Willett Solutions announced another lobbying win with the revised “Delay Damages” bill –one of its priority bills for the 2019 state legislative session – which passed both houses of the legislature (Senate 62-0, Assembly 104-7) and will be sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo for final consideration before the end of the year. A.2040-A/S.5933-A prohibits the use of unfair “no damages for delay” provisions in public works contracts.
After intense lobbying by Willett Solutions founder Perry Ochacher for clients Subcontractors Trade Association (STA) and New York Electrical Contractors Association (NYECA), the bill's success is attributed to Ochacher establishing productive and early working relationships with Senator Leroy Comrie (D-Queens), the new Chair of the Senate Corporations Committee, who became the Senate sponsor of the bill along with Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-District 40).
“We owe Senator Comrie our thanks for taking the lead on this issue, as well as our Assembly sponsor, Assemblyman Kim,” Ochacher said .
The revised bill addresses concerns and several technical issues that the governor cited in his veto of last year's Delay Damages bill, which applied to both state and local public works contracts. The revised bill applies to only state public works contracts.
Willett Solutions will continue to lobby the Governor’s office on the “Delay Damages” bill for the remainder of the year.
