Establishes the New York state business contract database containing names of persons who have contracts with the state for the procurement of goods, services or construction that are not awarded through a competitive bid process; prohibits candidates or political committees from receiving certain contributions.
Summary
This bill would create a publicly accessible New York state business contract database, maintained by the state comptroller, listing persons and entities that have certain non-competitively bid business relationships with the state. Covered relationships include contracts for goods, services, or construction entered into or in effect within 24 months of a primary or general election, excluding village elections. The database would be updated at least monthly in general election years and would be designed to help the public determine whether a person has such a relationship with the state.
The bill also imposes a campaign contribution restriction tied to that database. Candidates for public office, and their political committees, would be prohibited from accepting more than $400 in aggregate from any person or entity with a covered business relationship with the state. If a prohibited contribution is identified, the candidate or committee must attempt to return it, and if it cannot be returned, the funds would be remitted to the state board of elections for enforcement purposes. The state board of elections and the comptroller would be responsible for adopting rules to administer the new system.
Impact
The bill would amend the Election Law by adding a new section creating disclosure and contribution-limit rules for state contractors and certain state-affiliated entities. It would require state agencies and authorities to provide information to the comptroller so the database can be built and maintained, and it would give the comptroller authority to certify an existing database if it meets the statutory requirements. The measure would affect candidates, political committees, state contractors, and state agencies, while also creating a new enforcement and compliance role for the state board of elections.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed as an ethics and transparency reform aimed at reducing the influence of state contractors in elections. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal opposition or support is documented here. The structure of the bill suggests a generally reform-oriented intent focused on public disclosure and contribution restrictions.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is the scope of the contribution ban and the definition of who counts as having a covered business relationship with the state. The bill reaches beyond the contracting entity itself to include certain executives, senior managers, and owners with more than a 10 percent interest, which could be viewed as broad by affected businesses and campaign interests. Another possible issue is the administrative burden on agencies, the comptroller, and the board of elections to maintain accurate records, update the database, and enforce contribution limits, especially given the 24-month lookback period and the exclusion of competitively bid contracts.
Establishes the New York state business contract database containing names of persons who have contracts with the state for the procurement of goods, services or construction that are not awarded through a competitive bid process; prohibits candidates or political committees from receiving certain contributions.
Creates a transparency database for contracted not-for-profit organizations; provides such database will include those that are in the process of being approved for contracts, that have received certificates of approval, are approved for contracts, have received renewal contracts, or have been the recipient of fully-executed contracts with the state of New York.
Creates a transparency database for contracted not-for-profit organizations; provides such database will include those that are in the process of being approved for contracts, that have received certificates of approval, are approved for contracts, have received renewal contracts, or have been the recipient of fully-executed contracts with the state of New York.
Prohibits contractors from submitting claims and receiving payment from subcontractors who are not pre-authorized by a contracting city agency; establishes penalties.