Week of November 24, 2025

This proposal would require the city to provide financial assistance to low-income tenants who are displaced when their buildings are demolished, substantially rehabilitated, converted to non-residential use, or lose rent or income protections. It expands existing relocation services and creates a new assistance program for affected tenants.

This bill would require large food service establishments and retail stores to donate excess edible food that meets health standards instead of discarding it. The proposal aims to reduce food waste while increasing donations to food-insecure New Yorkers, applying to chains and large individual locations meeting specific size thresholds.

This bill would update NYC's energy code to align with New York State's 2025 energy standards while keeping NYC's requirements stricter. It affects how new buildings and major renovations must meet energy efficiency requirements for heating, cooling, insulation, and other systems.

This bill would create a new category of affordable housing called 'shared housing rooming units'—small rooms (100-150 sq ft) in apartment buildings where 1-2 people could live, with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities within a suite. Starting January 1, 2027, property owners could convert existing buildings or build new ones with these units, subject to safety codes and restrictions (no short-term rentals, no children under 16 unless born to occupant, proper fire safety).

The City Council approved a resolution this week that finalizes which organizations will receive discretionary funding under the city's budgets for 2024, 2025, and 2026. This is a routine procedural vote that implements funding decisions already made when those budgets were adopted.

The City Council voted this week to reject the Mayor's appointment of Dave Chokshi to the Board of Health. The Board of Health sets public health policy for the city, and the Council has authority under the city charter to approve or reject mayoral appointments to the board.

The City Council voted this week to reject the Mayor's reappointment of Mitchell Katz to the Board of Health. Katz was nominated to continue serving on the board, which oversees public health policy in NYC, but the Council disapproved his nomination after a committee hearing.

The Parks Committee held a hearing this week on a bill requiring the Parks Department to report quarterly on urban park rangers, including staffing levels, borough assignments, vacant positions, and summonses issued. The bill would create transparency around how the city deploys these rangers—who patrol parks and enforce rules—starting July 2026.

A committee held a hearing this week on a bill that would expand outdoor dining by allowing retail food stores (not just restaurants) to operate sidewalk cafes, and by extending roadway cafe operating seasons to year-round instead of seasonal. The bill also clarifies licensing rules and allows small restaurants with less than 20 feet of frontage to expand into adjacent properties.

A committee hearing was held this week on a bill requiring the Department of Transportation to create and publish a public inventory of city-owned retaining walls 10 feet or taller by October 2026. The inventory must include each wall's location and most recent maintenance date, and be updated annually. This addresses safety and transparency around infrastructure the city owns and maintains.

A committee held a hearing this week on a bill that would make it easier for restaurants to apply for sidewalk and roadway cafe permits. The bill removes requirements that applicants hire architects or engineers to draw up plans, allows online and in-person applications, lets applicants save incomplete applications, and requires the city to process petitions faster.

A committee held a hearing this week on a bill that would cap the sidewalk space required to remain clear in front of sidewalk cafes at 8 feet. Currently, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection can require more pedestrian clearance when approving cafe permits; this bill would prevent that.

This bill proposes to streamline safety rules for home battery systems while maintaining fire safety. It would allow smaller residential batteries to skip certain monitoring requirements if they meet safety standards, speed up permitting for medium-sized systems, and create an advisory board to guide safe energy storage deployment in NYC homes.

This bill would require new apartment buildings constructed starting January 1, 2027 to have larger living rooms and bedrooms—secondary living spaces would need to be 110 square feet with 10-foot minimum width (up from 80 square feet and 8-foot width). It aims to prevent cramped, undersized apartments in new NYC housing.

This proposed bill would require building owners to give tenants at least 14 days' advance notice before starting major construction work, with details about the project scope, timeline, and contractor contact info. Notices would also go to tenants in adjacent buildings, and owners would need to file copies with the city's Office of the Tenant Advocate to ensure transparency and give residents time to prepare.

This bill would require the city to respond to CityFHEPS rental assistance applications within 15 days of receipt, informing applicants whether their application is approved, denied, or needs more information. Currently there is no legal deadline, leaving renters waiting indefinitely for housing help.

This proposal would restructure NYC's Youth Board by reducing its size from 28 to 18 members, requiring at least 3 young people aged 16-24 to serve, and adding new accountability measures including annual reports with policy recommendations and mandatory city responses. The changes aim to make the board more youth-inclusive and ensure the city acts on its advice.

This bill would give city employees paid leave to donate bone marrow (up to 5 business days) or living organs (up to 20 business days) and create a voluntary public honor roll recognizing donors. The proposal aims to encourage life-saving donations by removing work barriers for city workers.

This proposal would create a city financial assistance program offering up to $10,000 per person to help seniors (60+) and working-age people with disabilities install home safety modifications like grab bars, handrails, and ramps. Eligibility would be limited to low-income households (earning no more than 80% of area median income), and the program would be administered by the Department for the Aging in coordination with the Office for People with Disabilities.

This bill would expand New York City's summer youth employment program to include apprenticeships, internships, and credit-bearing opportunities in childcare and early childhood education. The proposal aims to create career pathways for young people in the growing early childhood education sector while addressing potential staffing needs in that field.

This bill proposes creating a New York City Guardianship Reform Commission to study how guardianship services operate in the city and recommend improvements. The commission would investigate whether vulnerable adults under guardianship are protected from abuse and receive quality services, then submit recommendations to the Mayor and City Council within one year.

This bill would require the city to study whether and where data centers could be built in New York City, examining their impact on power grids, water supplies, utility costs, nearby residents, and job creation. The study aims to identify suitable vacant industrial sites and recommend zoning changes to enable data center development while mitigating negative effects.

This bill proposes to increase salaries for NYC's elected officials, including the Mayor ($300,500), City Council members ($172,500), Public Advocate ($215,000), Comptroller ($243,000), Borough Presidents ($208,000), and District Attorneys ($247,500). It also requires the Mayor to establish an advisory commission by end of 2026 to review whether these new compensation levels remain appropriate.

This resolution would authorize the Department of Transportation to renew and extend the street furniture franchise agreement with JCDecaux Street Furniture New York, LLC—the company that operates NYC's bus shelters, public toilets, newsstands, and other street structures. The renewal would last until 2035, keeping the same operator and franchise terms in place.

The City Council's Consumer and Worker Protection Committee held a hearing this week on a bill that would tighten rules for newsrack owners—requiring them to maintain current contact information, submit annual reports electronically, and repair damaged racks within 7 business days or face removal and fines. The bill also shortens the timeline for fixing dangerous racks from a vague 'reasonable time' to 2 days.

This resolution urges Congress to pass the federal VISIBLE Act, which would require immigration enforcement officers to display visible identification and ban facial coverings during public enforcement actions. The measure responds to concerns about masked, anonymous federal agents conducting immigration arrests in NYC and nationwide, citing incidents where officers refused identification, arrested citizens without warrants, and created public fear.

This proposal would require all New York City government vehicles and city-contracted vehicles to have functioning AM radio receivers within 12 months. The bill aims to ensure city vehicles can receive emergency broadcasts and public alerts via AM radio, with limited exemptions for public safety or health emergencies.

This bill would require the city's transportation department to study whether ferry service is feasible in Inwood, Manhattan, looking at two potential dock locations along the Hudson River and Sherman Creek. The study would assess travel time benefits, logistical challenges like water depth and pier availability, costs, and potential solutions—with a report due within one year.

This bill proposes creating a voluntary registry where NYC employers can be recognized for offering family benefits—like fertility treatment coverage and paid sick leave—that exceed city, state, or federal requirements. The registry would be maintained by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and publicly listed on the city website to highlight employer practices.

This proposal would require the NYC Department of Transportation to study whether ferry service could be expanded along the Harlem River, with a focus on serving the West Bronx. The study would examine potential terminal locations, benefits like improved transit access, logistical challenges like water depth and existing piers, and estimated costs—with findings due within one year.

This resolution urges New York State lawmakers to create a dedicated state office of the census to ensure accurate counting of all New Yorkers in the 2030 federal census. The office would educate communities, protect participation, and help New York avoid losing congressional seats and federal funding due to undercounting—particularly among immigrant communities and historically undercounted groups.

This resolution would designate November as Family Caregivers Month in NYC to recognize and raise awareness about the estimated 1.3 million unpaid family caregivers in the city. It highlights that caregivers often struggle financially (averaging $7,200 in out-of-pocket costs) and emotionally while providing essential care for aging relatives and disabled loved ones.