S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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8122--A
I N S E N A T E
January 8, 2024
___________
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities
and Commissions -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requiring
public authorities and public benefit corporations to negotiate with
professional firms providing architectural, engineering, geological,
landscape architectural or surveying services in order from the most
qualified to the least qualified with regard to the provision of
services to the authority or corporation
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subparagraph (iv) of paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of
section 2879 of the public authorities law, as amended by chapter 383 of
the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
(iv) as used in this subparagraph, the term "professional firm" shall
be defined as any individual or sole proprietorship, partnership, corpo-
ration, association, or other legal entity permitted by law to practice
the professions of architecture, engineering or surveying.
IT IS THE POLICY OF NEW YORK STATE TO NEGOTIATE CONTRACTS FOR ARCHI-
TECTURAL SERVICES AND/OR ENGINEERING SERVICES AND/OR GEOLOGICAL SERVICES
AND/OR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES AND/OR SURVEYING SERVICES ON THE
BASIS OF DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCE AND QUALIFICATION FOR THE TYPE OF
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REQUIRED AND AT FAIR AND REASONABLE FEES.
IN THE PROCUREMENT OF ARCHITECTURAL, ENGINEERING, GEOLOGICAL, LAND-
SCAPE ARCHITECTURAL AND SURVEYING SERVICES, THE CORPORATION IS REQUIRED
TO ENCOURAGE PROFESSIONAL FIRMS ENGAGED IN THE LAWFUL PRACTICE OF THE
PROFESSION TO SUBMIT AN ANNUAL STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS AND PERFORM-
ANCE DATA. THE CORPORATION FOR EACH PROPOSED PROJECT IS REQUIRED TO
EVALUATE CURRENT STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS AND PERFORMANCE DATA ON
FILE WITH THE CORPORATION. IF DESIRED, THE CORPORATION MAY CONDUCT
DISCUSSIONS WITH THREE OR MORE PROFESSIONAL FIRMS REGARDING ANTICIPATED
DESIGN CONCEPTS AND PROPOSED METHODS OF APPROACH TO THE ASSIGNMENT. THE
CORPORATION IS REQUIRED TO SELECT, IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE, BASED UPON
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04392-02-4
S. 8122--A 2
CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY THE CORPORATION, NO LESS THAN THREE PROFESSIONAL
FIRMS DEEMED TO BE THE MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES
REQUIRED.
EVERY CORPORATION IS REQUIRED TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT WITH THE HIGHEST
QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL FIRM FOR ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES AND/OR ENGINEER-
ING SERVICES AND/OR GEOLOGICAL SERVICES AND/OR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL
SERVICES AND/OR SURVEYING SERVICES AT COMPENSATION WHICH THE CORPORATION
DETERMINES IN WRITING TO BE FAIR AND REASONABLE TO SUCH CORPORATION. IN
MAKING THIS DECISION, THE CORPORATION IS REQUIRED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE SERVICES TO BE RENDERED, INCLUDING THE COSTS,
THE SCOPE, COMPLEXITY AND PROFESSIONAL NATURE THEREOF.
The corporation shall not refuse to negotiate with a professional firm
solely because the ratio of the "allowable indirect costs" to direct
labor costs of the professional firm or the hourly labor rate in any
labor category of the professional firm exceeds a limitation generally
set by the corporation in the determination of the reasonableness of the
estimated cost of services to be rendered by the professional firm, but
rather the corporation should also consider the reasonableness of cost
based on the total estimated cost of the service of the professional
firm which should include, among other things, all the direct labor
costs of the professional firm for such services plus all "allowable
indirect costs," other direct costs, and negotiated profit of the
professional firm. "Allowable indirect costs" of a professional firm are
defined as those costs generally associated with overhead which cannot
be specifically identified with a single project or contract and are
considered reasonable and allowable under specific state contract or
allowability limits. SHOULD THE CORPORATION CHOOSE TO ENGAGE IN A QUAL-
IFICATION BASED PROCUREMENT AND BE UNABLE TO NEGOTIATE A SATISFACTORY
CONTRACT WITH THE PROFESSIONAL FIRM CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST QUALIFIED,
AT A FEE THE CORPORATION DETERMINES TO BE FAIR AND REASONABLE TO THE
CORPORATION, NEGOTIATIONS WITH THAT PROFESSIONAL FIRM SHALL BE FORMALLY
TERMINATED. THE CORPORATION SHALL THEN UNDERTAKE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE
SECOND MOST QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL FIRM. FAILING ACCORD WITH THE SECOND
MOST QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL FIRM, THE CORPORATION SHALL FORMALLY TERMI-
NATE NEGOTIATIONS. THE CORPORATION SHALL THEN UNDERTAKE NEGOTIATIONS
WITH THE THIRD MOST QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL FIRM. SHOULD THE CORPORATION
BE UNABLE TO NEGOTIATE A SATISFACTORY CONTRACT WITH ANY OF THE SELECTED
PROFESSIONAL FIRMS, IT SHALL SELECT ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL FIRMS IN
ORDER OF THEIR COMPETENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS AND IT SHALL CONTINUE NEGO-
TIATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION UNTIL AN AGREEMENT IS REACHED.
THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH SHALL ONLY APPLY TO ENGINEERING
SERVICES AND/OR ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES AND/OR GEOLOGICAL SERVICES AND/OR
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES AND/OR SURVEYING SERVICES IN EXCESS OF
TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS AND SHALL NOT APPLY TO THE METROPOLITAN
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY OR THE
TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE AND TUNNEL AUTHORITY OR TO ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.