N.Y. State Technology Law § 103-a: State information technology innovation center

* § 103-a. State information technology innovation center. 1. The

director may establish a state information technology innovation center

or "iCenter" to develop, pilot, and consider technology solutions to

assist the state, state agencies, authorities, municipalities and other

governmental entities find potential solutions to their technology needs

or requirements. The director shall ensure the iCenter complies with all

state laws, rules, regulations, and policies. Vendor participation in

the iCenter shall not be construed to:

(a) create preferred status for any vendor in any government

procurement, or

(b) abrogate the requirement that technology procurements are awarded

pursuant to all applicable laws, including such laws requiring a

competitive process.

2. The director shall implement guidelines to carry out the provisions

of this section which shall not contravene any provision of the state

finance law. Such procedures shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) establishing the process for selecting vendors for participation

in the iCenter, which shall be a public process;

(b) establishing a process to determine which technology needs or

requirements shall be iCenter initiatives; and

(c) establishing safeguards to ensure the iCenter does not function in

a manner that results in the circumvention of competitive bidding,

including but not limited to through single and sole source exemptions.

3. The director shall conduct an outreach campaign informing the

public of the iCenter and shall conduct specific outreach to minority

and women-owned business enterprises certified pursuant to article

fifteen-A of the executive law, small businesses as such term is defined

in section one hundred thirty-one of the economic development law, and

service disabled veteran owned business enterprises certified pursuant

to article three of the veterans' services law to inform such businesses

of iCenter initiatives.

4. Every January first, beginning in two thousand nineteen, the

director shall submit a report to the speaker of the assembly, the

temporary president of the senate, and the governor detailing iCenter

initiatives undertaken in the prior year. Such report shall include but

not be limited to: an identification of any state resources used to

support the iCenter in the prior year; the number and nature of iCenter

initiatives undertaken in the prior year; the identity of vendors that

participated in the iCenter in the prior year, any iCenter initiatives

piloted in the prior year that were subsequently awarded a procurement

contract with any state agency to the extent the office of information

technology services may be aware of such contracts; and an evaluation of

the effectiveness of the iCenter. Such report shall be publicly posted

on the office's website.

* NB Repealed June 30, 2028