Int 0731-2024

Be it enacted by the Council as follows: Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings: City. The term "city" means the city of New York. Community-based vendor. The term "community-based vendor" means a vendor based in a city community that offers culturally-relevant services for which the city may contract. Culturally-relevant services. The term "culturally-relevant services" means services that address specific cultural, linguistic or socioeconomic concerns within a city community. Such term shall include, but not be limited to, services that: (i) involve the community in defining and addressing needs; (ii) are responsive to the customs or beliefs of a community; and (iii) prioritize cultural competence. Task force. The term "task force" means the contracts disparity task force established by this local law. � 2. Task force established. There is hereby established a contracts disparity task force. � 3. Duties. a. The task force shall review a random sample of awarded contracts from each city contracting agency in order to: 1. Determine whether there is statistical evidence of underutilization of community-based vendors in city contracting at both prime contract and subcontract levels; 2. Identify circumstances where city agencies could offer improved services by contracting with community-based vendors; 3. Make recommendations on legal and policy changes to improve contracting with community-based vendors and improve the provision of culturally-relevant services. b. Such task force shall comprise five members: 1. The city chief procurement officer, or the designee thereof; 2. Two members appointed by the mayor, representing the human services and labor sectors, respectively; and 3. Two members appointed by the speaker of the council, representing the human services and labor sectors, respectively. c. The members of the task force shall be appointed within 90 days after the effective date of this local law. d. Each member of the task force shall serve until the task force is dissolved pursuant to subdivision j of this section. Any vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. e. No member of the task force may be removed except for cause and upon notice and hearing by the official who appointed such member or, in the case of a succeeding member under subdivision d of this section, the official who appointed the succeeding member. f. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation. g. In undertaking the review of city contracting required pursuant to subdivision a, the task force shall be provided with access to the text of all city contracts that it requests. h. No more than one year after the date that the final member of the task force is appointed under subdivision b of this section, the task force shall submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council, which shall include, but need not be limited to, the following: 1. A description of the challenges city agencies face in awarding contracts to community-based vendors, including, but not limited to, restrictions related to state procurement law; 2. The existing landscape of vendors providing culturally-relevant services, and an analysis of whether such services could be expanded by contracting with community-based vendors; and 3. Recommendations for legal and policy changes to improve contracting with community-based vendors and improve the provision of culturally-relevant services. i. The report shall be posted on the website of the mayor's office of contract services as soon as practicable after it is submitted to the mayor and speaker of the council. j. The task force shall dissolve 30 days after the date that the report is submitted to the mayor and the speaker of the council. � 2. This local law takes effect immediately. Session 13 LS # 10961 1/23/24 Session 12 ARP LS # 10961 1/23/23 2 1