NYC Council Passes and Introduces Legislation

Last Thursday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council passed a legislative package improving the safety of parking garages and building integrity. The Council introduced a bill requiring several of the Mayor’s Commissioners, including the heads of the Department of Buildings, Health and Mental Hygiene, Sanitation, and Social Services, to be subject to Council approval. Currently, only the City’s corporation counsel and members of the Taxi and Limousine Commission require Council approval. This bill, which would need to be passed by the Council and approved by voters in a referendum, comes in tandem with the Mayor’s announcement of a new Charter Revision Commission, with the goal of promoting transparency in the City’s legislative process. The Council also introduced a bill that would prohibit all employers from terminating employees without just cause, and a bill requiring all housing developers on a project receiving city assistance to pay workers a minimum combined wage package of at least $40 per hour. You can find all of the bills that were passed and introduced here.

City of Yes for Economic Opportunity Passes Key Council Committees

Last week, two City Council committees approved changes to the “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity” citywide zoning text amendment, meant to boost small businesses citywide. The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, along with the larger Committee on Land Use, approved changes to 14 of the 18 zoning proposals that make up the proposed text amendment. The changes include removing a proposal to permit new corner stores in residential areas, creating new manufacturing zones, and committing to regulating last-mile facilities. The City Planning Commission will now need to sign off on these changes before the full Council votes on the changes, likely on June 6.

End of Legislative Session Approaches

The New York State legislative session is in its final weeks, with thousands of bills still active. There are seven remaining days of session, which is currently scheduled to end on June 6 before members return to their districts before New York State primary elections on June 25. Several high-profile bills, including the NY HEAT Act, the Fashion Workers Act, and the Climate Superfund Act, have been passed by the Senate but not the Assembly.