The New York City Council passed 13 bills this week, with the Mayor allowing all of them to become law without his signature.
The measures span public health, safety, and infrastructure, including requirements for rat inspections with results posted online within 14 days, mandatory epinephrine auto-injectors and choking-rescue devices in schools, and water safety training materials for students.
Additional bills address sidewalk shed permits, lifeguard feasibility studies, high-visibility road markings, flood-resilient tanks with public risk data disclosure, mental health training for construction workers, and quarterly reporting by park rangers.
A new Census Office was also established through legislation.
The Mayor's pattern of allowing bills to become law without signature suggests Council initiatives faced no executive opposition during the period.
Epinephrine bill becomes law as Mayor lets it pass without signature
The Mayor let this epinephrine requirement become law without signing it this week, meaning it's now officially on the books. Schools and child care programs across NYC must stock epinephrine auto-injectors to treat severe allergic reactions, with child care facilities required to have at least 2 devices on hand. The law takes effect 120 days from now.
Mayor lets choking-rescue device bill become law; all schools must stock them after FDA approval
The Mayor allowed this bill to become law without their signature this week. The law requires all NYC public, private, and charter schools to stock airway clearance devices (choking-rescue tools) within 180 days of FDA approval and endorsement by the American Heart Association or Red Cross. Schools must also provide staff training, and the Department of Education will report annually on device availability and use.
Sidewalk shed permit law takes effect as Mayor allows bill to pass unsigned
The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires the city to send monthly email reports to all City Council members and community boards listing new sidewalk shed permits issued in their districts, including why each shed was needed. This gives local officials better visibility into construction disruptions affecting their neighborhoods.
The rat inspection bill has become law after the Mayor returned it unsigned this week. The law requires the Department of Health to inspect buildings within 14 days of rat complaints, issue violations if needed, and publicly report results on an online map within 30 days.
Pool map bill becomes law as Mayor lets it pass unsigned
The Mayor let the interactive pool map bill become law this week without signing it. The law requires NYC Parks to maintain a website map showing all public swimming pools, their hours, programs, and any upcoming maintenance or construction that could affect access.
Lifeguard feasibility study becomes law after Mayor doesn't sign bill
The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires Parks and Education departments to study whether more high school students can be trained and hired as lifeguards at NYC beaches and pools, with findings due by November 2026. The study will examine current training capacity, partnerships with nonprofits, and how other cities recruit teen lifeguards.
The Mayor let this water safety education bill become law this week without signing it. The law requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to create materials about drowning prevention and swimming safety, which schools must distribute to all students twice a year starting in 2026.
High-visibility road markings bill becomes law without Mayor's signature—testing starts in 2027
The Mayor let this bill become law this week without signing it. The law requires the Department of Transportation to test at least 3 new types of high-visibility pavement markings by January 2027, then launch a pilot program in at least 5 locations per borough by January 2028 if the markings improve safety. The goal is to make road lines more visible in poor lighting and bad weather to reduce traffic injuries.
Census Office bill becomes law as Mayor lets it take effect without signature
The Census Office bill became law this week when the Mayor allowed it to take effect without signing it. The law establishes a temporary city office to boost participation in the 2030 federal census, especially in underrepresented neighborhoods, through multilingual outreach and coordination with community organizations.
Mental health training now required for all NYC construction workers
The Mayor allowed this bill to become law this week without signing it. The law now requires all construction workers in NYC to complete 2 credits of training on mental health, suicide prevention, and substance-misuse as part of their Site Safety Training card certification. This expands existing construction safety training requirements that took effect in 2021.
Flood-resilient tank law takes effect; Buildings Dept must post flood risk data online
The Mayor let this bill become law this week without signing it. The law requires the Buildings Department to post flood risk information online for all properties and establishes new construction standards for tanks in flood-prone areas—tanks must be elevated at least 2 feet above ground in areas vulnerable to stormwater flooding.
The Mayor let Int 1425 become law without signing it this week, meaning the city must now submit quarterly reports on urban park rangers. The law requires the Parks Department to track and report on ranger staffing, assignments by borough, vacant positions, and enforcement activity starting July 31, 2026.
Sign protection law takes effect as Mayor lets bill pass without signature
The Mayor allowed this sign protection bill to become law without a signature this week. The law extends grace periods for small businesses with existing awning and accessory signs through 2028, waives permit fees for sign installation, and requires the Department of Buildings to provide multilingual education to business owners about proper sign installation and regulations.