Requires the state comptroller to prepare and release an annual report grading each state agency on its spending with minority- and women-owned business.
Summary
This bill requires the New York State Comptroller to publish an annual public report by June 1 that grades each state agency, including the Comptroller’s office, on how successfully it spent money with minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs). The report would use letter grades from A to F, with grades tied to each agency’s actual prior-year spending rather than the face value of contracts. The bill also requires separate grading of spending with Asian-American, Hispanic-American, Black-owned, and women-owned firms.
The report must include the total M/WBE-eligible spending for each agency, the amount actually spent with M/WBEs, the main type of spending involved, and a comparison of the prior fiscal year with the three preceding fiscal years. The bill is tied to Article 15-A of the Executive Law, which governs New York’s M/WBE program, and it would expire when that article expires, at which point the new reporting requirement would be repealed.
Impact
The bill would amend the Executive Law by adding a new section requiring a statewide accountability report on M/WBE contracting performance. It would not change procurement eligibility rules or set new participation goals, but it would create a formal public grading system that could pressure agencies to increase actual spending with certified minority- and women-owned businesses. The measure would affect all state agencies and the Comptroller’s office, and it would make actual expenditures—not contract awards—the basis for evaluation.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed positively as an accountability and transparency tool for supporting M/WBE participation in state contracting. Its structure suggests a policy emphasis on public reporting and performance measurement rather than enforcement penalties. No contrary sentiment is documented in the provided materials, but the grading system could reasonably be viewed as a strong oversight mechanism by supporters.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the use of letter grades to publicly rank agencies, which may be seen as creating reputational pressure or oversimplifying complex procurement patterns. Another possible issue is the focus on actual spending, which could be criticized by agencies that award contracts but experience delayed or uneven expenditures across fiscal years. Supporters are likely to favor the bill as a transparency and equity measure for M/WBE participation, while any opposition would likely come from agencies concerned about administrative burden, comparability across industries, or public scoring of performance.
Same As
Requires the state comptroller to prepare and release an annual report grading each state agency on its spending with minority- and women-owned business.