The New York City Council passed five bills this week, including measures allowing families to correct sex designations on death records, providing free legal assistance to domestic violence survivors in divorce proceedings, and establishing safety standards for menstrual products.
Four of the five measures became law without the Mayor's signature.
In related oversight activity, the Council held hearings on domestic and gender-based violence data adequacy and examined Hart Island burial capacity, while three bills remain in committee addressing supportive housing vacancies, Hart Island procedures, and gender-based violence mapping.
A bill restricting harmful chemicals in menstrual and intimate care products became law this week after the Mayor did not sign it. The law bans the intentional addition of substances like lead, mercury, formaldehyde, talc, and certain plasticizers, and will prohibit products containing restricted chemicals above feasible threshold levels starting two years after health department rules are adopted.
A bill providing free legal help for domestic violence survivors going through divorce became law this week after the Mayor did not sign it. The law creates a city program to offer free legal representation or brief legal consultations to low-income domestic violence survivors navigating divorce proceedings, with the Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence overseeing implementation.
The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires the city to create and distribute a residential fire emergency response guide for displaced tenants, including information about housing assistance, landlord duties, tenant protections, and available aid from city, state, and federal agencies.
Cybersecurity for Small Businesses.
The: Hart Island Capital Projects Proposal.
Examining the Adequacy of Domestic and Gender-based Violence Data in NYC.
Supportive housing vacancy data law takes effect without Mayor's signature
The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires the Department of Social Services to post detailed data online about vacant supportive housing units—including how many are available, how long units sit empty, and how long it takes to house people—starting January 2026. This transparency tool will let New Yorkers track whether the city is efficiently filling supportive housing slots for homeless and low-income residents.
Mayor allows death record law to pass: families can now correct sex designations for deceased
The Mayor let a bill become law this week without signing it. The law allows families to correct sex designations on death records to match a deceased person's gender identity, using supporting documents like medical records, court orders, or written instructions from the deceased.
Committee hears bill requiring city to map gender-based violence data and create public dashboard
The Committee on Women and Gender Equity held a hearing this week on a bill that would require the city to compile existing data on gender-based violence, survey how hospitals screen for it, and create a public dashboard showing trends. The bill aims to make information about domestic violence and gender-based violence more accessible to the public and help healthcare providers improve their screening practices.
Actions this week
Committee hears bill requiring city study of Hart Island burial capacity and procedures
The Committee on General Welfare held a hearing this week on a bill requiring the city to study burial capacity at Hart Island and report back by June 2027. The study would examine current burial procedures, assess whether changes could increase capacity, and gather input from families of those buried there.
Actions this week
Council resolution urges state to mandate domestic violence lethality assessments for police
The Committee on Women and Gender Equity held a hearing this week on a resolution urging New York State to require police to conduct lethality assessments during domestic violence calls. The assessment uses a standardized questionnaire to identify risks of serious injury or homicide and connects high-risk victims to domestic violence services; research shows the tool reduces domestic homicide by nearly 40 percent.
Actions this week