Provides that certain purchase contracts to purchase food can be awarded to a qualified bidder who fulfills certain values based procurement standards when such bid is not more than 10% higher than the lowest responsible bidder and when the bidder makes publicly available data on where such bidder sources their food items; sets forth the criteria for values based procurement standards to include local economies, environmental resilience, racial equity, valued workforce, valued agricultural sector, animal welfare, and nutrition.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8091--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 25, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PEOPLES-STOKES, LEVENBERG -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Local Governments -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the awarding
of certain purchase contracts to purchase food
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 103 of the general municipal law,
2 as amended by chapter 668 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 1. (a) Except as otherwise expressly provided by an act of the legis-
5 lature or by a local law adopted prior to September first, nineteen
6 hundred fifty-three, all contracts for public work involving an expendi-
7 ture of more than thirty-five thousand dollars and all purchase
8 contracts involving an expenditure of more than twenty thousand dollars,
9 shall be awarded by the appropriate officer, board or agency of a poli-
10 tical subdivision or of any district therein including but not limited
11 to a soil conservation district to the lowest responsible bidder
12 furnishing the required security after advertisement for sealed bids in
13 the manner provided by this section[,]; provided, however, that purchase
14 contracts (including contracts for service work, but excluding any
15 purchase contracts necessary for the completion of a public works
16 contract pursuant to article eight of the labor law) may be awarded on
17 the basis of best value, as defined in section one hundred sixty-three
18 of the state finance law, to a responsive and responsible bidder or
19 offerer in the manner provided by this section except that in a poli-
20 tical subdivision other than a city with a population of one million
21 inhabitants or more or any district, board or agency with jurisdiction
22 exclusively therein the use of best value for awarding a purchase
23 contract or purchase contracts must be authorized by local law or, in
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11802-03-5
A. 8091--A 2
1 the case of a district corporation, school district or board of cooper-
2 ative educational services, by rule, regulation or resolution adopted at
3 a public meeting; and provided, further, that food purchase contracts
4 (including contracts for food service work, but excluding any purchase
5 contract necessary for the completion of a public works contract pursu-
6 ant to article eight of the labor law) may be awarded: (i) to an other-
7 wise qualified bidder based in New York state who complies with one or
8 more of the values based procurement standards pursuant to subparagraphs
9 (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) of paragraph (c) of this
10 subdivision and may be given preference over other bidders, provided,
11 however, that the cost included in the bid is not more than ten percent
12 greater than the cost included in a bid by the lowest responsible
13 bidder; or (ii) awarded to a responsive and responsible bidder or offer-
14 er based in New York state on the basis of best value, as defined in
15 section one hundred sixty-three of the state finance law, in the manner
16 provided by this section, and which complies with one or more of the
17 values based procurement standards pursuant to subparagraphs (i), (ii),
18 (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) of paragraph (c) of this subdivision.
19 Provided further that pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subdivision, all
20 bidders or offerers on food purchase contracts shall provide relevant
21 supply chain data in their bids or offers to the appropriate officer,
22 board or agency. The appropriate officer, board or agency shall make
23 such data publicly available on the entities' respective websites,
24 excepting data not subject to disclosure pursuant to article six of the
25 public officers law. In any case where a responsible bidder's or
26 responsible offerer's gross price is reducible by an allowance for the
27 value of used machinery, equipment, apparatus or tools to be traded in
28 by a political subdivision, the gross price shall be reduced by the
29 amount of such allowance, for the purpose of determining the best value.
30 In cases where two or more responsible bidders or offerers furnishing
31 the required security submit identical bids or offers as to price, such
32 officer, board or agency may award the contract to any of such bidders
33 or offerers. Such officer, board or agency may, in [his or her or its]
34 their discretion, reject all bids or offers and readvertise for new bids
35 or offers in the manner provided by this section. In determining whether
36 a purchase is an expenditure within the discretionary threshold amounts
37 established by this subdivision, the officer, board or agency of a poli-
38 tical subdivision or of any district therein shall consider the reason-
39 ably expected aggregate amount of all purchases of the same commodities,
40 services or technology to be made within the twelve-month period
41 commencing on the date of purchase. Purchases of commodities, services
42 or technology shall not be artificially divided for the purpose of
43 satisfying the discretionary buying thresholds established by this
44 subdivision. A change to or a renewal of a discretionary purchase shall
45 not be permitted if the change or renewal would bring the reasonably
46 expected aggregate amount of all purchases of the same commodities,
47 services or technology from the same provider within the twelve-month
48 period commencing on the date of the first purchase to an amount greater
49 than the discretionary buying threshold amount. For purposes of this
50 section, "sealed bids" and "sealed offers", as that term applies to
51 purchase contracts, (including contracts for service work, but excluding
52 any purchase contracts necessary for the completion of a public works
53 contract pursuant to article eight of the labor law) shall include bids
54 and offers submitted in an electronic format including submission of the
55 statement of non-collusion required by section one hundred three-d of
56 this article, provided that the governing board of the political subdi-
A. 8091--A 3
1 vision or district, by resolution, has authorized the receipt of bids
2 and offers in such format. Submission in electronic format may, for
3 technology contracts only, be required as the sole method for the
4 submission of bids and offers. Provided however, the appropriate offi-
5 cer, board or agency of a city with a population of one million inhabit-
6 ants or more, or any district, board or agency with jurisdiction exclu-
7 sively within such city, may authorize or require bids and offers for
8 any contract to be submitted in an electronic format. Bids and offers
9 submitted in an electronic format shall be transmitted by bidders and
10 offerers to the receiving device designated by the political subdivision
11 or district. Any method used to receive electronic bids and offers
12 shall comply with article three of the state technology law, and any
13 rules and regulations promulgated and guidelines developed thereunder
14 and, at a minimum, must [(a)] (i) document the time and date of receipt
15 of each bid and offer received electronically; [(b)] (ii) authenticate
16 the identity of the sender; [(c)] (iii) ensure the security of the
17 information transmitted; and [(d)] (iv) ensure the confidentiality of
18 the bid or offer until the time and date established for the opening of
19 bids or offers. The timely submission of an electronic bid or offer in
20 compliance with instructions provided for such submission in the adver-
21 tisement for bids or offers and/or the specifications shall be the
22 responsibility solely of each bidder or offerer or prospective bidder or
23 offerer. No political subdivision or district therein shall incur any
24 liability from delays of or interruptions in the receiving device desig-
25 nated for the submission and receipt of electronic bids and offers.
26 (b) (i) All relevant supplier data, including supplier data from
27 subcontractors, shall be submitted to the entity advertising the bid or
28 offer at the time of bid or offer, to the best of the bidder's or
29 offerer's ability, and updated by the winning bidder or offerer at the
30 point of contract execution. Such data shall also be updated annually by
31 the winning bidder or offerer and upon any changes to supplier informa-
32 tion related to the contract. Such data required pursuant to this para-
33 graph shall include the name and facility address of each supplier,
34 distributor, processor, and producer involved in the provision of the
35 products that the bidder or offerer will supply.
36 (ii) The provisions of this paragraph shall apply to all bidders' or
37 offerers' food purchase contracts and bid proposals.
38 (c) For the purposes of this subdivision, "values based procurement
39 standards" shall mean procurement criteria that is based on:
40 (i) local economies. Food products in which fifty-one percent or more
41 of the raw agricultural materials have been grown, harvested, processed
42 and manufactured within one hundred miles of the location of the
43 purchaser, or in which the bidder of offerer of such food products
44 participates in the department of agriculture and markets' grown and
45 certified program pursuant to section one hundred fifty-six-h of the
46 agriculture and markets law; or
47 (ii) environmental resilience. Preference shall be given to the
48 producers that adopt one or more practices that contribute to improved
49 soil health and increased carbon sequestration and storage, and that
50 achieve net short-term and long-term greenhouse gas benefits. Building
51 on progress made by the department of agriculture and markets' climate
52 resilient farming program pursuant to section one hundred fifty-one-n of
53 the agriculture and markets law, participation in such program shall
54 qualify businesses for this preference, or usage of specific practices.
55 Such practices shall:
A. 8091--A 4
1 (A) preserve and rebuild soil quality through use of soil health prac-
2 tices, including but not limited to planting cover crops, adopting
3 no-till and reduced tillage, increasing crop rotations and intercrop-
4 ping, and planting perennial crops, to improve the function and resili-
5 ence of soils;
6 (B) achieve the reduction or elimination of synthetic pesticides and
7 fertilizers;
8 (C) avoid the use of hormones or antibiotics except for treatment of a
9 sick animal or for disease control, where disease control is defined as
10 use where it can be shown that a particular disease or infection is
11 present on the premises where the animal is kept;
12 (D) protect and enhance wildlife habitats and biodiversity;
13 (E) avoid contributing to water quality impairment and deterioration
14 of local air quality;
15 (F) reduce greenhouse gas emissions attributable to livestock through
16 use of feed management, prescribed grazing, amendments for treatment of
17 agricultural waste, and manure management; or
18 (G) reduce on-farm energy and water consumption, food waste and green-
19 house gas emissions; or
20 (iii) racial equity. Minority and women-owned business enterprises, as
21 defined by article fifteen-A of the executive law, or socially disadvan-
22 taged farms. For the purposes of this subparagraph, "socially disadvan-
23 taged" shall mean individuals who have been subject to discrimination by
24 virtue of their membership of a particular group which may include, but
25 is not limited to, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska
26 Native, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian or Pacific Islander; or
27 (iv) valued workforce. Suppliers who respect and protect workers'
28 rights, regardless of immigration status, to organize a union, to affil-
29 iate with worker centers and alternative forms of worker representation
30 and to bargain collectively free from retaliation and interference; as
31 evidenced by agreeing to enter into a labor peace agreement with a bona
32 fide labor union; having worker-led workplace health and safety commit-
33 tees; or being a worker-owned cooperative; or
34 (v) valued agricultural sector. Suppliers who pay farmers a fair
35 price, using United States department of agriculture pricing standards,
36 for the products they supply that covers their actual cost of
37 production; and to suppliers who pay fair remuneration to farmers for
38 their management and labor; or
39 (vi) animal welfare. Producers who provide more humane care for farmed
40 animals by providing enough space and environmental enrichments to allow
41 animals to carry out their natural behaviors, using pain control as
42 needed when carrying out physical alterations, utilizing responsible,
43 therapeutic antibiotic use, and requiring humane handling and slaughter,
44 as demonstrated by enrollment in an independent animal welfare certif-
45 ication program with regular, third-party on-farm audits assessing a
46 producer's compliance with one hundred percent of the program's welfare
47 standards; or
48 (vii) nutrition. Foods that promote health and well being, comprised
49 of namely whole grains, fresh and minimally-processed fruits and vegeta-
50 bles, essential fats (including nuts, seeds and fish), and whole plant-
51 based and lean proteins so as to decrease sodium, added sugars, artifi-
52 cial additives, and saturated, hydrogenated, and trans fats.
53 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 103 of the general municipal law, as
54 amended by section 2 of chapter 2 of the laws of 2012, is amended to
55 read as follows:
A. 8091--A 5
1 1. (a) Except as otherwise expressly provided by an act of the legis-
2 lature or by a local law adopted prior to September first, nineteen
3 hundred fifty-three, all contracts for public work involving an expendi-
4 ture of more than thirty-five thousand dollars and all purchase
5 contracts involving an expenditure of more than twenty thousand dollars,
6 shall be awarded by the appropriate officer, board or agency of a poli-
7 tical subdivision or of any district therein including but not limited
8 to a soil conservation district to the lowest responsible bidder
9 furnishing the required security after advertisement for sealed bids in
10 the manner provided by this section[,]; provided, however, that purchase
11 contracts (including contracts for service work, but excluding any
12 purchase contracts necessary for the completion of a public works
13 contract pursuant to article eight of the labor law) may be awarded on
14 the basis of best value, as defined in section one hundred sixty-three
15 of the state finance law, to a responsive and responsible bidder or
16 offerer in the manner provided by this section except that in a poli-
17 tical subdivision other than a city with a population of one million
18 inhabitants or more or any district, board or agency with jurisdiction
19 exclusively therein the use of best value of awarding a purchase
20 contract or purchase contracts must be authorized by local law or, in
21 the case of a district corporation, school district or board of cooper-
22 ative educational services, by rule, regulation or resolution adopted at
23 a public meeting; and provided, further, that food purchase contracts
24 (including contracts for service work, but excluding any purchase
25 contract necessary for the completion of a public works contract pursu-
26 ant to article eight of the labor law) may be awarded: (i) to an other-
27 wise qualified bidder based in New York state who complies with one or
28 more of the values based procurement standards pursuant to subparagraphs
29 (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) of paragraph (c) of this
30 subdivision and may be given preference over other bidders, provided,
31 however, that the cost included in the bid is not more than ten percent
32 greater than the cost included in a bid by the lowest responsible
33 bidder; or (ii) awarded to a responsive and responsible bidder or offer-
34 er based in New York state on the basis of best value, as defined in
35 section one hundred sixty-three of the state finance law, and in the
36 manner provided by this section, and which complies with one or more of
37 the values based procurement standards pursuant to subparagraphs (i),
38 (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) of paragraph (c) of this subdivi-
39 sion. Provided further that pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subdivi-
40 sion, all bidders or offerers on food purchase contracts shall provide
41 relevant supply chain data in their bids or offers to the appropriate
42 officer, board or agency. The appropriate officer, board or agency shall
43 make such data publicly available on the entities' respective websites,
44 excepting data not subject to disclosure pursuant to article six of the
45 public officers law. In determining whether a purchase is an expendi-
46 ture within the discretionary threshold amounts established by this
47 subdivision, the officer, board or agency of a political subdivision or
48 of any district therein shall consider the reasonably expected aggregate
49 amount of all purchases of the same commodities, services or technology
50 to be made within the twelve-month period commencing on the date of
51 purchase. Purchases of commodities, services or technology shall not be
52 artificially divided for the purpose of satisfying the discretionary
53 buying thresholds established by this subdivision. A change to or a
54 renewal of a discretionary purchase shall not be permitted if the change
55 or renewal would bring the reasonably expected aggregate amount of all
56 purchases of the same commodities, services or technology from the same
A. 8091--A 6
1 provider within the twelve-month period commencing on the date of the
2 first purchase to an amount greater than the discretionary buying thres-
3 hold amount. In any case where a responsible bidder's or responsible
4 offerer's gross price is reducible by an allowance for the value of used
5 machinery, equipment, apparatus or tools to be traded in by a political
6 subdivision, the gross price shall be reduced by the amount of such
7 allowance, for the purpose of determining the low bid or best value. In
8 cases where two or more responsible bidders or offerers furnishing the
9 required security submit identical bids or offers as to price, such
10 officer, board or agency may award the contract to any of such bidders
11 or offerers. Such officer, board or agency may, in [his, her or its]
12 their discretion, reject all bids or offers and readvertise for new bids
13 or offers in the manner provided by this section.
14 (b) (i) All relevant supplier data, including supplier data from
15 subcontractors, shall be submitted to the entity advertising the bid or
16 offer at the time of bid, to the best of the bidder's or offerer's abil-
17 ity, and updated by the winning bidder or offerer at the point of
18 contract execution. Such data shall also be updated annually by the
19 winning bidder or offerer and upon any changes to supplier information
20 related to the contract. Such data required pursuant to this paragraph
21 shall include the name and facility address of each supplier, distribu-
22 tor, processor, and producer involved in the provision of the products
23 that the bidder or offerer will supply.
24 (ii) The provisions of this paragraph shall apply to all bidders' and
25 offerers' food purchase contracts and bid proposals.
26 (c) For the purposes of this subdivision, "values based procurement
27 standards" shall mean procurement criteria that is based on:
28 (i) local economies. Food products in which fifty-one percent or more
29 of the raw agricultural materials have been grown, harvested, processed
30 and manufactured within one hundred miles of the location of the
31 purchaser, or in which the bidder or offerer of such food products
32 participates in the department of agriculture and markets' grown and
33 certified program pursuant to section one hundred fifty-six-h of the
34 agriculture and markets law; or
35 (ii) environmental resilience. Preference shall be given to producers
36 that adopt one or more practices that contribute to improved soil health
37 and increased carbon sequestration and storage, and that achieve net
38 short-term and long-term greenhouse gas benefits. Building on progress
39 made by the department of agriculture and markets' climate resilient
40 farming program pursuant to section one hundred fifty-one-n of the agri-
41 culture and markets law, participation in such program shall qualify
42 businesses for this preference, or usage of specific practices. Such
43 practices shall:
44 (A) preserve and rebuild soil quality through use of soil health prac-
45 tices, including but not limited to planting cover crops, adopting
46 no-till and reduced tillage, increasing crop rotations and intercrop-
47 ping, and planting perennial crops, to improve the function and resili-
48 ence of soils;
49 (B) achieve the reduction or elimination of synthetic pesticides and
50 fertilizers;
51 (C) avoid the use of hormones or antibiotics except for treatment of a
52 sick animal or for disease control, where disease control is defined as
53 use where it can be shown that a particular disease or infection is
54 present on the premises where the animal is kept;
55 (D) protect and enhance wildlife habitats and biodiversity;
A. 8091--A 7
1 (E) avoid contributing to water quality impairment and deterioration
2 of local air quality;
3 (F) reduce greenhouse gas emissions attributable to livestock through
4 use of feed management, prescribed grazing, amendments for treatment of
5 agricultural waste, and manure management; or
6 (G) reduce on-farm energy and water consumption, food waste and green-
7 house gas emissions; or
8 (iii) racial equity. Minority and women-owned business enterprises, as
9 defined by article fifteen-A of the executive law, or socially disadvan-
10 taged farms. For the purposes of this subparagraph, "socially disadvan-
11 taged" shall mean individuals who have been subject to discrimination by
12 virtue of their membership of a particular group which may include, but
13 is not limited to, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska
14 Native, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian or Pacific Islander; or
15 (iv) valued workforce. Suppliers who respect and protect workers'
16 rights, regardless of immigration status, to organize a union, to affil-
17 iate with worker centers and alternative forms of worker representation
18 and to bargain collectively free from retaliation and interference; as
19 evidenced by agreeing to enter into a labor peace agreement with a bona
20 fide labor union; having worker-led workplace health and safety commit-
21 tees; or being a worker-owned cooperative; or
22 (v) valued agricultural sector. Suppliers who pay farmers a fair
23 price, using United States department of agriculture pricing standards,
24 for the products they supply that covers their actual cost of
25 production; and to suppliers who pay fair remuneration to farmers for
26 their management and labor; or
27 (vi) animal welfare. Producers who provide more humane care for farmed
28 animals by providing enough space and environmental enrichments to allow
29 animals to carry out their natural behaviors, using pain control as
30 needed when carrying out physical alterations, utilizing responsible,
31 therapeutic antibiotic use, and requiring humane handling and slaughter,
32 as demonstrated by enrollment in an independent animal welfare certif-
33 ication program with regular, third-party on-farm audits assessing a
34 producer's compliance with one hundred percent of the program's welfare
35 standards; or
36 (vii) nutrition. Foods that promote health and well being, comprised
37 of namely whole grains, fresh and minimally-processed fruits and vegeta-
38 bles, essential fats (including nuts, seeds and fish), and whole plant-
39 based and lean proteins so as to decrease sodium, added sugars, artifi-
40 cial additives, and saturated, hydrogenated, and trans fats.
41 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that
42 the amendments to subdivision 1 of section 103 of the general municipal
43 law made by section one of this act shall be subject to the expiration
44 and reversion of such subdivision pursuant to subdivision (a) of section
45 41 of part X of chapter 62 of the laws of 2003, when upon such date the
46 provisions of section two of this act shall take effect.
