Government Affairs Albany Update

December 30, 2005

2006 Meeting Dates for Government Affairs Council

The full Government Affairs Council will meet on the following dates in 2006, at 10:00 a.m., at TBC headquarters

January 17 (Legislative Reception at night)
February 13
March 20
April 10
May 15 (Annual Dinner at night)
June 12
September 22 (Annual Meeting, Sagamore Resort, 9:00 a.m.)

Procurement Lobbying Act Takes Effect 1/1/06

Staff Contact: Ken Pokalsky

As a reminder, new requirements and restrictions on "procurement lobbying," adopted during the 2005 legislative session, take effect on the first of the year. (See Chapter 1, Laws of 2005):

The law has two key components:

  • The state's Lobbying Act will be applicable to "procurement lobbying," which is broadly defined in statute as any attempt to influence procurement decisions by state-level and certain local government entities. Businesses and individuals engaged in "procurement lobbying" may be required to register and file reports with the State Lobbying Commission if their annual lobbying expenditures or income exceed $5,000. The NYS Temporary Commission on Lobbying has posted draft compliance guidelines on its web site at: www.nylobby.state.ny.us/draftguidelines.html
  • The State Finance Law also imposes new restrictions on procurement lobbying. Most importantly, it will impose "restricted periods" -- from the first public announcement of a procurement to final contract award -- during which vendors may only contact designated agency representatives (with limited exceptions.) The NYS Office of General Services has posted guidance in a "frequently asked questions" format on its web site that helps explain the new State Finance Law provisions and restrictions. www.ogs.state.ny.us/aboutogs/regulations/advisoryCouncil/Faq.htm The OGS also lists the following phone number and email address to contact for additional information.
    Email: public.information@ogs.state.ny.us
     Phone (518) 474-5607

As illustrated in these guidance documents, this is a complex law and many specific compliance issues are still being assessed by the implementing agencies. Please feel free to contact us with any specific comments, questions or concerns you may have, and we will continue to provide updates as additional or update state guidance becomes available.

Events for 2006

For information on any of our events, contact Anna DeLisle in the Conference Development Department or call 1-800-358-1202.

2006 Annual Legislators’ Reception
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Crowne Plaza, Albany

The Business Council will kick off the 2006 legislative session with our Annual Legislators’ Reception, at the Crowne Plaza Albany on Tuesday, January 17, 2006, from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. The Reception has become a “must attend” event for business people across New York State. Online registration will be available soon for this event. We are offering multi-level sponsorships to our members to encourage broad participation in this event. We will prominently display signs recognizing all of our sponsors, as well as listing them in our program for the evening.

The sponsorship levels include:

Platinum $2,500
Gold $2,000
Silver $1,500
Patron $1,000

2nd Annual Homeland Security Conference
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Crowne Plaza, Albany