Mayor Adams' Statement After Governor Hochul Signs Bills to Increase Inclusivity in City Construction Projects

October 26, 2023

Two Bills Support Small Businesses and M/WBE Participation in Capital Projects

Bills Deliver on Recommendations of Mayor Adams' Capital Process Reform Task Force to Increase Efficiency and Inclusivity in Public Buildings and Infrastructure

New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed two bills that will advance the Adams administration's efforts to improve efficiency and inclusivity in the city's capital process:

"There is a covenant between taxpayers and their government, and for too long, the bloated bureaucracy that governs our capital process has violated that covenant. We convened our Capital Process Reform Task Force early in this administration and put forward a robust set of 39 recommendations that will cut years off the time it takes to deliver public infrastructure projects, save millions in taxpayer dollars, and increase participation in the process.

"We were proud to work with our partners in Albany this session — including Governor Hochul, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Heastie — to deliver these important reforms, which will increase efficiency, create safer worksites, and decrease barriers to entry for small businesses and M/WBEs. There is more work to do to make the process more efficient, and we look forward to pursuing additional reforms in the coming session."

7385/A. 7542 — sponsored by New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. and New York State Assemblymember David Weprin, respectfully — will allow New York City to use owner-controlled and contractor-controlled insurance programs common in both public and private construction projects.

S. 7526/A. 7673-A — sponsored by New York State Senator Leroy Comrie and New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, respectfully — will allow New York City to scale up construction mentorship programs modeled after existing, best-in-class programs at New York public entities, including the School Construction Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on a citywide basis, to increase diversity in capital projects.

Mayor Adams' Capital Process Reform Task Force — convened in April 2022 with initial recommendations released in October 2022 and a comprehensive reform plan in January 2023 — brought together industry, labor, the minority- and women-owned business enterprise (M/WBE) community, city agencies, and the New York City Comptroller's Office to undertake a comprehensive review of the city's capital process. The signing of these bills into law is a result of the task force's diligent review, thoughtful recommendations, and strategic advocacy. The Adams administration and task force members will continue advocating in Albany to help get the city the tools it needs to build faster, better, cheaper, and more inclusively.