Create a Capital Projects Dashboard and Public-Facing Property Inventory Map To Enhance Transparency and Efficiency

Increase Access to Government Services in High Need Communities

Create a State Office of Innovation and Efficiency

Bolster Cybersecurity of Networks, Increase Training for Government Employees

Modernize the Process for Digital Working Papers for Teens To Streamline Process and Reduce Burdens for Employers

Increase Opportunities for MWBEs and Build Capital Projects Faster

Governor Kathy Hochul today unveiled an array of initiatives designed to get the government working faster and more efficiently for all New Yorkers as a part of her 2025 State of the State. In particular, the Governor proposes to advance a series of reforms designed to make sure that the New York State government delivers on the infrastructure projects that change and improve lives.

“Government should deliver, and deliver efficiently and effectively because that is what your hard earned money pays for,” Governor Hochul said. “These customer service driven proposals are designed to ensure that we are working hard to provide quality services that are focused on providing streamlined, modern services to all New Yorkers in every corner of the state.”

Increasing Speed, Equity, and Efficiency in Capital Project Delivery

Expand Alternative Project Delivery Methods

State law prescribes how agencies and authorities must conduct capital project delivery. Many State agencies and authorities are limited to a narrow selection of delivery approaches, such as design-bid build. While the currently authorized methods are well suited for some projects, they are not the best fit across the board. Depending on a project’s size, nature, and timeline, alternative project delivery approaches such as progressive design build, construction manager build, and construction manager as constructor may be more suitable and can deliver projects more quickly and cost-effectively. Alternative delivery approaches also allow for expanded use of best value selection, providing a more level playing field for small and emerging firms and supporting increased Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) participation. To improve the efficiency of project delivery and continue supporting MWBE access to public contracts, Governor Hochul will work to amend the Infrastructure Investment Act and other relevant statutes to provide agencies and authorities more flexibility in how they deliver projects and ensure that they are able to use the best tool for the job.

Increase Opportunities for Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises in State Procurement

Public procurement in New York State is subject to a wide array of reviews and approvals. To increase the participation of MWBEs in State contracting while also expediting the procurement process, agencies and authorities are fully or partially exempted from certain procurement requirements when making discretionary purchases of up to $750,000 from certified MWBEs. Building on the success of this model, Governor Hochul proposes to increase the discretionary purchase thresholds for MWBEs to $1.5 million, bringing the State's threshold into alignment with those of MTA and New York City. Standardization of these thresholds will increase efficiency while supporting the Governor's commitment to expanding opportunities for MWBE firms.

Leverage the Dormitory Authority’s Expertise to Speed Up Municipal Projects

Communities across the state need investment to build out the parks, infrastructure and resiliency projects, and other municipal facilities that undergird our communities and make New York such an attractive place to live. Getting these projects completed more speedily and at less cost will benefit communities across the State.

To give localities the ability to draw on new resources to accelerate project design and implementation, Governor Hochul will advance legislation to allow municipalities to utilize Dormitory Authority of the State of New York’s renowned planning, design, procurement and construction management services for projects. This legislative change will help interested municipalities cut more ribbons on more ambitious projects.

Expand Pre-Qualified List Authority

Vendor pre-qualification is the process of evaluating vendors and contractors to ensure they meet specific qualifications before they are able to bid on a project. State law authorizes many municipalities across the state to make use of vendor pre-qualification practices to ensure that contracts are awarded only to highly capable and qualified contractors who are able to deliver high quality work on time and within budget. State agencies and authorities lack similar broad authority to pre-qualify vendors and are generally required instead to make awards to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder among all respondents, which can pose a particular challenge for emerging and MWBE firms. In order to streamline the procurement process by ensuring bids reviewed and selected are from suitable vendors, Governor Hochul will expand the authority for use of prequalified lists to State agencies and authorities.

Streamline Utility Relocations for Metropolitan Transportation Authority Utility relocations are complex components of Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) capital projects that require close collaboration among various parties to succeed and can often be a source of significant delay. To address these challenges, Governor Hochul is directing the MTA and Department of Public Service to create a process to ensure project timeliness and coordination between transportation and utility design and construction. This process will result in reduced construction timelines and lower overall project costs, while protecting utility ratepayers.

Improving Efficiency of Government Processes

Digitize Youth Working Papers

The process to apply for youth working papers is antiquated, exclusively paper-driven, and lacks consistent, uniform data collection. Employers are required to keep the paper records on file and are hit with fines when youth working papers are missing. To modernize the process and reduce burdens on businesses, Governor Hochul will advance legislation to digitize working papers for minors and create a one-stop online portal for young people, caregivers, employers, and school administrators.

Improve Tracking and Transparency for State Assets and Capital Projects

New York State’s significant investments in capital projects lack a centralized system to track progress or manage information on State-owned properties. This gap complicates coordination across agencies and limits opportunities for strategic infrastructure planning and use of State-owned properties. To address this, Governor Hochul will create a database and dashboard for capital projects, along with a public-facing property inventory map to enhance transparency and efficiency in managing State assets.

Create a State Office of Innovation and Efficiency

State agencies often struggle to redesign operations and implement improvements due to limited inhouse expertise. To address this, Governor Hochul will establish a dedicated office to support agencies by providing internal consulting, centralized project support, and performance tracking. The office will issue annual progress reports, ensuring transparent and measurable service improvements for New Yorkers.

Embrace a Circular Economy at the Empire State Plaza

The Empire State Plaza generates substantial waste, much of which could be diverted through better recycling and composting practices. Governor Hochul proposes expanding waste diversion efforts at Empire State Plaza with new signage, strategically placed bins, pre-consumer food waste collection, and waste audits. Successful implementation will serve as a model for other State facilities, demonstrating effective waste management and sustainability practices.

Recruit New Talent and Modernize the Civil Service System

Governor Hochul is committed to attracting and retaining public service employees by extending the Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide (NY HELPS) program, waiving civil service exam fees, and launching a statewide awareness campaign to promote opportunities in public service. Additionally, a new New York State Jobs Portal and Application Tracking System will streamline recruitment, modernize the hiring process, and improve efficiency within the civil service system.

Increase Access to Government Services

Governor Hochul will undertake a set of initiatives that increase access to government services. First, Governor Hochul will implement a pilot program to install self-service kiosks in high-need communities to provide access to public benefits like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) and child care services at high-traffic locations. This program will reduce travel and wait times while offering multilingual support and easier access to essential resources. The Governor will also advance legislation to increase efficiency of the Division of Human Rights complaint process and will modernize the Office of Victims Services claims assistance program to improve accessibility and efficiency for crime victims.

Strengthening Our Digital Infrastructure

Mandate Reporting of Local Government Cyber Incidents

Through the shared services program, Governor Hochul has provided local governments with tools and services to defend their systems. These technologies help monitor and react to cyber threats in real time, ensuring government services can be better protected. New York State has made progress in enhancing cybersecurity through these and other efforts, but a critical gap remains as local governments are not required to report cybersecurity incidents to the State. The timely notification of cybersecurity incidents impacting local governments is essential to enable New York State to build situational awareness of statewide cyber threat activity and create a comprehensive threat picture that helps defend government services and protects all New Yorkers. To address this issue, Governor Hochul will propose legislation requiring local governments to report cybersecurity incidents and ransom payments through a centralized mechanism. This legislation will mandate the reporting of payments made to cybercriminals, improving the State’s ability to respond to threats, safeguard critical infrastructure, and reduce statewide cybersecurity risks.

Require Cybersecurity Awareness Training for Government Employees

Cybersecurity awareness training is crucial to safeguarding government systems against increasingly sophisticated threats. New York State provides modern cybersecurity awareness training to executive branch employees, with mandatory annual completion. Governor Hochul proposes extending this requirement to local governments and will offer training at no additional cost. The State will provide free training online, ensuring uniform access and strengthening the cybersecurity resilience of government operations and services statewide.

Bolster the Security of Networks Statewide

The cyber threats New Yorkers face have never been more numerous, more sophisticated, or more dangerous. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership significant progress has been made to advance the cybersecurity and resilience of state and local government networks as part of her nation-leading whole-of-state cybersecurity strategy. Additional investments in the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) will allow the State to continue deploying highly effective cyber tools to help defend state and local governments and further develop a skilled, dynamic, and committed workforce.

Governor Hochul will build on her historic investments in technology and cybersecurity to ensure that ITS has the necessary resources to continue advancing cybersecurity and resilience to meet the new, dangerous cyber threats we face. These investments will help ensure New York State’s technology infrastructure is maintained, cyber risk is reduced statewide, and whole-of-state cybersecurity services continue to help protect state and local governments from evolving threats.

Expand and Extend Public Broadband and Cell Service

Building on the public broadband infrastructure work that Governor Hochul has undertaken over the last few years, the Governor will launch the Excelsior Broadband Network, a new statewide public broadband network with the aim of reaching from Buffalo to Plattsburgh through Syracuse and Albany to Binghamton and New York City, and the Mobile Service Connectivity Initiative. The Excelsior Broadband Network will build and connect a network of public broadband assets across the state, and the first component will be a new fiber line that runs the full length of the New York Thruway. The state-of-the-art fiber network along the New York Thruway will improve high speed internet and reliable cell phone service across rural and urban portions of the state.

Provide Artificial Intelligence Upskilling for State Workforce

Artificial Intelligence (AI) training, education, and skill development can help workers with upward mobility and to understand how AI can automate routine tasks and increase productivity. Governor Hochul will lead by example by ensuring the State workforce has access to training about how to responsibly use AI, especially as public sector employees. The Governor will direct the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) to roll out AI training to ITS-supported State workforce employees. Training will provide basic education about how AI can be safely used in the workplace to improve productivity and efficiency. ITS will complement this program with a secure and controlled generative AI toolset to help State employees with hands-on application of the training.

Standing up for New Yorkers

Convene the Empire State Freedom Initiative

Governor Hochul and Attorney General James convened the Empire State Freedom Initiative to protect New Yorkers from a variety of policy and regulatory concerns that could emerge from new leadership in the White House and Congress. Representatives from the Governor's Office of Federal Affairs, the Office of the Counsel, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the New York State Office of the Attorney General and other relevant agencies are working together to analyze potential statutory, regulatory, and fiscal vulnerabilities. Teams will be tasked with identifying proactive measures that New York State and its agencies can take through state legislation, rulemaking, appropriations, and partnerships with New York's Congressional delegation.

Governor Hochul has made modernizing and improving state operations a signature focus of her tenure in government. Recognizing the importance of a customer-focused government, Governor Hochul has also streamlined services to improve the experience for residents across the state by closing gaps, reducing the time tax burden for New Yorkers, improving operational efficiencies, and enhancing online services so that they are more user-friendly. Governor Hochul’s administration has:

• Directed a customer experience approach to government operations, including making critical changes to speed delivery of benefits, modernize webpages, and promote greater accessibility of government resources.
• Implemented a whole-of-state cybersecurity strategy including developing the New York State Joint Security Operations Center and delivering shared services for local governments.
• Overhauled outdated Department of Motor Vehicles systems to significantly improve the agency’s ability to expedite consumer interactions.
• Lowered barriers to access for crucial government programs by making it easier to enroll in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP), and child care assistance.