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The Business Council supports this legislation that would extend, through June 30, 2026, the ability for municipalities, school districts and other local governmental entities to buy off of existing state and federal government contracts that were competitively bid. Referred to as “piggybacking,” this authority – first approved in 2011 – gives the state’s political subdivisions more options in making purchases of apparatus, materials, equipment, supplies and related services.
The Business Council supports reducing the overall cost of commodities and services while also reducing the administrative burden of carrying out an individual procurement by allowing political subdivisions to use another governmental entity's contract, also known as piggybacking. The cost of administering a competitive procurement is onerous and can be duplicative when multiple political subdivisions are making like-kind purchases. Piggybacking is one way to help save local governments and school districts money. Chapter 308 of the laws of 2012 allowed political subdivisions to piggyback off of any other governmental entity's contract as long as it was let in a manner consistent with New York State law and the contract's terms allow for piggybacking; this legislation simply extends that authority for another three years.
This legislation is broadly supported by the contracting community and by local governments.
For these reasons The Business Council supports adoption of S.8717/A.9880.