Int. No. 544

By Council Members Fidler, Jackson, Comrie, Gennaro, Perkins, Quinn, Seabrook, Weprin and Yassky; also Council Member Gerson

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the publication of concept reports regarding requests for proposals.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

                     Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 6 of the administrative code is hereby amended by adding a new section 6-111.2 to read as follows:

                     Legislative Findings and Intent.  The Council hereby finds that the request for proposal process for human service contracts for vital services is long, inefficient and cumbersome.  The Council further finds that currently, community input into requests for proposals is inadequate leading to amendments, long delays and sometimes the outright cancellation of requests for proposals for contracts in vital areas such as child development.  The Council finds that community-based organizations-those who provide human services and who will likely be responding to the requests for proposals--are important sources of information without which the city cannot competently craft requests for proposals.   The Council therefore finds and declares that it is the policy of the city to allow ample opportunity and notice regarding imminent requests for proposals for human services to provide input into the proposed content of such proposals and ensure more efficient and timely letting of human services contracts.

                      6-111.2.  Human services contracts.  No request for proposal for human services contracts shall be released to the public unless at least 45 days prior to such release a concept report regarding such request for proposal is released to the public.  Notification of the release of concept reports shall be made prior to release in the city record and electronically on the city’s website, and, upon release, concept reports shall be made available to the public and shall be posted on the city’s website in a central location that is accessible by the public.  For purposes of this subdivision, the term, “concept report”, shall mean a document outlining the basic requirements of a request for proposal for human services contracts and shall include, but not be limited to, statements explaining:

(i)                     the purpose of the request for proposal;

(ii)                     the planned method of source selection;

(iii)                     the planned method of scoring proposals;

(iv)                     the proposed term of the contract;

(v)                     the procurement timeline, including, but not limited to, the expected start date for new contracts, expected request for proposal release date, approximate proposal submission deadline and expected award announcement date;

(vi)                     funding information, including but not limited to, total funding available for the request for proposal and sources of funding, anticipated number of contracts to be awarded, average funding level of contracts, anticipated funding minimums, maximums or ranges per participant, if applicable, and funding match requirements;

(vii)                     program information, including, but not limited to, proposed model or program parameters, site, service hours, participant population(s) to be served and participant minimums and/or maximums; and

(viii)                     proposed vendor performance reporting requirements.

§2.  If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or other portion of this local law is, for any reason, declared unconstitutional or invalid, in whole or in part, by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed severable, and such unconstitutionality or invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this law, which remaining portions shall continue in full force and effect.

                     §3. This local law shall take effect forty-five days after its enactment.