New York A 1156: Relates to obligations with respect to contracts with business enterprises which employ individuals with disabilities

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A01156 Summary:

BILL NOA01156 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORSantabarbara

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §139-m, St Fin L

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Relates to obligations with respect to contracts with business enterprises which employ individuals with disabilities; defines qualified business enterprise as any business concern which employs a workforce consisting of at least fifteen percent employees with disabilities and has been certified under this section; sets goal of five percent of state contracts going to qualified business enterprises; establishes an office of statewide advocate, certification process, and enforcement mechanism.

Go to top A01156 Actions:

BILL NOA01156 

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01/09/2025referred to governmental operations

01/07/2026referred to governmental operations

Go to topA01156 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA01156 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA01156 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1156

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 January 9, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
 Committee on Governmental Operations

 AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to obligations with
 respect to contracts with business enterprises which employ individ-
 uals with disabilities

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section
 2 139-m to read as follows:
 3 § 139-m. Obligations with respect to contracts with qualified business
 4 enterprises. 1. Definitions. (a) "Individual with a disability" shall
 5 mean a person (i) with a physical, mental or medical impairment of
 6 anatomical, physiological or neurological conditions which prevents the
 7 exercise of a normal bodily function or is demonstrable by medically
 8 accepted clinical or laboratory diagnostic techniques, or (ii) with a
 9 record of such an impairment.
 10 (b) "Qualified business enterprise" or "certified business enterprise"
 11 shall mean any business concern which employs a workforce consisting of
 12 at least fifteen percent of employees who are individuals with a disa-
 13 bility as defined in this section, which has been certified pursuant to
 14 this section.
 15 2. Statewide advocate. There is hereby established within the depart-
 16 ment of economic development an office of statewide advocate for indi-
 17 viduals with disabilities. The statewide advocate shall be appointed by
 18 the commissioner of economic development and shall act as a liaison for
 19 qualified business enterprises to assist them in obtaining technical,
 20 managerial, financial and other business assistance. The advocate shall
 21 investigate complaints brought by or on behalf of such enterprises
 22 concerning certification delays and instances of violations of law by
 23 state agencies. The statewide advocate shall assist certified businesses
 24 and applicants in the certification process. Other functions of the

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD03508-01-5

 A. 1156 2

 1 statewide advocate shall be directed by the commissioner of economic
 2 development. The advocate may appoint staff to assist in their duties.
 3 The statewide advocate shall establish a toll-free number at the depart-
 4 ment of economic development to be used to answer questions concerning
 5 the certification process.
 6 3. Study of qualified business enterprise programs. The commissioner
 7 of economic development is authorized and directed to undertake a state-
 8 wide disparity study regarding the participation of qualified business
 9 enterprises employing individuals with disabilities in state contracts.
 10 The study shall be prepared by an entity independent of the department
 11 of economic development and selected through a request for proposal
 12 process. The purpose of such study is to determine whether there is a
 13 disparity between the number of qualified business enterprises ready,
 14 willing and able to perform state contracts for commodities, services
 15 and construction, and the number of such contractors actually eng