WHEREAS, pursuant to Executive Order 198, a disaster was declared within the counties of Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wayne due to extensive flooding, widespread erosion, and water damage that caused significant damage to homes and other residential structures, businesses, and public infrastructure;

WHEREAS, historic high water levels in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River continue to be of concern as a cause of flooding, widespread erosion, and water damage, which continues to jeopardize infrastructure, coastline structures, natural barriers, and navigation; and

WHEREAS, the Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative Commission identified high-priority projects that were urgently needed, and continued to be needed to protect homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure; to sustainably maintain safe navigation channels; and to address the immediate and long-term resiliency of communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ANDREW M. CUOMO, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the Laws of the State of New York, do hereby find that a disaster continues to exist for which affected state agencies and local governments are unable to respond adequately. Therefore, pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the State of New York and Section 28 of Article 2-B of the Executive Law, I hereby continue the declaration of the State Disaster Emergency that became effective November 20, 2019, as set forth in Executive Order 198, within the territorial boundaries of the counties of Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wayne. The provisions set forth in Executive Order 198 and this Executive Order shall continue to remain in effect until June 4, 2021; and

FURTHER, pursuant to Section 29 of Article 2-B of the Executive Law, I direct the continued implementation of the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and authorize, which was first made effective November 20, 2019, the State Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, the Division of State Police, the Division of Military and Naval Affairs, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the Public Service Commission, the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Department of Labor, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Office of General Services, the Thruway Authority, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, other State agencies as necessary, and the American Red Cross to take appropriate action to protect State property and to assist affected local governments and individuals in responding to and recovering from this continued disaster; and to provide such other assistance as necessary to protect the public health and safety.

IN ADDITION, this declaration satisfies the requirements of 49 C.F.R. 390.23(a)(1)(A), which provides relief from Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR). Such relief from the FMCSR is necessary to hasten the movement of crews into New York State.

FURTHER, I, ANDREW M. CUOMO, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to temporarily suspend specific provisions of any statute, local law, ordinance, orders, rules or regulations, or parts thereof, of any agency during a State disaster emergency, if compliance with such provisions would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to address the disaster, hereby temporarily suspend, for the period from the date of this Executive Order through March 6, 2021, the following laws:

Section 38(1), (2) and (3) of the Highway Law, to the extent that the Commissioner of Transportation determines it necessary to authorize the award of emergency contracts and/or to combine design and construction services in contracts and to use such services when needed;

Section 9(2) and (4) of the Public Buildings Law, to the extent the Commissioner of General Services determines it necessary to authorize the award of emergency contracts and/or to combine design and construction services in contracts and/or to use such contracts and services when needed at a threshold above Six Hundred Thousand Dollars;

Section 97-G of the State Finance Law, to the extent that the Commissioner of General Services or the Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services determines it necessary to purchase food, supplies, services, and equipment or furnish or provide various centralized services, including but not limited to, building design and construction services to assist affected local governments, individuals, and other non-State entities in responding to and recovering from the disaster emergency;

Section 112 of the State Finance Law, to the extent consistent with Article V, Section 1 of the State Constitution, and to the extent that the Commissioner of Transportation, the Commissioner of General Services, or the Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services determines it necessary to add additional work, sites, and time to State contracts; to award emergency contracts or leases for relocation and support of State operations under Section 3 of the Public Buildings Law; to award emergency contracts under Section 9 of the Public Buildings Law; to award emergency contracts for professional services under Section 136-a of the State Finance Law; and to award emergency contracts for commodities, services, technology, and materials pursuant to Section 163 of the State Finance Law;

Section 136-a of the State Finance Law, to the extent that the Commissioner of Transportation or the Commissioner of General Services determines it necessary to combine design and construction services in one contract and/or to obtain design and construction inspection services;

Section 163 of the State Finance Law and Article 4-C of the Economic Development Law, to the extent of allowing the Commissioner of Transportation, the Commissioner of General Services, or the Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to purchase necessary commodities, services, technology, and materials without following the standard notice and procurement processes;

Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law, and Part 15 of Title 17 and Part 617 of Title 6 of the New York Code of Rules and Regulations, to the extent that the Commissioner of Transportation, the Commissioner of General Services, or the Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services determines that work is immediately necessary for the replacement, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of structures; and

Part F of Chapter 60 of the Laws of 2015, and Part RRR of Chapter 59 of the Laws of 2017, to the extent of allowing the Commissioner of Transportation or the Commissioner of General Services to award design-build and best value contracts without following the proscribed procurement process.