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ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING


SUBJECT:

Green Procurement

PURPOSE:

To examine State initiatives and legislative proposals regarding green procurement.

Albany, NY

Thursday
May 11, 2006
10:00 am
Roosevelt Hearing Room C,
Legislative Office Building, 2nd Floor

Oral Testimony by Invitation Only


In 2005, the Governor issued Executive Order (EO) 134, directing State agencies to "procure and use cleaning products that minimize potential impacts on human health and the environment consistent with maintenance of the effectiveness of these products for the protection of public health and safety." Agencies are required to assess and review efforts to comply with EO 134 biennially. In addition, Assembly bill 7257 has been introduced to establish a safe and sustainable procurement policy for the State of New York.

The purpose of this hearing is to examine State agency compliance with and implementation of EO 134, as well as to receive comment on initiatives the State should pursue in order to establish a safe and sustainable procurement policy.

Please see below for a list of subjects to which witnesses may direct their testimony.

Oral testimony will be accepted by invitation only and limited to 5 minutes duration. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation. 15 copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements. Written testimony will also be accepted and may be sent to the contact person listed on the reply form. In order to further publicize the hearing, please inform interested parties of the Committee's interest in receiving written testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities


RoAnn M. Destito
Member of Assembly
Chair
Committee on Governmental Operations

Thomas P. DiNapoli
Member of Assembly
Chair
Committee on Environmental Conservation


SELECTED ISSUES TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY:

  1. What steps has the State taken to implement the provisions of Executive Order 134?

  2. Describe the level of compliance by all State agencies with Executive Order 134.

  3. Describe the impact of Executive Order 134 on the State's procurement policy.

  4. Describe the methodology used to select environmentally preferred products by the State. What other methodologies could be utilized by the State?

  5. How does the State balance the procurement of environmentally safe products with cost efficiency and concerns regarding the effectiveness of the product? How should the State balance these concerns?

  6. Describe the competitiveness of the green procurement market place. How many vendors are willing and able to provide necessary commodities?

  7. Have other states or local governments successfully implemented more rigorous green procurement policies?

  8. When conducting a procurement, based on lowest cost, do state agencies allow green products a percentage by which their cost may exceed the cost of a product that is not green and remain comparable? If so, what is that percentage and is it adequate to make green products competitive? How many procurements are conducted in which the specifications for the requested product or service are drafted in a way that only green products or services are responsive? What are the advantages or disadvantages of these two methods of procurements in terms of advancing state goals to reduce adverse impacts on the environment?


PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on Green Procurement are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail it to:

Nichole Hedglin
Committee Assistant
Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations
Room 513 - Capitol
Albany, New York 12248
Email: hedglin@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-4355
Fax: (518) 455-4128

Oral Testimony by Invitation Only


box I plan to attend the following public hearing on Green Procurement to be conducted by the Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations and the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation on May 11, 2006.

box I plan to make a public statement at the hearing. My statement will be limited to five minutes, and I will answer any questions which may arise. I will provide 15 copies of my prepared statement.

box

I will address my remarks to the following subjects:



box I do not plan to attend the above hearing.

box I would like to be added to the Committee mailing list for notices and reports.

box I would like to be removed from the Committee mailing list.

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I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required:




NAME:

TITLE:

ORGANIZATION:

ADDRESS:

E-MAIL:

TELEPHONE:

FAX TELEPHONE:

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