§ 151-a. Separate specifications for certain subdivisions of work involved in the construction or alteration of buildings as a part of or in connection with housing projects. 1. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this chapter or any other general, special or local law, except as otherwise provided in section two hundred twenty-two of the labor law, any authority or municipality, or any officer, board, department, commission or other agency thereof charged with the duty of preparing specifications or awarding or entering into contracts involving the erection, construction, reconstruction or alteration of any building or other appurtenance as a part of or in connection with a project or any part thereof in any part of the state under or pursuant to the authority of this chapter, when the entire cost of such work shall exceed three million dollars in the counties of the Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond; one million five hundred thousand dollars in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester; and five hundred thousand dollars in all other counties within the state, must have prepared separate specifications for the following three subdivisions of the work to be performed:

a. Plumbing and gas fitting;

b. Steam heating, hot water heating, ventilating and air conditioning apparatus; and

c. Electric wiring and standard illuminating fixtures.

2. Such specifications must be so drawn as to permit separate and independent bidding upon each of the above three subdivisions of work. All contracts hereafter awarded by any such authority or municipality, or any officer, board, department, commission or other agency thereof, involving the erection, construction, reconstruction or alteration of any building as a part of or in connection with any project under or pursuant to this chapter, shall award the three subdivisions of the above specified work separately to responsible and reliable persons, firms or corporations engaged in such classes of work.

2-a. Each bidder on a public work contract, where the preparation of separate specifications is not required, shall submit with its bid a separate sealed list that names each subcontractor that the bidder will use to perform work on the contract, and the agreed-upon amount to be paid to each, for: a. plumbing and gas fitting, b. steam heating, hot water heating, ventilating and air conditioning apparatus and c. electric wiring and standard illuminating fixtures. After the low bid is announced, the sealed list of subcontractors submitted with such low bid shall be opened and the names of such subcontractors shall be announced, and thereafter any change of subcontractor or agreed-upon amount to be paid to each shall require the approval of the public owner, upon a showing presented to the public owner of legitimate construction need for such change, which shall be open to public inspection. Legitimate construction need shall include, but not be limited to, a change in project specifications, a change in construction material costs, a change to subcontractor status as determined pursuant to paragraph (e) of subdivision two of section two hundred twenty-two of the labor law, or the subcontractor has become otherwise unwilling, unable or unavailable to perform the subcontract. The sealed lists of subcontractors submitted by all other bidders shall be returned to them unopened after the contract award.

3. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any such authority or municipality in charge of any such project from performing any such branches of work by or through their regular employees.