Requires contracts for professional services be awarded by certain bi-state authorities pursuant to competitive contracting process.

This bill (S 3334) requires the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to use a competitive bidding process for contracts involving professional services like architecture, engineering, and land surveying. It mandates that the Port Authority publicly advertise these contracts, including evaluation criteria, and that firms submit annual qualification statements to be considered. The Authority must rank the top three most qualified firms based on advertised criteria before negotiating fees, and if negotiations fail with the top firm, it must move down the ranked list. The bill directly affects the Port Authority’s contracting practices and professional service firms seeking these contracts.