NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A11476
SPONSOR: Rules (Shimsky) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend chapter 573 of the laws of 2025 relating to enacting the
"county of Westchester public works investment act", in relation to
expanding what qualifies as an authorized project for the county of
Westchester public works investment act
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to identify additional public works projects
for which specific agencies within Westchester County are authorized to
utilize the Design-Build model of contracting.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends the laws of 2025 by adding eight additional
public works projects to the list of authorized construction projects
for which specific agencies within Westchester County are authorized to
use design-build contracts.
Section 2 is the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
In 2019, seven New York City agencies received authorization to utilize
Design-Build project delivery (as opposed to Design-Bid-Build) through
the Public Works Investment Act (PWIA).. Design-Build consolidates
projects into one point of responsibility on the basis of which the
design and construction team can deliver the best project at the best
value. Under the current Design Bid-Build model, the 'Design' and
'Build' components of a project are barred from collaboration, slowing
project schedules, increasing cost, and resulting in lower quality in
final completed projects. In 2025, the Legislature authorized specific
agencies within Westchester County to use design-build contracts when
accepting bids for four specific construction projects, leading to
significant cost savings for the County and its taxpayers.
Many municipalities within Westchester county face serious challenges
related to flooding. These challenges grow more severe each year they go
unaddressed. In recent years, the federal government has cut funding for
FEMA and eliminated grant programs that fund flood mitigation efforts.
Allowing for the use of design-build contracts in the bidding process
for the eight additional projects outlined in this bill will provide
Westchester County with enough cost savings to undertake flood miti-
gation work despite the increased fiscal pressures from a hostile feder-
al government.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that the
amendments to subdivision 2 of section 2 of chapter 573 of the laws of
2025 made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such
chapter and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11476
IN ASSEMBLY
May 21, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Shimsky) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend chapter 573 of the laws of 2025 relating to enacting the
"county of Westchester public works investment act", in relation to
expanding what qualifies as an authorized project for the county of
Westchester public works investment act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 2 of chapter 573 of the laws of
2 2025 relating to enacting the "county of Westchester public works
3 investment act", is amended to read as follows:
4 2. "Authorized project" shall mean, in conformity with the require-
5 ments of this act, any installation, construction, demolition, recon-
6 struction, excavation, rehabilitation, repair, and renovation in
7 connection with the following:
8 (a) a public building known as the "Westchester County Labs and
9 Research Building", located at 10 Dana Road in the hamlet of Valhalla in
10 the town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester county, SBL No. 116.16-1-1 14;
11 (b) a public maintenance facility known as the "Westchester County
12 Department of Public Works Maintenance Facility", located at Hammond
13 House Road behind 65 Hammond House Road in the hamlet of Valhalla in the
14 town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester county, SBL No. 116.12-1-14;
15 (c) a public building known as the "Westchester County Emergency
16 Services Building", located at 4 Dana Road in the hamlet of Valhalla in
17 the town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester county, SBL No. 116.16-1-1;
18 (d) a public building known as the "Westchester County Public Safety
19 Building", located at 1 Saw Mill River Road in the hamlet of Hawthorne
20 in the town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester county, SBL No. 106.18-1-2;
21 (e) the replacement of a bridge known as the "Anita Lane Utility
22 Bridge", crossing Mamaroneck River in the village of Mamaroneck, West-
23 chester county at coordinates 40°57'13.7"N 73°44'04.1"W;
24 (f) the replacement of a bridge known as the "Ward Avenue Bridge",
25 crossing Mamaroneck River in the village of Mamaroneck, Westchester
26 county at coordinates 40°57'08.3"N 73°44'03.2"W, BIN No. 2225110;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15975-01-6
A. 11476 2
1 (g) the replacement of a bridge known as the "Halstead Avenue Bridge",
2 crossing Mamaroneck River in the village of Mamaroneck, Westchester
3 county at coordinates 40°57'17.0"N 73°44'05.4"W, BIN No. 3348290;
4 (h) the replacement of a bridge known as the "Oakland Beach Avenue
5 Bridge", crossing Blind Brook in the city of Rye, Westchester county at
6 coordinates 40°57'44.7"N 73°41'21.1"W, BIN No. 2225300;
7 (i) the replacement of a bridge known as the "Playland Parkway
8 Bridge", crossing Blind Brook in the city of Rye, Westchester county at
9 coordinates 40°58'07.4"N 73°41'22.0"W, BIN No. 3349000;
10 (j) the replacement and daylighting of three culverts known as the
11 "East Blind Brook Culvert", located at:
12 (1) coordinates 41°01'03.1"N 73°40'47.2"W on Argyle Road in the
13 village of Rye Brook, Westchester county;
14 (2) coordinates 41°01'07.9"N 73°40'46.9"W on Betsy Brown Road in the
15 village of Rye Brook, Westchester county; and
16 (3) coordinates 41°01'15.7"N 73°40'42.8"W on Acker Drive in the
17 village of Rye Brook, Westchester county.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
19 the amendments to subdivision 2 of section 2 of chapter 573 of the laws
20 of 2025 made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of
21 such chapter and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
