Section 136-C. Contracts for employee training and organizational development services

The  director  of  employee  relations  is  hereby
  authorized  to enter into contracts for use by all state departments and
  agencies for services to support employee  training  and  organizational
  development   initiatives.  Pursuant  to  procedures  developed  by  the
  director  of  employee  relations  in  consultation   with   the   state
  comptroller,  agencies  shall  be  permitted  to  access  such contracts
  directly in a manner similar to  that  used  for  centralized  commodity
  contracts  let  by  the  commissioner  of  general  services pursuant to
  section one hundred  sixty-three  of  the  state  finance  law.  Nothing
  contained  herein shall preclude the director of employee relations from
  adherence to New York state bidding requirements or any other law,  rule
  or  regulation  governing  the purchase of consultant services. Further,
  nothing contained herein shall restrict or preclude state departments or
  agencies from procuring such  training  and  organizational  development
  services directly without consideration of contracts let by the director
  of employee relations.