* § 103-a. State information technology innovation center. 1. The director may establish a state information technology innovation center or "iCenter" to develop, pilot, and consider technology solutions to assist the state, state agencies, authorities, municipalities and other governmental entities find potential solutions to their technology needs or requirements. The director shall ensure the iCenter complies with all state laws, rules, regulations, and policies. Vendor participation in the iCenter shall not be construed to:

(a) create preferred status for any vendor in any government procurement, or

(b) abrogate the requirement that technology procurements are awarded pursuant to all applicable laws, including such laws requiring a competitive process. 2. The director shall implement guidelines to carry out the provisions of this section which shall not contravene any provision of the state finance law. Such procedures shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) establishing the process for selecting vendors for participation in the iCenter, which shall be a public process;

(b) establishing a process to determine which technology needs or requirements shall be iCenter initiatives; and

(c) establishing safeguards to ensure the iCenter does not function in a manner that results in the circumvention of competitive bidding, including but not limited to through single and sole source exemptions. 3. The director shall conduct an outreach campaign informing the public of the iCenter and shall conduct specific outreach to minority and women-owned business enterprises certified pursuant to article fifteen-A of the executive law, small businesses as such term is defined in section one hundred thirty-one of the economic development law, and service disabled veteran owned business enterprises certified pursuant to article seventeen-B of the executive law to inform such businesses of iCenter initiatives. 4. Every January first, beginning in two thousand nineteen, the director shall submit a report to the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, and the governor detailing iCenter initiatives undertaken in the prior year. Such report shall include but not be limited to: an identification of any state resources used to support the iCenter in the prior year; the number and nature of iCenter initiatives undertaken in the prior year; the identity of vendors that participated in the iCenter in the prior year, any iCenter initiatives piloted in the prior year that were subsequently awarded a procurement contract with any state agency to the extent the office of information technology services may be aware of such contracts; and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the iCenter. Such report shall be publicly posted on the office's website. * NB Repealed June 30, 2024