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S10222 Summary:

BILL NOS10222
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORCOMRIE
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd Arts 4, 7-B & 7-D, §1 of Chap 154 of 1921
 
Relates to port authority organization, appearance and notice; establishes the port authority transportation advisory committee.
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S10222 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          10222
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                       May 7, 2026
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
          and Commissions
 
        AN  ACT  to  amend  chapter 154 of the laws of 1921 relating to the port
          authority of New York and New Jersey, in relation  to  port  authority
          organization, appearance and notice

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Subdivision 1, subparagraph 2 of paragraph d of subdivision
     2  3 and subdivisions 5 and 6 of article 4 of section 1 of chapter  154  of
     3  the  laws  of  1921  relating  to the port authority of New York and New
     4  Jersey, as amended by chapter 559 of the laws of 2015,  paragraph  a  of
     5  subdivision 6 as amended by chapter 104 of the laws of 2020, are amended
     6  to read as follows:
     7    1. Commissioners. a. The port authority shall consist of twelve voting
     8  commissioners  and  four  non-voting commissioners as described in para-
     9  graph b of this subdivision.   Of  the  twelve  voting  commissioners[,]
    10  there  shall be six resident voters from the state of New York, at least
    11  four of whom shall be resident voters of the city of New York,  and  six
    12  resident  voters  from  the  state  of New Jersey, at least four of whom
    13  shall be resident voters within the New Jersey portion of the  district,
    14  the  New  York members to be chosen by the state of New York and the New
    15  Jersey members by the state of New Jersey in  the  manner  and  for  the
    16  terms  fixed and determined from time to time by the legislature of each
    17  state respectively, except as herein provided.   The  New  York  members
    18  shall  be  appointed  by  the  governor  of New York with the advice and
    19  consent of the New York state senate.  The New Jersey members  shall  be
    20  appointed  by  the governor of New Jersey with the advice and consent of
    21  the New Jersey  state  senate.  Each  commissioner  may  be  removed  or
    22  suspended  from  office  as  provided by the law of the state from which
    23  [he] such commissioner shall be appointed. Any commissioner appointed to
    24  a term commencing on or after January 1, 2027 shall have  experience  in
    25  one  or  more  of the following areas:   transportation, public adminis-
    26  tration, business management,  finance,  accounting,  law,  engineering,
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15780-01-6

        S. 10222                            2
 
     1  land  use,  urban  and  regional  planning,  management of large capital
     2  projects, labor relations, or experience in some other area of  activity
     3  central  to  the  mission  of the port authority.  One of the six voting
     4  commissioners  chosen by the state of New York shall be appointed on the
     5  written recommendation of the mayor of the city of New York. The  voting
     6  commissioners shall be appointed for a term of six years and shall serve
     7  no  more  than two terms. The terms of the voting commissioners shall be
     8  staggered so that three of the six voting commissioners appointed by the
     9  state of New York will have their terms expire in alternating three year
    10  shifts and three of the six voting commissioners appointed by the  state
    11  of  New  Jersey  will  have their terms expire in alternating three year
    12  shifts.
    13    b. There shall be four non-voting commissioners of the port authority,
    14  as established in paragraph a of this subdivision. The first  non-voting
    15  commissioner  shall  be  a regular mass transit user of the state of New
    16  York based facilities of the authority and be recommended to the  gover-
    17  nor  of the state of New York by a rider advocacy group. The second non-
    18  voting commissioner shall be a regular user of the state of  New  Jersey
    19  based facilities of the authority and shall be recommended to the gover-
    20  nor  of  the  state  of  New Jersey by a rider advocacy group. The third
    21  non-voting commissioner shall be recommended  to  the  governor  of  the
    22  state of New York by the labor organization representing the majority of
    23  authority  employees  working  in the state of New York. The fourth non-
    24  voting commissioner shall be recommended to the governor of the state of
    25  New Jersey by  the  labor  organization  representing  the  majority  of
    26  authority  employees  working  in the state of New Jersey. The four non-
    27  voting commissioners of the port authority shall be appointed for a term
    28  of six years and shall serve no more than two terms.
    29    (2) For the purposes of this subdivision, the terms:
    30    (i) "immediate  family"  shall  mean:  a  spouse,  parent,  child,  or
    31  sibling; and
    32    (ii)  "interest"  shall  mean: (A) if   the business organization is a
    33  partnership, the board member or the board member's immediate family  is
    34  a  partner  or  owner of [ten] five percent or more of the assets of the
    35  partnership, or (B) if the business organization is a  corporation,  the
    36  board member or the board member's immediate family owns or controls ten
    37  percent or more of the stock of the corporation, or serves as a director
    38  or officer of the corporation.
    39    5.  Whistleblower  access  and assistance program. a. The chief ethics
    40  and compliance officer shall recommend to the board of  commissioners  a
    41  whistleblower  access  and  assistance program to be administered by the
    42  inspector general which shall include, but not be limited to:
    43    (1) establishing an  email  address  and  toll-free  telephone  [and],
    44  facsimile, and text messaging lines available to employees;
    45    (2)  offering  advice regarding employee rights under applicable state
    46  and federal laws and advice and options available to all persons; and
    47    (3) offering an opportunity for employees to identify concerns regard-
    48  ing any issue at  the  port  authority.  Any  communication  between  an
    49  employee  and  the  inspector  general pursuant to this section shall be
    50  held strictly confidential by the inspector general, unless the employee
    51  specifically waives in writing the right to confidentiality, except that
    52  such  confidentiality  shall  not  exempt  the  inspector  general  from
    53  disclosing  such information, where appropriate, to the board of commis-
    54  sioners and/or any law enforcement authority.
    55    b. The port authority shall  not  fire,  discharge,  demote,  suspend,
    56  threaten,  harass,  or  discriminate  against an employee because of the

        S. 10222                            3
 
     1  employee's role as a whistleblower, insofar as the actions taken by  the
     2  employee are legal.
     3    c. As used in this subdivision:
     4    (1)  "Employees"  means  those persons employed at the port authority,
     5  including but not limited to: full-time and part-time  employees,  those
     6  employees on probation, and temporary employees.
     7    (2)  "Whistleblower"  means  any employee of the port authority who in
     8  good faith discloses information concerning acts of  corruption,  fraud,
     9  wrongdoing,  misconduct, malfeasance, or other inappropriate behavior by
    10  an employee or board member of the port authority,  including,  but  not
    11  limited  to, concerning the port authority's investments, travel, acqui-
    12  sition of real or personal property, the disposition of real or personal
    13  property, or the procurement of goods and services.
    14    d. The Whistleblower Policy and Procedures set forth  herein  are  not
    15  intended  to limit, diminish or impair any other rights or remedies that
    16  an individual may have under the law with respect to  disclosing  poten-
    17  tial wrongdoing free from retaliation or adverse personnel action.
    18    6.  Inspector  general.  a. The inspector general shall be responsible
    19  for receiving  and  investigating,  where  appropriate,  all  complaints
    20  regarding  fraud,  waste,  and  abuse  by  commissioners,  officers, and
    21  employees of the port authority or third-parties doing business with the
    22  port authority.  The inspector general shall also receive  and  investi-
    23  gate  complaints  from  any  source,  or upon [his or her] the inspector
    24  general's own initiative, concerning allegations of  corruption,  fraud,
    25  use  of  excessive  force,  criminal  activity, conflicts of interest or
    26  abuse by any police officer under the jurisdiction of the Port  Authori-
    27  ty.  The  inspector  general  shall  also  be responsible for conducting
    28  investigations upon the  inspector  general's  own  initiative,  as  the
    29  inspector general shall deem appropriate.
    30    b.  The  inspector general shall inform the board of commissioners and
    31  the chief executive officer of allegations  received  by  the  inspector
    32  general  and  the  progress  of  investigations  related thereto, unless
    33  special circumstances require confidentiality;
    34    c. The inspector general shall determine with respect  to  allegations
    35  received  by  the inspector general whether disciplinary action or civil
    36  prosecution by the port authority is appropriate, and whether the matter
    37  should be referred to an appropriate  governmental  agency  for  further
    38  action;
    39    d.  The  inspector  general  shall  prepare  and make available to the
    40  public written reports of completed investigations, as  appropriate  and
    41  to  the extent permitted by law, subject to redactions to protect a need
    42  for confidentiality. The release of all or portions of  reports  may  be
    43  deferred to protect the confidentiality of ongoing investigations.
    44    e. The inspector general shall have the power to:
    45    (1) administer oaths or affirmations and examine witnesses under oath;
    46    (2)  require the production of any books and papers deemed relevant or
    47  material to any investigation, examination or review;
    48    (3) notwithstanding any law to  the  contrary,  examine  and  copy  or
    49  remove  documents or records of any kind prepared, maintained or held by
    50  the port authority and its subsidiaries;
    51    (4) interview any officer or employee of the  port  authority  or  its
    52  subsidiaries on any matter related to the performance of such officer or
    53  employee's  official  duties.  To  the  extent that [any portion of this
    54  paragraph is inconsistent with any current  contractual  obligations  of
    55  the  port  authority,  this  paragraph  shall not be applicable to those
    56  obligations until the earliest  expiration  of  those  terms  under  the

        S. 10222                            4

     1  contract]  the  terms  and  conditions of employment of any employee are
     2  established by collective negotiations, any interview conducted pursuant
     3  to this paragraph must be in accordance with any  applicable  provisions
     4  of  the  current,  or  most  recent, if expired, collective negotiations
     5  agreement covering the terms and conditions of employment of the employ-
     6  ee;
     7    (5) monitor the implementation by the port authority of any  recommen-
     8  dations made by the inspector general; and
     9    (6)  perform  any other functions that are necessary or appropriate to
    10  fulfill the duties and responsibilities of office.
    11    § 2. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of article 7-B of section 1 of  chapter  154
    12  of  the  laws of 1921 relating to the port authority of New York and New
    13  Jersey, as added by chapter 559 of the laws of 2015, are amended to read
    14  as follows:
    15    1. Needs assessment. The port authority shall  require  that  a  needs
    16  assessment  be  conducted by an independent entity prior to any increase
    17  in tolls for the use of any port authority bridge or  tunnel,  or  fares
    18  for  the use of the port authority trans-Hudson corporation rail system.
    19  The assessment  shall  be  made  publicly  available  in  a  conspicuous
    20  location  on the port authority's website and presented by the independ-
    21  ent entity to the board of commissioners at a public meeting to be  held
    22  at  least ninety days prior to any meeting of the board of commissioners
    23  to vote to any increase in the tolls for the use of any  port  authority
    24  bridge  or tunnel, or fares for the use of the port authority trans-Hud-
    25  son corporation rail system.
    26    3. Appearance. a. The port authority, at the request of  the  Assembly
    27  or  Senate  of the New York state legislature or the General Assembly or
    28  Senate of the New Jersey state legislature, shall be required to  appear
    29  before  a  committee  of  the  requesting  state legislative house, upon
    30  request by the presiding officer of that  state  legislative  house,  to
    31  present  testimony on any topic or subject requested by the committee or
    32  to respond to questions by members of the committee. The Assembly of the
    33  New York state legislature, the Senate of the New  York  state  legisla-
    34  ture,  the General Assembly of the New Jersey state legislature, and the
    35  Senate of the New Jersey state legislature shall each be entitled to two
    36  such requests per calendar year.
    37    b. Unless otherwise agreed to by the presiding officer  of  the  state
    38  legislative  house  requesting the appearance of the port authority, the
    39  port authority shall, at a minimum, be represented by a chair  or  vice-
    40  chair  of  the board, chief executive officer, the chief financial offi-
    41  cer, and any staff deemed necessary by such chair or vice-chair  of  the
    42  board,  chief executive officer, or the chief financial officer to pres-
    43  ent testimony or respond to questions at any appearance required  pursu-
    44  ant to this section. The presiding officer may request the appearance of
    45  any  officer  or  employee  of  the port authority. For purposes of this
    46  section, as applicable to New York state "presiding officer" shall  mean
    47  the  speaker of the Assembly of the New York state legislature or tempo-
    48  rary president of the Senate of the  New  York  state  legislature.  For
    49  purposes  of  this  section,  as  applicable  to the state of New Jersey
    50  "presiding officer" shall mean the president of the senate or the speak-
    51  er of the general assembly of the state of New Jersey.
    52    4. Subsidiaries of the port authority. a.  The  port  authority  shall
    53  provide  notice  to  the  governor of each state, the majority leader of
    54  each house of the legislature of each state, the chair  of  the  finance
    55  committee of New York, the chair of the senate budget and appropriations
    56  committee  of New Jersey, the chair of assembly ways and means committee

        S. 10222                            5
 
     1  of New York, and the chair of the budget committee of New Jersey that it
     2  will be creating a subsidiary no less than 60 days prior to  the  forma-
     3  tion of the subsidiary.
     4    b.  The  creation of a subsidiary corporation shall be approved by the
     5  board of commissioners.
     6    c. [On or before the first day of January, two thousand sixteen,  and]
     7  Within  60 days of the effective date of the chapter of the laws of 2026
     8  that amended this subdivision, and on or before the first day of January
     9  each year annually thereafter, any subsidiary  corporation,  in  cooper-
    10  ation  with the port authority, shall provide to the governor and legis-
    11  lature of each state a report on the subsidiary corporation. Such report
    12  shall include for each subsidiary:
    13    (1) The complete legal name, address and contact  information  of  the
    14  subsidiary;
    15    (2) The structure of the organization of the subsidiary, including the
    16  names and titles of each of its members, directors and officers, as well
    17  as a chart of its organizational structure;
    18    (3)  The complete by-laws and legal organization papers of the subsid-
    19  iary;
    20    (4) A complete report of the purpose, operations, mission and projects
    21  of the subsidiary; and
    22    (5) Any other information the subsidiary corporation  deems  important
    23  to include in such report.
    24    d.  60 days prior to the issuance of any debt by the subsidiary corpo-
    25  ration, or the port authority on behalf of the  subsidiary  corporation,
    26  the  port  authority shall provide notice to the governor of each state,
    27  the majority leader of each house of the legislature of each state,  the
    28  chair  of  the  senate  finance  committee of New York, the chair of the
    29  senate budget and appropriations committee of New Jersey, the  chair  of
    30  the  assembly ways and means committee of New York, and the chair of the
    31  assembly budget committee of New Jersey. For purposes of  this  section,
    32  as applicable to New York state "majority leader" shall mean the speaker
    33  of the assembly of the New York state legislature or temporary president
    34  of  the  senate  of the New York state legislature. For purposes of this
    35  section, as applicable to the state  of  New  Jersey  "majority  leader"
    36  shall  mean  the  president  of the senate or the speaker of the general
    37  assembly of the state of New Jersey.
    38    e. The port authority shall not have the power to organize  a  subsid-
    39  iary  for  the  purpose  of: (i) evading the requirements of an existing
    40  collective bargaining agreement; or (ii) replacing or removing a  certi-
    41  fied employee organization.
    42    §  3.  Subdivisions 3 and 4 of article 7-D of section 1 of chapter 154
    43  of the laws of 1921 relating to the port authority of New York  and  New
    44  Jersey, as added by chapter 559 of the laws of 2015, are amended and two
    45  new subdivisions 5 and 6 are added to read as follows:
    46    3.  Capital plan. a. The port authority shall adopt a [ten-year] five-
    47  year capital plan that is developed using a comprehensive planning proc-
    48  ess and risk-based prioritization that considers asset condition, opera-
    49  tional and revenue impact, threat assessment, customer service, regional
    50  benefit, and regulatory or  statutory  requirements.  The  capital  plan
    51  shall be dependent upon the availability of sufficient funding and other
    52  resources to pursue the capital projects proposed for the ten-year peri-
    53  od.  Performance  progress and revisions to reflect changes in programs,
    54  policies and projects and the environment in which  the  port  authority
    55  operates  shall  be  reviewed regularly by a committee designated by the
    56  board of commissioners, and the capital plan shall  be  revised  period-

        S. 10222                            6
 
     1  ically  as  necessary  and  appropriate,  and shall be reviewed with the
     2  board of commissioners annually. The port  authority  shall  publish  an
     3  annual report on the status of the capital program and such report shall
     4  be  made  publicly  available  on the port authority's website. Prior to
     5  adoption of a capital plan, the port authority shall make such  proposed
     6  plan  available for public review and comments on its public website for
     7  at least [two] four weeks prior to approval, and all  comments  received
     8  are  to be distributed to the board of commissioners for review prior to
     9  consideration of the capital plan.
    10    b. The port authority shall also provide that major  capital  projects
    11  are  monitored by independent engineering consultants procured through a
    12  competitive bidding process.  The independent consultants shall  prepare
    13  annual  reports  to  be  provided to the board and made available to the
    14  public. The annual reports prepared  by  independent  consultants  shall
    15  include,  but  not  be  limited  to,  a  comparison of actual and target
    16  performance  measures  including,  but  not  limited   to,   costs   and
    17  construction  schedules,  and a narrative explanation of any discrepancy
    18  thereof. For the purposes of this section, "major capital project" means
    19  an undertaking or program for the acquisition, creation, or  development
    20  of  any  crossing,  transportation facility, or commerce facility or any
    21  part thereof,  with  an  estimated  total  project  cost  in  excess  of
    22  $500,000,000.
    23    c.  No less than 60 days prior to any board adoption of a capital plan
    24  as described in paragraph a of this subdivision, or any  major  revision
    25  of  the  last adopted capital plan, the port authority shall: (1) notify
    26  the assembly and senate of the New York state legislature and the gener-
    27  al assembly and senate of the New Jersey state legislature of its inten-
    28  tion to adopt a capital plan, or any major revision of the last  adopted
    29  capital  plan;  (2)  submit  to  the assembly and senate of the New York
    30  state legislature and the general assembly and senate of the New  Jersey
    31  state  legislature the proposed capital plan, or any proposal constitut-
    32  ing a major revision of the last adopted capital  plan,  for  review  by
    33  each  state legislature; and (3) make the proposed capital plan, includ-
    34  ing any proposal constituting a major revision of the last adopted capi-
    35  tal plan, publicly available on the port authority website.
    36    d. Within 60 days of the notice provided in paragraph c of this subdi-
    37  vision, the port authority shall conduct  a  public  hearing  about  the
    38  capital  plan or any major revision thereof in New York state and in the
    39  state of New Jersey.   The public hearings  shall  be  held  at  a  time
    40  convenient to members of the public.
    41    e.  The port authority shall conduct a status update public hearing in
    42  New York state and in the state of New Jersey at least once  every  year
    43  after  the  adoption  of  the  capital  plan by the port authority. Such
    44  public hearing shall be known as "capital status update hearing" and  at
    45  such  hearing  the  port  authority  shall  provide  in detail a written
    46  description of the status of all capital plan projects and the costs and
    47  the expected costs of those projects. At such public hearing,  the  port
    48  authority  shall  provide a financing plan that identifies the source of
    49  funding for each project. The port authority shall provide  an  analysis
    50  that  compares  actual  and  target performance measures, and a detailed
    51  written explanation of any discrepancy thereof at  the  public  hearing.
    52  The capital status update hearings shall be held at a time convenient to
    53  members of the public.
    54    f. At a minimum, individual capital project data for projects that are
    55  committed  for construction shall be included in a capital program dash-
    56  board maintained by the port authority on its website. Any summary views

        S. 10222                            7
 
     1  provided on the website shall include the original budgets at  the  time
     2  of project commitment when scope and budget are defined, project scopes,
     3  and  schedules,  in  addition  to  current  or  amended budgets, project
     4  scopes,  and  schedules.  Data  pertaining  to individual projects shall
     5  include, but not be limited to:
     6    (1) the capital project identification number delineated by  category,
     7  element, and project as used in the capital program;
     8    (2) the capital plan years;
     9    (3) a project description;
    10    (4) the project location where appropriate;
    11    (5)  the  capital  needs  code  of  the project, such as state of good
    12  repair, normal replacement,  system  improvement,  system  expansion  or
    13  other category;
    14    (6)  budget  information  including the original budget at the time of
    15  project commitment when scope and budget are  defined,  all  amendments,
    16  the current budget and planned annual allocations; and
    17    (7)  a  schedule  for project delivery including original, amended and
    18  current start and completion dates as projects develop at each phase.
    19    The status of projects shall be provided and state the  current  phase
    20  of  the  project,  such as planning, design, construction or completion,
    21  and shall state how far  the  project  has  progressed  as  measured  in
    22  percentage by expenditure. The dashboard shall measure progress based on
    23  original budgets at the time of project commitment when scope and budget
    24  are  defined.  At  a  minimum, all changes to planned budgets of greater
    25  than ten percent, significant project scope or a  three  month  or  more
    26  change  in schedule shall be provided in narrative form and describe the
    27  reason for each change or amendment. The dashboard shall include a glos-
    28  sary or data dictionary which contains plain  language  descriptions  of
    29  the  data,  including individual project data, and any other information
    30  provided on the dashboard. The authority shall provide a  definition  of
    31  resiliency  in  the  glossary or data dictionary. The dashboard shall be
    32  updated, at a minimum, on a quarterly basis, and all data fields  avail-
    33  able  on  the  dashboard  shall  be  made  available for download on the
    34  authority's website in a single tabular data file in a  common,  machine
    35  readable format.
    36    g.  The  data  required  to  be published pursuant to this subdivision
    37  shall be made in a single tabular data file in a common,  machine  read-
    38  able format and shall be accessible on the authority's website.
    39    4.  [Operating  budget]  Budget.  The  port  authority shall prepare a
    40  detailed annual operating budget beginning with the fiscal year commenc-
    41  ing after the effective date of the chapter of the laws of  [2015]  2026
    42  which [added] amended this article. A preliminary annual operating budg-
    43  et  shall  be made publicly available on the port authority's website in
    44  July of every fiscal year and a final annual operating budget  shall  be
    45  made publicly available in February of each fiscal year.
    46    5. Port Authority Transportation Advisory Committee. a. There is here-
    47  by  established a port authority transportation advisory committee.  The
    48  purpose of the committee shall be to facilitate coordination between and
    49  among the transportation agencies  and  officials  in  each  state  that
    50  provide  service  or  conduct  business  within  the  port district. The
    51  committee shall consist of 13 members, to be appointed as follows:
    52    (1) one individual appointed jointly by the chair  and  vice-chair  of
    53  the Port Authority;
    54    (2)  the  executive director of the New Jersey transit corporation, ex
    55  officio, or the executive director's designee;

        S. 10222                            8
 
     1    (3) the chair of the metropolitan transportation authority,  ex  offi-
     2  cio, or the chair's designee;
     3    (4)  the  commissioner  of the New York city department of transporta-
     4  tion, ex officio, or the commissioner's designee;
     5    (5) the chairperson of the  National  Railroad  Passenger  Corporation
     6  Board of Directors, ex officio, or the chairperson's designee;
     7    (6)  the  commissioner of the New Jersey department of transportation,
     8  ex officio, or the commissioner's designee;
     9    (7) the commissioner of the New York state department  of  transporta-
    10  tion, ex officio, or the commissioner's designee;
    11    (8)  one individual from the New Jersey executive branch, appointed by
    12  the governor of New Jersey;
    13    (9) one individual from the New York state executive branch, appointed
    14  by the governor of New York;
    15    (10) one individual appointed by the president of the New Jersey state
    16  senate;
    17    (11) one individual appointed by the speaker of the New  Jersey  state
    18  general assembly;
    19    (12)  one  individual  appointed by the temporary president of the New
    20  York state senate; and
    21    (13) one individual appointed by the speaker of  the  New  York  state
    22  assembly.
    23    b. The individual appointed jointly by the chair and vice-chair of the
    24  port  authority  shall  serve for a term of three years. The legislative
    25  appointments shall serve for a term of two years each.  The  individuals
    26  appointed from the executive branch of New Jersey and from the executive
    27  branch of New York shall serve at the pleasure of each respective gover-
    28  nor.
    29    c. Vacancies in the membership of the committee shall be filled in the
    30  same  manner  as  the original appointments are made and a member may be
    31  eligible for reappointment. Vacancies occurring other than by expiration
    32  of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term.
    33    d. The members of the committee shall serve without  compensation  but
    34  shall  be reimbursed for reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in the
    35  performance of their duties within the limits of funds  appropriated  or
    36  otherwise made available to the committee for its purposes.
    37    e. The individual appointed jointly by the chair and vice-chair of the
    38  port  authority shall serve as the chair of the committee. The committee
    39  may appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the  committee.  The
    40  committee  shall  meet  quarterly, at a minimum, to discuss the region's
    41  transportation needs and to facilitate coordination  between  and  among
    42  the  transportation  agencies  and  officials in each state and the port
    43  district in furtherance of the region's transportation needs.
    44    f. Each committee member shall share information about  that  member's
    45  agency and the agency's upcoming plans and objectives as relating to the
    46  Port  Authority at each meeting.  Prior to the commencement by an agency
    47  represented on the committee of any major capital project with an  esti-
    48  mated  cost  in  excess of $50 million, the individual representing that
    49  agency shall notify all members of the committee.
    50    6. Minority and women-owned business enterprise programs.  a.  In  the
    51  performance  of  projects  pursuant to this article, minority and women-
    52  owned business enterprises shall be given the opportunity for meaningful
    53  participation. The port authority shall establish quantifiable standards
    54  and measures and procedures, in accordance with the findings of  period-
    55  ical  disparity  studies  regarding  the  participation  of minority and
    56  women-owned business enterprises in  port  authority  contracts,  to  be

        S. 10222                            9
 
     1  prepared  by  an  entity  independent of the port authority and selected
     2  through a request for proposal process,  to  secure  meaningful  partic-
     3  ipation and identify those contracts and items of work for which minori-
     4  ty  and  women-owned  business  enterprises may best bid to actively and
     5  affirmatively promote and assist their participation in projects, so  as
     6  to  facilitate  the  award  of  a fair share of contracts to such enter-
     7  prises; provided,  however,  that  nothing  in  this  article  shall  be
     8  construed  to  limit  the  ability  of the port authority to assure that
     9  qualified minority and women-owned  business enterprises may participate
    10  in the program. For purposes hereof, minority business enterprise  shall
    11  mean  any  business  enterprise  which  is at least fifty-one per centum
    12  owned by, or in the case of a publicly owned business, at  least  fifty-
    13  one  per  centum of the stock or other voting interest is owned by citi-
    14  zens or permanent resident noncitizens who are Black,  Hispanic,  Asian,
    15  American Indian, Pacific islander, or Alaskan native, and such ownership
    16  interest  is  real,  substantial and continuing and has the authority to
    17  independently control the day-to-day business decisions  of  the  entity
    18  for  at least   one year; and women-owned business enterprise shall mean
    19  any business enterprise which is at least fifty-one per centum owned by,
    20  or in the case of a publicly owned  business,  at  least  fifty-one  per
    21  centum of the stock or other voting interests of which is owned by citi-
    22  zens or permanent resident noncitizens who are women, and such ownership
    23  interest  is  real,  substantial and continuing and has the authority to
    24  independently control the day-to-day business decisions  of  the  entity
    25  for  at  least one year. The provisions of this subdivision shall not be
    26  construed to limit the ability of any minority  business  enterprise  to
    27  bid  on  any  contract.  The provisions of this subdivision shall not be
    28  construed to require the  port  authority  to  engage  in  any  unlawful
    29  conduct in securing meaningful participation of minority and women-owned
    30  business enterprises in port authority projects.
    31    b.  In  order  to  implement  the  requirements and objectives of this
    32  subdivision, the port authority shall establish  procedures  to  monitor
    33  compliance  with  provisions  hereof,  provide  assistance  in obtaining
    34  competing qualified minority and  women-owned  business  enterprises  to
    35  perform  contracts  proposed  to  be awarded, and take other appropriate
    36  measures to improve the access  of  minority  and  women-owned  business
    37  enterprises to these contracts.
    38    c.  The  port  authority  shall  publish  the standards, measures, and
    39  procedures established pursuant to paragraphs a and b of  this  subdivi-
    40  sion on its website, including any disparity study conducted pursuant to
    41  this subdivision.
    42    d. The port authority shall prepare an annual report describing activ-
    43  ities  undertaken  to  promote  employment of minority group members and
    44  women and promote and increase  participation  by  certified  businesses
    45  with respect to contracts and subcontracts. It shall include, but not be
    46  limited  to,  the  number and value of contracts awarded to minority and
    47  women-owned business enterprises  for  that  reporting  year,  goals  on
    48  contracts  compared to actual  participation of minority and women-owned
    49  business enterprises in authority contracting and a  listing  of  annual
    50  participation  rates,  a  summary  of  all  waivers of the participation
    51  requirements allowed by the authority during the period covered  by  the
    52  report  including  a  description of the basis of the waiver request and
    53  the rationale for granting any such waiver and any  instances  in  which
    54  the  contract  agency  has  deemed  a  contractor  to  have  committed a
    55  violation pursuant to section three hundred sixteen of the executive law
    56  of the state of New York, any efforts to  create  a  database  or  other

        S. 10222                           10
 
     1  information storage and retrieval system containing information relevant
     2  to  contracting  with  minority  and women-owned business enterprises, a
     3  summary of: (i) all determinations of violations of this statute or  the
     4  authority's  minority  and  women-owned  business enterprise procurement
     5  policies by a contractor made during the period covered  by  the  annual
     6  report;  and  (ii)  the  penalties  or  sanctions,  if  any, assessed in
     7  connection with such determinations and the rationale for such penalties
     8  or sanctions, and the total dollar value of  expenditures  on  certified
     9  minority  and  women-owned business contracts and  subcontracts for that
    10  reporting year, to evaluate the effectiveness of the  activities  under-
    11  taken by the Port Authority to promote increased participation by certi-
    12  fied  minority  or women-owned businesses with respect to port authority
    13  contracts and subcontracts.
    14    e. The Port Authority shall submit the annual report to the Governors,
    15  and Legislatures of New York and  New  Jersey.  Such  reports  shall  be
    16  submitted  no  later  than  May  fifteenth  of  every  year and shall be
    17  published on the Port Authority's website within five business  days  of
    18  this date.
    19    f.  The annual report shall describe any efforts to  create a database
    20  or other information storage and retrieval system containing information
    21  relevant to contracting with minority and  women-owned  business  enter-
    22  prises.
    23    § 4. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
    24  sion,  section  or  part  of  this act shall be adjudged by any court of
    25  competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment  shall  not  affect,
    26  impair,  or  invalidate  the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
    27  its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph,  subdivision,  section
    28  or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
    29  ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
    30  the  legislature  that  this  act  would  have been enacted even if such
    31  invalid provisions had not been included herein.
    32    § 5. This act shall take effect upon the enactment  into  law  by  the
    33  state  of New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect with this
    34  act, but if the state of New Jersey  shall  have  already  enacted  such
    35  legislation  this  act shall take effect immediately. The chair or vice-
    36  chair of the port authority as recommended by the governor of the  state
    37  of  New  York shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon
    38  the occurrence of the enactment  of  the  legislation  provided  for  in
    39  sections one, two and three of this act in order that the commission may
    40  maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text
    41  of  the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the
    42  provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of  the
    43  public officers law.
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