Budget Update
Following are three separate links that provide more details
about the legislature's adoption of a 2006-07 state budget:
New
Anti-Outsourcing Legislation
Staff
Contact: Ken
Pokalsky
Senator George Maziarz,
chair of the Senate Labor Committee, has introduced new legislation
(S.7132) that would put new contract requirements on state
contractors that perform business operations overseas. Under
this bill, state contracts for "personal services" valued
over $500,000 would be required to contain language requiring
the contractor, and any subcontractors, to report on the following:
description of the work under the contract performed outside
the US; location where such work is performed; number of overseas
workers used, hours worked, wages and benefits paid; percentage
of the contract work performed outside the US. This requirement
would apply to all contracts entered into on or after 4/1/07
by state agencies, public authorities, state legislature and
judiciary, and other state offices/boards/divisions. The Business
Council has a number of concerns regarding this legislation,
including the additional cost and administrative burden imposed
on contractors; an additional disincentive to bid on NYS contracts;
and the unclear value or application of the reported data.
In addition, the bill refers to expenditures for "labor
and services" to be performed under the contract, with
no definition of what constitutes a "service". This
bill is on the Senate Labor Committee agenda for next week.
Electronics
Recycling Legislation
Staff
Contact: Ken
Pokalsky
The legislature has introduced
a new bill (S.7165 Marcellino/A.3200-A Colton) that could impose
significant new burdens on manufacturers of electronic equipment.
It requires manufacturers to pay an annual recycling fee to
the state, based on the weight of products sold (50 cents per
pound)or implement their own product recovery program (approvable
by the state; businesses can enter into cooperative multi-company
plans). These businesses, however, are prohibited from charging
consumers a direct fee for their product recycling programs.
Non-complying manufacturers would be prohibited from selling
covered products in NYS. While the bill specifically mentions
computers and televisions, it allows the Department of Environmental
Conservation to extend this program to other product categories.
Similar legislation is moving forward in other states (Washington,
Oregon), and the Council of Northeast Governors is developing
similar model legislation to be considered region wide. We
would appreciate receiving your input on this proposed legislation,
as well as information on similar legislation being considered
in other jurisdictions.
PUBLIC
HEARING
Staff Contact: Ken
Pokalsky
Monday, April 3, Senate Standing Committee
on Judiciary, To receive comments on S. 5936, S. 5938, S. 5961A
and draft legislation pertaining to eminent domain Place: VanBuren
Hearing Room A, Legislative Office Building, 2nd Floor, Albany,
New York Time: 10:00 A.M. Contact: Carole Luther (518) 455-3511
Media Contact: Deanna Ho (315) 428-7632 ORAL TESTIMONY BY
INVITATION ONLY.
