For immediate release
June 10, 2024
Contact: aderysnider@empirejustice.org
Legal Services Coalition Celebrates Passage of Contracting bill
A bill to begin to address contracting issues in New York State -- S.4877-A (Mayer) / A.2740-B (Paulin) – recently passed both chambers of the legislature.
New York Legal Services Coalition President Kristin Brown gave the following statement:
“We are thrilled that legislation improving the state contracting process passed both houses of the legislature. Nonprofits enter into contracts to provide services on behalf of New York state. Civil legal services providers in particular are helping New Yorkers access the essentials of life, including housing, education, and healthcare. The current state contracting process involves delayed execution, delayed reimbursement for salaries, rent and other costs that must be paid up front, and incongruous systems and paperwork across agencies, all of which place massive economic strain on nonprofits working to serve the state.
We thank Senator Mayer and Assemblymember Paulin for their leadership on this issue. We strongly encourage the governor to sign this bill as an important first step to making the process fairer, more timely and more transparent for non-profit organizations so we are able to plan through delays.”
Additionally, another coalition priority passed both chambers. The bill, S.9032-A (Ryan) / A.9478-A (McMahon), clarifies the intent of 2023 changes to the notarization law by allowing any person to submit an affirmation under penalty of perjury in lieu of an affidavit in an administrative proceeding and for pleadings.
“This small technical change will remove a barrier to justice for many New Yorkers. We are grateful to sponsors Senator Ryan and Assemblymember McMahon for their work,” said Brown.
About the NYLSC
The New York Legal Services Coalition is a statewide association that represents the interests of civil legal services organizations and the communities they serve. Our members collectively provide services in the areas of family law, housing, immigration, and public benefits across all 62 counties of New York State.