NEW YORK, N.Y. -- New York City Council Member Gale Brewer, the chair of the Select Committee on Technology in Government, and Council Member Robert Jackson, chair of the Contracts Committee, introduced two bills and one resolution that would require the city to take greater advantage of technology in expanding access to the procurement process. The legislation acts on several recommendations that both committees made in their January 2003 report, "Moving Forward with E-Procurement," available on the council's Web site.

The first bill mandates that the city post all request for proposals (RFPs), and any other public notices of opportunities to contract with the city, on the city's Web site. The second bill directs the city to create a pilot program to test the efficacy of online reverse auctions. As opposed to online auctions where buyers bid for goods and services on the Internet (for example, eBay), online reverse auctions allow sellers to bid for the provision of goods and services to the City. Last year, the state of Pennsylvania saved over $10 million by using an online reverse action to buy 10,000 computers for the Department of Public Welfare.

"Businesses, especially small businesses, have wrestled with an unresponsive and inefficient City contracting process for decades," said Council Member Brewer. "They deserve this effort and so does the city who stands to save significant amounts of money as technology is finally brought to bear in the procurement process."

Council Member Jackson added: "Procurement reform is critical to the future success of our city. Converting to electronic procurement is an essential part of that reform. Not only will it make doing business with our city easier for everyone, including city agencies themselves, but it will save us hundreds of millions of dollars that can be used for housing, schools and health care for New Yorkers."

The last legislative item introduced at today's meeting is a resolution that acts on a state law authorizing the city to accept bids on purchase contracts in electronic format. Before the city can accept e-bids, the City Council must pass a resolution authorizing its use.