail the reasons therefor. Where the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection have not been complied with, the bid shall not be considered for award nor shall any award be made unless the Commission or official thereof determines that such disclosure was not made for the purpose of restricting competition. The fact that a bidder (a) has published price lists, rates, or tariffs covering items being procured, (b) has informed prospective customers of proposed or pending publication of new or revised price lists for such items, or (c) has sold the same items to other customers at the same prices being bid, does not constitute, without more, a disclosure.

(3) Any bid hereafter made to the Commission by a corporate bidder for work or services performed or to be performed or goods sold or to be sold, where competitive bidding is utilized, and where such bid contains the certification referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection, shall be deemed to have been authorized by the board of directors of the bidder, and such authorization shall be deemed to include the signing and submission of the bid and the inclusion therein of the certificate as to non-collusion as the act and deed of the corporation.

g. Procurement contracts.

(1) Definitions. For the purposes of this section:

"Allowable indirect costs" means those costs incurred by a professional firm that are generally associated with overhead which cannot be specifically identified with a single Project or contract and are considered reasonable and allowable under specific state contract or allowability limits.

"Minority business enterprise" means any business enterprise, including a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation: with more than fifty percent of the ownership interest owned by one or more minority group members or, in the case of a publicly-owned business, where more than fifty percent of the common stock or other voting interests are owned by one or more minority group members; in which the minority ownership is real, substantial, and continuing; in which the minority ownership has and exercises the authority to control independently the day-to-day business decisions of the enterprise; and authorized to do business in the state of New York or the state of New Jersey, independently owned and operated, and not dominant in its field.

"Minority group member" means a United States citizen or permanent resident alien who is and can demonstrate membership in one of the following groups: black persons having origins in any of the black African racial groups not of Hispanic origin; Hispanic persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, Central or South American of either Indian or Hispanic origin, regardless of race; Asian and Pacific Islander persons having origins in any of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the Pacific Islands; or Native American persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North America.

"Professional firm" means any individual or sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity permitted by law to practice the professions of architecture, engineering, or surveying.

"Women-owned business enterprise" means a business enterprise, including a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation: with more than fifty percent of the ownership interest owned by one or more United States citizens or permanent resident aliens who are women or, in the case of a publicly-owned business, where more than fifty percent of the common stock or other voting interests is owned by United States citizens or permanent resident aliens who are women; in which the ownership interest of women is real, substantial, and continuing; in which the women ownership has and exercises the authority to control independently the day-to-day business decisions of the enterprise; and authorized to do business in the state of New York or the state of New Jersey, independently owned and operated, and not dominant in its field.

"Procurement contracts" means any written agreement for the acquisition of goods or services of any kind, in the actual or estimated amount of five thousand dollars or more.

(2) The Commission shall adopt by resolution comprehensive guidelines which detail the Commission's operative policy and instructions regarding the use, awarding, monitoring and reporting of procurement contracts. Such guidelines shall be annually reviewed and approved by the Commission.

(3) The guidelines approved by the Commission shall include, but not be limited to the following:

(a) A description of the types of goods purchased, and for procurement contracts for services, a description of those areas of responsibility and oversight requiring the use of personal services and the reasons for the use of personal services in such areas.

(b) Requirements regarding the selection of contractors, which shall include provisions:

(i) for the selection of such contractors on a competitive basis, and provisions relating to the circumstances under which the board may by resolution waive competition; and

(ii) setting forth responsibilities of contractors.

(c) An identification of those areas or types of contracts for which minority or women-owned business enterprises may best bid so as to promote and assist participation by such enterprises and facilitate a fair share of the awarding of contracts to such enterprises.

(d) Requirements for providing notice, in addition to any other notice of procurement opportunities, to professional and other organizations that serve minority and women-owned business enterprises providing the types of services procured by the Commission.

(e) The establishment of appropriate goals for participation by minority or women-owned business enterprises in procurement contracts awarded by the Commission and for the utilization of minority and women-owned enterprises as subcontractors and suppliers by entities having procurement contracts with the Commission.

(f) A listing of the types of provisions to be contained in procurement contracts, including provisions concerning the nature and monitoring of the work to be performed, the use of Commission supplies and facilities, the use of Commission personnel and any other provisions.

(g) Provisions regarding procurement contracts which involve former officers or employees of the Commission.

(h) Policies to promote the participation by business enterprises and residents of the state of New York and the state of New Jersey in procurement contracts.

(4) For the purposes of this subsection:

"New Jersey business enterprise" means a business enterprise, including a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation, which offers for sale or lease or other form of exchange, goods which are sought by the Commission and which are substantially manufactured, produced or assembled in New Jersey, or services which are sought by the Commission and which are substantially performed within New Jersey.

"New Jersey resident" means a natural person who maintains a fixed, permanent, and principal home located within New Jersey and to which such person, whenever temporarily located, always intends to return.

"New York resident" means a natural person who maintains a fixed, permanent and principal home located within New York state and to which such person, whenever temporarily located, always intends to return.

"New York state business enterprise" means a business enterprise, including a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation, which offers for sale or lease or other form of exchange, goods which are sought by the Commission and which are substantially manufactured, produced or assembled in New York state, or services which are sought by the Commission and which are substantially performed within New York state.

(5) The Commission shall have the power from time to time to amend such procurement contract guidelines in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(6) The Commission shall annually prepare and approve a report on procurement contracts, where any such contracts have been entered into for such year, which shall include the guidelines, as specified in this section, an explanation of the guidelines and any amendments thereto since the last annual report. Such report on procurement contracts may be a part of any other annual report that the corporation is required to make.

(7) The Commission shall annually submit its report on procurement contracts to the governor of New York and the governor of New Jersey and copies thereof to the New York senate finance committee, New Jersey senate budget and appropriations committee, the New York assembly ways and means committee, the New Jersey general assembly appropriations committee, and the New York state authorities budget office. The Commission shall make available to the public copies of its report on procurement contracts upon reasonable request therefor.

(8) Nothing contained in this subsection shall be deemed to alter, affect the validity of, modify the terms of or impair any contract or agreement made or entered into in violation of, or without compliance with, the provisions of this section.

L.2019, c.195, s.16.