Human Services Disclosure Reform – Vendor FAQ

The Human Services Disclosure Reform is a package of reforms that will make the prequalification process easier for small nonprofits that receive City Council discretionary awards and ensure significant human services providers disclose key information necessary for the City to protect taxpayer dollars. The first reform output is a new discretionary PQL in PASSPort for nonprofits that only receive City Council discretionary awards. This PQL will be released in April 2025 and will only ask three questions to verify compliance with legal requirements. The second reform output is adding a 30-day extension option to both the new discretionary PQL and existing HHS PQL for financial statement audits or reviews that have not been completed by a Certified Public Accountant when the PQL is due. The 30-day extension option is available. The third reform output is adding additional disclosure questions to the existing HHS PQL for human services contractors as required under the new Citywide Related Party Transaction and Conflict of Interest Policy. The additional questions will be added in August 2025 and human services contractors will have to answer them once their 2024 HHS PQL expires.

If you are a nonprofit that only receives City Council discretionary awards, you can become prequalified with a new, simple discretionary PQL instead of the HHS PQL. If you are a Contractor that doesn’t receive City Council discretionary awards but wants to become prequalified for human services contracts, you must answer additional disclosure questions in the HHS PQL depending on when your 2024 HHS PQL expires. The additional disclosure questions will be added in August 2025.

PQL means prequalification.

Yes, it was, however in PASSPort the name of the Prequalification Application is the "HHS Accelerator Prequalification Application."

This reform is focused on the prequalification clearance step and will not affect the agency contracting process.

That is correct, BPs and private funders do not require an Approved PASSPort Prequalification Application. However, please be aware that all charities operating and fundraising in New York State must comply with Charities Bureau filing requirements.

You do not need to wait! This function is available in PASSPort now!

You will first need to submit an Account Request. Learn how to create a PASSPort Account.

PASSPort is the City of New York’s digital procurement platform where organizations register to do business with the City. Go to the PASSPort login page.

For additional information about using PASSPort, visit the PASSPort Frequently Asked Questions page on NYC.gov.

If you experience errors or need assistance while using PASSPort or following a MOCS guidance document, you can submit a support request through the MOCS Service Desk.

Yes. MOCS hosted an information session on April 3, and the presentation materials are available on the Contract Compliance Support page on NYC.gov.

MOCS also published instructional guides on completing the new Discretionary PQL and updated the existing HHS PQL guide (PDF). To learn about upcoming sessions and workshops, visit the NYC Mayor’s Office of Contract Services Events page on Eventbrite.

You can apply and be approved under both prequalification lists if you want.

The new discretionary PQL is available in PASSPort.

To locate from the PASSPort Homepage, or anywhere in PASSPort Central, click (or hover over) RFx in the top navigation and select Browse Prequalified Lists from the drop-down menu. The Browse Prequalified Lists page displays with all open and closed prequalified lists. To search for the Discretionary Prequalification list, type “dis” in the Keywords field. Click the Search button and the list will display in the table below the search parameters. Click the PQL ID or PQL Label to view the returned Discretionary PQL application. The Discretionary PQL Application appears showing the Overview tab. The Current Status column refers to your organization’s status in relation to the PQL.

Organizations can choose to be prequalified under one or both lists, but if the organization only received discretionary awards and does not intend to respond to solicitations, we recommend applying under the new Discretionary PQL Application.

PASSPort sends automated messages when a PQL is about to expire.

Yes.

The discretionary PQL is only for nonprofits that only receive City Council discretionary awards. The HHS PQL is for both nonprofits and for profits with human services contracts. City Council discretionary award clearance will use either Discretionary PQL approved status or HHS Accelerator PQL Approved status. Organizations do not need to be approved under both PQLs; organizations should choose to be prequalified under the list that best fits the organization’s NYC funding.

If you want the organization to be able to apply for new human service contracts, please continue to use the HHS Accelerator PQL Application.

Yes, the new Disclosure PQL Application and the addition of the 30-day extension on the HHS Accelerator PQL Application are live in PASSPort. The additional questions in the HHS PQL will not be added until August 2025.

The 30-day extension is an option human services contractors can select, in either the new discretionary PQL or existing HHS PQL, to request an extension for financial statement audits or reviews that have not been completed by a Certified Public Accountant when the PQL is due.

To select the 30-day extension option in the PQL, you would need to first go to the Documents Tab Certification – Filings Documents – Charities Filing or Exemption Documentation in the PQL. This will be the final prompt in the PQL, and you will be asked to certify that your organization has uploaded the most recent Charities Bureau Annual Filing or supporting documentation for filing exemption into the Documents tab of this PQL application. To certify, click the Answer drop-down and select one of eight available options which will include a request for a 30-day extension to file a copy of the financial statement.

You can find the 30-day extension in both the new discretionary PQL and existing HHS PQL. This option will be available in May 2025.

You may request a second and a third extension; however the number of extensions is limited to three 30-day extensions.

The 30-day extension is only for CPA review reports and audits, which are not required below $250k.

If your organization has City Council awards pending clearance and the organization has the rest of the filing ready, and is just waiting on the CPA to complete a review report or audit, an extension will allow those awards to be cleared for processing.

The validity end date of the organization's annual Charities Bureau filing. In other words, the next annual filing due date.

Yes, the 30-day extension can be requested in both the HHS Accelerator PQL and the Discretionary PQL, both within PASSPort.

You can start now to avoid the organization’s Approved PQL status lapsing.

Contractors must know the organization’s fiscal year to determine their specific annual filing due dates. Please refer to the table in the Appendix of the guides:

• Submit the HHS PQL application (PDF)
• Submit the Discretionary application

Directors must provide signed statements on an annual basis disclosing any possible conflicts of interest in compliance with an organization's conflict of interest policy and the New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law.

A board member leasing office space to the organization.

Yes. See the definitions in the policy.

The latest version of the manual is available in the Human Services Cost Policies and Procedures Manual (PDF), which was also included in the September 2024 Vendor Newsletter.

Related Party Transaction and Conflict of Interest disclosure questions will not be included in the Discretionary PQL Application. If an organization only receives City Council Discretionary funding it can meet the City Council prequalification requirement by having an approved Discretionary PQL Application.