Section 1-N - Restricted contacts1. During the restricted period, no person or organization required to file a statement or report pursuant to this article shall engage in lobbying activities concerning a governmental procurement by a state agency, either house of the state legislature, the unified court system, or a municipal agency, as that term is defined by paragraph (ii) of subdivision (s) of section one-c of this article, by contacting a person within the procuring entity who has not been designated pursuant to section one hundred thirty-nine-j of the state finance law to receive communications relative to the governmental procurement. Further, during the restricted period, no person or organization required to file a statement or report pursuant to this article shall engage in lobbying activities concerning a governmental procurement by contacting any person in a state agency other than the state agency conducting the governmental procurement about that governmental procurement. The prohibitions set forth in this subdivision shall not apply to any contacts described in subdivision two or three of this section.2. A complaint by an offerer regarding the failure of the person or persons designated by the procuring entity pursuant to section one hundred thirty-nine-j of the state finance law to respond in a timely manner to authorized offerer contacts shall not be deemed to be "lobbying" or "lobbying activities" and shall be exempt from the provisions of subdivision one of this section and shall be made in writing to the office of general counsel of the state agency, either house of the state legislature or the unified court system that is conducting the procurement. Further, the following contacts shall not be deemed to be "lobbying" or "lobbying activities" and shall be exempt from the provisions of subdivision one of this section:(a) contacts by offerers in protests, appeals or other review proceedings (including the apparent successful bidder or proposer and his or her representatives) before the governmental entity conducting the procurement seeking a final administrative determination, or in a subsequent judicial proceeding; or(b) complaints of alleged improper conduct in a governmental procurement to the attorney general, inspector general, district attorney, or court of competent jurisdiction; or(c) written protests, appeals or complaints to the state comptroller's office during the process of contract approval, where the state comptroller's approval is required by law, and where such communications and any responses thereto are made in writing and shall be entered in the procurement record pursuant to section one hundred sixty-three of the state finance law; or(d) complaints of alleged improper conduct in a governmental procurement conducted by a municipal agency or local legislative body to the state comptroller's office; provided, however, that nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as recognizing or creating any new rights, duties or responsibilities or abrogating any existing rights, duties or responsibilities of any governmental entity as it pertains to implementation and enforcement of article eleven of the state finance law or any other provision of law dealing with the governmental procurement process.
3. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit a person or organization required to file a statement or report pursuant to this article from contacting a member of the state legislature concerning a governmental procurement in a state agency, the unified court system, or a municipal agency, as that term is defined by paragraph (ii) of subdivision (s) of section one-c of this article.