A bill that passed both the state Senate and Assembly at the end of session needs to be signed by the Governor. That was the message from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli regarding the bill that would enhance transparency and accountability for state contracts awarded during a state of emergency, such as those that were not made transparent to the public during the COVID pandemic. The bill also calls for more transparency to contracts that have been previously exempted from the Comptroller’s review.
Legislation introduced at the request of DiNapoli would require a state entity to publicly post contracts that have been exempted from State Comptroller review by executive order or legislative action (S.6941 Cooney/A.7404 Solages). This bill would increase transparency for those contracts, which was lacking during the COVID emergency period, by giving the public and the press the ability to not only examine the contracts themselves but also easily access related information.
State Comptroller DiNapoli said “The COVID crisis taught us many valuable lessons, including the need for greater visibility of those contracts that are executed without the independent review of my office. I want to thank Senator Cooney and Assemblymember Solages for fighting hard for this legislation, and I urge the Governor to sign it and enhance public trust in state contracting during emergency situations and when the important oversight of my office is bypassed.”
A second bill introduced at the request of DiNapoli, which passed in the Senate (S.6942 Cooney/A.7405 McDonald), would require state agencies and public authorities to provide bidders and interested parties with the ability to protest a contract award at the agency level. DiNapoli will continue working with the Legislature to enact this proposal.
DiNapoli’s office is responsible for reviewing most state agency contracts, generally those where the contract value exceeds $50,000, and may also review state public authority contracts valued at more than $1 million if they are either awarded noncompetitively or paid from state appropriations. His office ensures the process is fair, prices are reasonable, and state laws are followed.
