Week of December 22, 2025

The Mayor let a bill creating a new Office of Algorithmic Accountability become law without signing it this week. The office will review city algorithms for bias and discrimination, maintain a public complaint system, and can suspend algorithms that pose discrimination risks or fail compliance standards.

The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires the city's new Office of Algorithmic Accountability to publish a public list of all AI systems it has reviewed before deployment, including details about risks, data access, and vendors involved. The list must be available by March 2027 and updated annually.

The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. It requires the city to create a centralized online portal where New Yorkers can submit freedom of information requests, track their status in real time, and search previously released records—all in one place instead of contacting dozens of agencies separately.

The cooling bill that Council approved last week has now been sent to the Mayor for signature. The law will require landlords to install air conditioning or equivalent cooling systems in tenant apartments by June 2030, with standards ensuring indoor temperatures don't exceed 78 degrees during summer months.

A bill requiring the city to distribute civil service career information to CUNY students became law this week after the Mayor allowed it to take effect unsigned. The law mandates that the Department of Citywide Administrative Services provide materials to CUNY campuses explaining how to apply for city jobs, exam requirements, and available programs—starting July 1, 2026.

The Mayor let a disability accessibility bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires NYC agencies to establish and follow guidelines for making printed documents accessible to people with disabilities, covering formatting, visual appearance, and readability.

The Mayor did not sign this bill, so it automatically became law this week. The law requires NYC public and private high schools to distribute coded voter registration forms and voting information to seniors during the school year and at graduation, with forms also available at school offices. The goal is to make voter registration easier for young people before they turn 18 or as they become eligible to vote.

A bill requiring the NYC Department of Education to track racial and gender disparities in high school STEM enrollment became law this week after the Mayor allowed it to take effect without signature. Starting in 2027, the department must publish annual reports showing which students are enrolling in science, technology, engineering, and math classes and programs, broken down by race and gender, and explain why disparities exist.

A bill requiring NYC agencies to follow basic safety and fairness standards when using artificial intelligence became law this week after the Mayor did not sign it. The law directs the city's new Office of Algorithmic Accountability to set rules ensuring AI systems used by city agencies are transparent, fair, protect privacy, and don't discriminate—with agencies required to report their compliance every two years.

The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires the city to create and maintain a publicly accessible list of wheelchair repair providers on a city website, including contact information, hours, and payment options. The list will be updated at least annually and linked through the Department of Health and 311.

The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires gas stations and marine fuel sellers to clearly post notices about 'preauthorization holds'—temporary freezes on your bank account or credit that can exceed the actual purchase price—and explain how to avoid them.

The Mayor allowed this bill to become law without a signature this week. The law requires borough presidents to develop and provide annual training on the City Council's legislative process and parliamentary procedure to community board members starting April 2026, and directs a designated city agency to train members of precinct community councils, community district education councils, and business improvement district boards starting July 2026.

The Mayor allowed this bill to become law without signing it this week. Starting next year, all cosmetology establishments in NYC must display a poster with information about gender-based violence resources, including hotline numbers, in multiple languages. The city will provide free posters to salons, or salons can design their own following city guidelines.

The Mayor allowed this bill to become law without signing it this week. The law requires the Department of Correction to respond to recommendations about its work release program by March 2026, then submit detailed reports twice a year starting July 2026 showing how many eligible incarcerated people participate, decline, or are deemed ineligible—broken down by race, gender, age, and sentence length.

The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires the city to launch an advertising campaign promoting civil service exams through social media, websites, TV, radio, transit ads, and public kiosks to boost awareness of government job opportunities.