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
S06294 would require the New York State Comptroller to publish an annual public report, by June 1 each year, grading each state agency and the comptroller’s office on how successfully they spend with minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs). The report would use letter grades from A to F and would be based on actual spending in the prior fiscal year, rather than the face value of contracts. It would also break out agency performance by business category, including Asian-American, Hispanic-American, Black-owned, and women-owned firms.
The bill further requires the report to include each agency’s total M/WBE-eligible spending, actual M/WBE spending, the dominant type of spending involved, and a comparison to the prior three fiscal years. The measure is temporary and would expire when Article 15-A of the Executive Law expires, at which point its provisions would be repealed.
Impact
The bill would amend the Executive Law by adding a new section requiring the Comptroller’s Office to create and post an annual M/WBE compliance report. It would not directly change procurement goals or contracting rules, but it would add a new transparency and accountability mechanism for state agencies by publicly grading their performance against existing M/WBE participation goals under Article 15-A. The bill affects state agencies, the Comptroller’s Office, and M/WBE vendors by increasing public scrutiny of agency spending patterns and compliance outcomes.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a pro-accountability and pro-M/WBE transparency bill. Its structure suggests support for stronger oversight of state contracting practices and better public reporting on whether agencies are meeting minority- and women-owned business participation goals. No opposing arguments or recorded vote history are available in the provided context.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the use of letter grades to evaluate agencies, which could be viewed as a strong public ranking system that may pressure agencies and the Comptroller’s Office. Some may also question whether grading based on actual spending, rather than contract awards, could better reflect performance but also complicate comparisons across agencies with different procurement profiles. Another likely issue is whether the report’s methodology fairly accounts for differences among agencies in the types of goods and services they buy and the availability of qualified M/WBE vendors in each market.
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.