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.