ALBANY, NY — Reinvent Albany supports legislation that aims to ensure public funds are spent on responsible companies.

The Senate bill, sponsored by Jessica Ramos (D-13), requires that the Workers’ Compensation Board and the Department of Labor publish lists of debarred companies as open data.

Debarred companies are prohibited from receiving state contracts because they have violated labor or workers’ compensation laws. Debarment is triggered by specific conditions, such as a stop-work order, defaulting on payments, failure to keep payroll records, or discriminating against an injured veteran. 

However, the labor department’s current debarment “lacks usability,” said Reinvent Albany.

“Transparency is crucial to address corruption risks associated with undisclosed debarments,” the organization said in a statement.

Reinvent Albany is an advocacy group that advocates for government transparency and scrutiny when New York grants subsidies to corporations. They work to strengthen the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and put government information online.

The bill would have the list published by the Office of General Services (OGS) on data.ny.gov.