Bill Text: NY A00725 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Prohibits the retention of any amount of payment due and owing for materials delivered for a public or private construction project.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-19 - ordered to third reading rules cal.433 [A00725 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A00725-Amended.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        725--A
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 9, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of A. BRAUNSTEIN, TENNEY, NOJAY, SCHIMEL, MONTESANO,
         HEVESI, RUSSELL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. STECK --  read  once
         and  referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations -- recommit-
         ted to the Committee on Governmental  Operations  in  accordance  with
         Assembly  Rule  3, sec. 2 -- reported and referred to the Committee on
         Ways  and  Means  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,   ordered
         reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
       AN  ACT to amend the state finance law and the general municipal law, in
         relation to requiring full payment for delivered and accepted  materi-
         als pertaining to public work projects; and to amend the general busi-
         ness  law, in relation to prohibiting the retention of any payment due
         and owing a material supplier for a construction project
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 139-f of the state finance
    2  law, subdivision 1 as added by chapter 769  of  the  laws  of  1978  and
    3  subdivision  2  as amended by section 16 of part MM of chapter 57 of the
    4  laws of 2008, are amended to read as follows:
    5    1. Payment by public owners to contractors. The contractor shall peri-
    6  odically, in accordance with the terms of the contract,  submit  to  the
    7  public owner and/or [his] ITS agent a requisition for a progress payment
    8  for  the  work  performed  and/or materials furnished to the date of the
    9  requisition, less any amount previously  paid  to  the  contractor.  The
   10  public  owner shall in accordance with the terms of the contract approve
   11  and promptly pay the requisition for the progress payment less an amount
   12  necessary to satisfy any claims, liens or judgments against the contrac-
   13  tor which have not been suitably discharged and less any retained amount
   14  as hereafter described. The public owner shall retain not more than five
   15  per centum of each progress payment, NOT INCLUDING ANY PAYMENT FOR MATE-
   16  RIALS PERTINENT TO THE PROJECT WHICH HAVE BEEN DELIVERED,  ACCEPTED  AND
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD04256-02-4
       A. 725--A                           2
    1  ARE  COVERED  BY  A  MANUFACTURER'S  WARRANTY, AND/OR ARE GRADED TO MEET
    2  INDUSTRY STANDARDS, to the contractor except that the public  owner  may
    3  retain  in excess of five per centum but not more than ten per centum of
    4  each progress payment, NOT INCLUDING ANY PAYMENT FOR MATERIALS PERTINENT
    5  TO  THE PROJECT WHICH HAVE BEEN DELIVERED, ACCEPTED AND ARE COVERED BY A
    6  MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY, AND/OR ARE GRADED TO MEET  INDUSTRY  STANDARDS,
    7  to  the contractor provided that there are no requirements by the public
    8  owner for the contractor to provide a performance bond and a  labor  and
    9  material  bond both in the full amount of the contract. The public owner
   10  shall pay IN FULL, upon requisition from the contractor, for ALL materi-
   11  als pertinent to the project which have been delivered to  the  site  or
   12  off-site  by the contractor and/or subcontractor and suitably stored and
   13  secured as required by the public owner and  the  contractor  [provided,
   14  the  public  owner  may  limit such payment to materials in short and/or
   15  critical supply and materials specially fabricated for the project  each
   16  as  defined in the contract]. When the work or major portions thereof as
   17  contemplated by the terms of the contract are  substantially  completed,
   18  the contractor shall submit to the public owner and/or [his] ITS agent a
   19  requisition for payment of the remaining amount of the contract balance.
   20  Upon  receipt  of  such  requisition  the public owner shall approve and
   21  promptly pay the remaining amount of the contract balance less two times
   22  the value of any remaining items to be completed and an amount necessary
   23  to satisfy any claims, liens or judgments against the  contractor  which
   24  have  not  been  suitably discharged. As the remaining items of work are
   25  satisfactorily completed or corrected, the public owner  shall  promptly
   26  pay,  upon  receipt  of a requisition, for these remaining items less an
   27  amount necessary to satisfy any claims, liens or judgments  against  the
   28  contractor  which  have  not been suitably discharged. Any claims, liens
   29  and judgments referred to in this section shall pertain to  the  project
   30  and  shall  be  filed  in  accordance  with  the terms of the applicable
   31  contract and/or applicable laws.
   32    2. Payment by contractors to  subcontractors.  Within  seven  calendar
   33  days of the receipt of any payment from the public owner, the contractor
   34  shall  pay each of [his] ITS subcontractors and materialmen the proceeds
   35  from the payment representing the value of  the  work  performed  and/or
   36  materials furnished by the subcontractor and/or materialman and reflect-
   37  ing  the  percentage  of  the  subcontractor's  work  completed  or  the
   38  materialman's material supplied in the requisition approved by the owner
   39  and based upon the actual value of the  subcontract  or  purchase  order
   40  less  an  amount  necessary  to  satisfy  any claims, liens or judgments
   41  against the subcontractor or materialman which have  not  been  suitably
   42  discharged  and, WITH REGARD TO SUBCONTRACTORS, less any retained amount
   43  as hereafter described. Failure by the contractor to pay any subcontrac-
   44  tor or materialman within seven calendar days  of  the  receipt  of  any
   45  payment  from  the  public  owner  shall  result in the commencement and
   46  accrual of interest on amounts due to such subcontractor or  materialman
   47  for the period beginning on the day immediately following the expiration
   48  of  such  seven  calendar  day  period  and  ending on the date on which
   49  payment is made by the contractor to such subcontractor or  materialman.
   50  Such  interest  payment shall be the sole responsibility of the contrac-
   51  tor, and shall be paid at the rate of interest in  effect  on  the  date
   52  payment  is made by the contractor.  Notwithstanding any other provision
   53  of law to the contrary, interest shall be computed at  the  rate  estab-
   54  lished  in  paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision one of section seven hundred
   55  fifty-six-b of the general business law. The contractor shall retain not
   56  more than five per centum of each payment to the  subcontractor  [and/or
       A. 725--A                           3
    1  materialman] except that the contractor may retain in excess of five per
    2  centum  but  not more than ten per centum of each payment to the subcon-
    3  tractor provided that prior to entering  into  a  subcontract  with  the
    4  contractor,  the  subcontractor  is  unable  or  unwilling  to provide a
    5  performance bond and a labor and material bond, both in the full  amount
    6  of  the  subcontract,  at the request of the contractor.  THE CONTRACTOR
    7  SHALL PAY IN FULL, UPON PAYMENT BY THE PUBLIC OWNER, FOR  ALL  MATERIALS
    8  PERTINENT  TO  THE  PROJECT WHICH HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO AND ACCEPTED AT
    9  THE SITE OR OFF-SITE BY A MATERIALMAN AND ARE COVERED BY  A  MANUFACTUR-
   10  ER'S  WARRANTY,  AND/OR  ARE GRADED TO MEET INDUSTRY STANDARDS. However,
   11  EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF A MATERIALMAN WHO IS ALSO CONTRACTED TO INSTALL  A
   12  PRODUCT HE/SHE DELIVERED, the contractor shall retain nothing from those
   13  payments representing proceeds owed the subcontractor and/or materialman
   14  from  the  public  owner's  payments to the contractor for the remaining
   15  amounts of the contract balance as provided in subdivision one  of  this
   16  section.  If  the  contractor  has  failed  to  submit a requisition for
   17  payment of the remaining amounts of the contract balance  within  ninety
   18  days  of  substantial  completion as provided in subdivision one of this
   19  section, then any clause in the subcontract between the  contractor  and
   20  the  subcontractor  or  materialman  which  states  that  payment by the
   21  contractor to such  subcontractor  or  materialman  is  contingent  upon
   22  payment  by  the owner to the contractor shall be deemed invalid. Within
   23  seven calendar days of the receipt of payment from the  contractor,  the
   24  subcontractor and/or materialman shall pay each of [his] ITS subcontrac-
   25  tors  and  materialmen in the same manner as the contractor has paid the
   26  subcontractor, including interest  as  herein  provided  above.  Nothing
   27  provided  herein  shall  create any obligation on the part of the public
   28  owner to pay or to see to the payment of any moneys to any subcontractor
   29  or materialman from any contractor nor shall  anything  provided  herein
   30  serve  to  create  any relationship in contract or otherwise, implied or
   31  expressed, between the  subcontractor  or  materialman  and  the  public
   32  owner.
   33    S 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 and subdivision 2 of section 106-b
   34  of  the general municipal law, paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 as amended
   35  by chapter 98 of the laws of  1995  and  subdivision  2  as  amended  by
   36  section  15 of part MM of chapter 57 of the laws of 2008, are amended to
   37  read as follows:
   38    (a) The contractor shall periodically, in accordance with the terms of
   39  the contract, submit to the public owner and/or [his] ITS agent a requi-
   40  sition for a progress payment for the work  performed  and/or  materials
   41  furnished to the date of the requisition less any amount previously paid
   42  to  the  contractor. The public owner shall in accordance with the terms
   43  of the contract  approve  and  promptly  pay  the  requisition  for  the
   44  progress  payment  less an amount necessary to satisfy any claims, liens
   45  or judgments  against  the  contractor  which  have  not  been  suitably
   46  discharged  and  less  any  retained  amount as hereafter described. The
   47  public owner shall retain not more than five per centum of each progress
   48  payment, NOT INCLUDING  ANY  PAYMENT  FOR  MATERIALS  PERTINENT  TO  THE
   49  PROJECT  WHICH  HAVE  BEEN  DELIVERED,  ACCEPTED  AND  ARE  COVERED BY A
   50  MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY, AND/OR ARE GRADED TO MEET  INDUSTRY  STANDARDS,
   51  to  the  contractor except that the public owner may retain in excess of
   52  five per centum but not more  than  ten  per  centum  of  each  progress
   53  payment,  NOT  INCLUDING  ANY  PAYMENT  FOR  MATERIALS  PERTINENT TO THE
   54  PROJECT WHICH HAVE  BEEN  DELIVERED,  ACCEPTED  AND  ARE  COVERED  BY  A
   55  MANUFACTURER'S  WARRANTY,  AND/OR ARE GRADED TO MEET INDUSTRY STANDARDS,
   56  to the contractor provided that there are no requirements by the  public
       A. 725--A                           4
    1  owner  for  the contractor to provide a performance bond and a labor and
    2  material bond both in the full amount of the contract. The public  owner
    3  shall pay IN FULL, upon requisition from the contractor, for ALL materi-
    4  als  pertinent  to  the project which have been delivered to the site or
    5  off-site by the contractor and/or subcontractor and suitably stored  and
    6  secured  as  required  by the public owner and the contractor [provided,
    7  the public owner may limit such payment to  materials  in  short  and/or
    8  critical  supply and materials specially fabricated for the project each
    9  as defined in the contract]. When the work or major portions thereof  as
   10  contemplated  by  the terms of the contract are substantially completed,
   11  the contractor shall submit to the public owner and/or [his] ITS agent a
   12  requisition for payment of the remaining amount of the contract balance.
   13  Upon receipt of such requisition the  public  owner  shall  approve  and
   14  promptly pay the remaining amount of the contract balance less two times
   15  the value of any remaining items to be completed and an amount necessary
   16  to  satisfy  any claims, liens or judgments against the contractor which
   17  have not been suitably discharged. As the remaining items  of  work  are
   18  satisfactorily  completed  or corrected, the public owner shall promptly
   19  pay, upon receipt of a requisition,  for  these  items  less  an  amount
   20  necessary to satisfy any claims, liens or judgments against the contrac-
   21  tor which have not been suitably discharged. Any claims, liens and judg-
   22  ments referred to in this section shall pertain to the project and shall
   23  be  filed in accordance with the terms of the applicable contract and/or
   24  applicable laws. Where the public owner is other than the  city  of  New
   25  York,  the  term  "promptly  pay" shall mean payment within thirty days,
   26  excluding legal holidays, of receipt  of  the  requisition  unless  such
   27  requisition  is  not  approvable  in  accordance  with  the terms of the
   28  contract. Notwithstanding the foregoing, where the public owner is other
   29  than the city of New York and is a municipal corporation which  requires
   30  an  elected  official to approve progress payments, "promptly pay" shall
   31  mean payment  within  forty-five  days,  excluding  legal  holidays,  of
   32  receipt  of the requisition unless such requisition is not approvable in
   33  accordance with the terms of the contract.
   34    2. Payment by contractors to  subcontractors.  Within  seven  calendar
   35  days of the receipt of any payment from the public owner, the contractor
   36  shall  pay each of [his] ITS subcontractors and materialmen the proceeds
   37  from the payment representing the value of  the  work  performed  and/or
   38  materials furnished by the subcontractor and/or materialman and reflect-
   39  ing  the  percentage  of  the  subcontractor's  work  completed  or  the
   40  materialman's material supplied in the requisition approved by the owner
   41  and based upon the actual value of the  subcontract  or  purchase  order
   42  less  an  amount  necessary  to  satisfy  any claims, liens or judgments
   43  against the subcontractor or materialman which have  not  been  suitably
   44  discharged  and, WITH REGARD TO SUBCONTRACTORS, less any retained amount
   45  as hereafter described. Failure by the contractor to make  any  payment,
   46  including  any  remaining amounts of the contract balance as hereinafter
   47  described, to any subcontractor or  materialman  within  seven  calendar
   48  days of the receipt of any payment from the public owner shall result in
   49  the  commencement and accrual of interest on amounts due to such subcon-
   50  tractor or materialman for the period beginning on the  day  immediately
   51  following the expiration of such seven calendar day period and ending on
   52  the  date on which payment is made by the contractor to such subcontrac-
   53  tor or materialman. Such interest shall be the  sole  responsibility  of
   54  the  contractor,  and shall be paid at the rate of interest in effect on
   55  the date payment is made by the contractor.  Notwithstanding  any  other
   56  provision of law to the contrary, interest shall be computed at the rate
       A. 725--A                           5
    1  established in paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section seven hundred
    2  fifty-six-b of the general business law. The contractor shall retain not
    3  more  than  five per centum of each payment to the subcontractor [and/or
    4  materialman] except that the contractor may retain in excess of five per
    5  centum  but  not more than ten per centum of each payment to the subcon-
    6  tractor provided that prior to entering  into  a  subcontract  with  the
    7  contractor,  the  subcontractor  is  unable  or  unwilling  to provide a
    8  performance bond and a labor and material bond both in the  full  amount
    9  of  the  subcontract  at  the  request of the contractor. THE CONTRACTOR
   10  SHALL PAY IN FULL, UPON PAYMENT BY THE PUBLIC OWNER, FOR  ALL  MATERIALS
   11  PERTINENT  TO  THE  PROJECT WHICH HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO AND ACCEPTED AT
   12  THE SITE OR OFF-SITE BY A MATERIALMAN AND ARE COVERED BY  A  MANUFACTUR-
   13  ER'S  WARRANTY,  AND/OR  ARE GRADED TO MEET INDUSTRY STANDARDS. However,
   14  EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF A MATERIALMAN WHO IS ALSO CONTRACTED TO INSTALL  A
   15  PRODUCT HE/SHE DELIVERED, the contractor shall retain nothing from those
   16  payments representing proceeds owed the subcontractor and/or materialman
   17  from  the  public  owner's  payments to the contractor for the remaining
   18  amounts of the contract balance as provided in subdivision one  of  this
   19  section.  If  the  contractor  has  failed  to  submit a requisition for
   20  payment of the remaining amounts of the contract balance  within  ninety
   21  days  of  substantial  completion as provided in subdivision one of this
   22  section, then any clause in the subcontract between the  contractor  and
   23  the  subcontractor  or  materialman  which  states  that  payment by the
   24  contractor to such  subcontractor  or  materialman  is  contingent  upon
   25  payment  by  the owner to the contractor shall be deemed invalid. Within
   26  seven calendar days of the receipt of payment from the  contractor,  the
   27  subcontractor and/or materialman shall pay each of [his] ITS subcontrac-
   28  tors  and  materialmen in the same manner as the contractor has paid the
   29  subcontractor, including interest as herein  provided  above.    Nothing
   30  provided  herein  shall  create any obligation on the part of the public
   31  owner to pay or to see to the payment of any moneys to any subcontractor
   32  or materialman from any contractor nor shall  anything  provided  herein
   33  serve  to  create  any relationship in contract or otherwise, implied or
   34  expressed, between the  subcontractor  or  materialman  and  the  public
   35  owner.
   36    S  3.  Section  756-c of the general business law, as added by chapter
   37  127 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
   38    S 756-c. Retention. 1. By mutual agreement of the relevant parties  an
   39  owner may retain a reasonable amount of the contract sum as retainage. A
   40  contractor  or  subcontractor  may  also  retain a reasonable amount for
   41  retainage so long as the amount does not exceed  the  actual  percentage
   42  retained  by  the owner. Retainage shall be released by the owner to the
   43  contractor no later than thirty days after the  final  approval  of  the
   44  work  under a construction contract. In the event that an owner fails to
   45  release retainage as required by this  article,  or  the  contractor  or
   46  subcontractor  fails  to  release a proportionate amount of retainage to
   47  the relevant parties after receipt of  retainage  from  the  owner,  the
   48  owner,  contractor,  or  subcontractor,  as  the  case  may be, shall be
   49  subject to the payment of interest at the rate of one percent per  month
   50  on the date retention was due and owing.
   51    2.  NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION,
   52  NO PORTION OF ANY PAYMENT DUE AND OWING TO A MATERIAL SUPPLIER FOR MATE-
   53  RIALS WHICH HAVE BEEN DELIVERED, ACCEPTED AND ARE COVERED BY A  MANUFAC-
   54  TURER'S  WARRANTY,  AND/OR  GRADED  TO  MEET INDUSTRY STANDARDS SHALL BE
   55  RETAINED BY AN OWNER, CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR.
       A. 725--A                           6
    1    S 4. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    2  have become a law and shall apply to materials delivered and accepted on
    3  or after such effective date.
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