The New York City Council passed 34 bills this week, with the Mayor allowing nearly all of them to become law without his signature.
Major measures include police radio encryption requirements, a tenant cooling bill mandating air conditioning installation by 2030, NYPD data transparency rules requiring 18 years of complaint and arrest records online, a 1968 building code repeal overhauling city construction standards, and delivery worker protections expanding company penalties.
Additional bills address ferry discounts for middle and high school students, AI workplace impact studies, needle disposal requirements for syringe programs, EMS and Fire Department staffing transparency, and small business loan resources.
The Mayor's consistent use of pocket vetoes—allowing bills to become law without signing or rejecting them—meant the Council did not need to override any mayoral vetoes.
Police radio encryption bill becomes law without Mayor's signature after months in Council
The Mayor let the police radio encryption bill become law this week without signing it. The law requires the NYPD to broadcast critical incident reports in real-time on unencrypted channels accessible to the public, while allowing credentialed journalists access to other police radio communications—except sensitive information that could reveal confidential sources or investigative techniques.
Community hiring law for city housing projects takes effect after Mayor lets it pass unsigned
After the City Council approved community hiring standards for city-funded housing projects in December, the Mayor returned the bill unsigned this week—meaning it becomes law without the Mayor's signature. The law requires developers receiving $1.5M+ in city aid for housing projects to hire local workers and meet wage and benefits standards.
Tenant cooling bill becomes law without Mayor's signature—landlords must install AC by 2030
The Mayor allowed the tenant cooling bill to become law this week without signing it. Starting June 2030, landlords must equip tenant apartments with air conditioning systems capable of maintaining indoor temperatures at or below 78°F during summer months (June 15–September 15). The law applies to most rental buildings and sets minimum cooling capacity standards for window units and central systems.
The Mayor let this police transparency bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires the NYPD to post detailed data on all criminal complaints and arrests since 2007—including precinct, offense type, suspect and victim demographics, and location—on the department's website in machine-readable format, updated every six months.
Mayor lets delivery worker protection law take effect; expands coverage, increases company penalties
The Mayor let this delivery worker protection law take effect unsigned this week, meaning it's now law. The bill strengthens protections against wrongful deactivation by expanding which delivery services are covered (adding grocery delivery), clarifying that temporary access restrictions count as deactivation, increasing penalties on companies, and guaranteeing workers the right to reinstatement or platform restoration when wrongfully deactivated.
The Mayor allowed a sweeping building code overhaul to become law without signing it this week. This replaces New York City's 57-year-old 1968 building code with updated safety and construction standards for modern buildings.
Bike lane median greening bill becomes law without Mayor's signature
The bike lane median greening bill became law this week after the Mayor returned it unsigned. The law requires the city to plant trees and vegetation on new medians that separate bike lanes from car traffic, with the Parks Department responsible for planting and maintenance, taking effect in 270 days.
Mayor lets equal opportunity training requirement for community boards become law
The Mayor allowed this bill to become law without signing it this week. The law requires borough presidents to provide annual equal employment opportunity training—covering sexual harassment and discrimination—to all community board members and staff, starting April 2026. Community board members who are city employees can submit proof of workplace training instead.
School digital divide bill becomes law as Mayor lets bill pass unsigned
The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires NYC schools to report every two years on student access to home internet and devices at home, broken down by school district. Schools must survey families and publicly share data on broadband access, device ownership, and usage of virtual learning options.
Catch basin cleanup bill becomes law as Mayor declines to sign; 8-day repair deadline now locked in
The Mayor let this catch basin cleanup bill become law this week without signing it. The bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection to inspect catch basins on a risk-based schedule, fix clogged ones within 8 business days, and submit annual reports by community district on inspection and maintenance work.
Mayor lets Wards Island affordable housing study bill become law without signature
The Mayor allowed a bill to become law this week without signing it, making the Wards Island affordable housing task force official. The city must now complete a feasibility study by July 2027 on whether affordable housing can be built on Wards Island, examining current uses, potential sites, infrastructure needs, costs, and legal restrictions.
Mayor allows needle program restrictions near schools to become law without signature
The Mayor let a ban on mobile needle distribution programs near schools and playgrounds become law this week without signing it. The law prohibits syringe service programs operating from vans or vehicles from distributing needles within playgrounds, within 50 feet of playgrounds, on school grounds, or on sidewalks directly adjacent to schools.
School food waste education bill becomes law without Mayor's signature
The Mayor let this school food waste education bill become law this week without signing it. The law creates a pilot program requiring the city to develop and distribute materials to students and staff about reducing surplus food in schools, with educational resources due by August 2026 and a progress report by December 2028.
For-hire vehicle parking pilot becomes law as Mayor lets bill pass unsigned
The Mayor allowed this for-hire vehicle parking pilot to become law without signing it this week. The program lets Uber, Lyft, and similar services park in commercial meter zones (marked for commercial vehicles) for up to 3 hours if they pay the meter—a change designed to reduce double-parking and improve traffic flow in busy areas.
The Mayor allowed this bill to become law this week without signing it. The law creates a task force to study how AI tools affect NYC city employees—including their hiring, job performance, and work duties—and requires a report within three months of completing the study.
Ferry discount law for grades 6-12 takes effect without Mayor's signature
The Mayor allowed a ferry discount law for middle school students to take effect without signing it this week, making it official city law. The law expands reduced-cost ferry service to students in grades 6-12 starting September 2026, building on a Council-approved program from last year.
Mayor lets ferry language access law take effect; multilingual schedules required by 2027
The Mayor let the ferry language access law take effect without signing it this week, making it official. The law requires New York City to post ferry schedules, fares, and free-ride notices in multiple languages at Manhattan's Whitehall and Staten Island's St. George terminals, plus other contracted ferry landings citywide, with translations available via QR codes by January 2027.
Fire Department transparency bill becomes law as Mayor lets it pass unsigned
The Mayor allowed a fire department transparency bill to become law this week without signing it. The law requires the Fire Department to report annually on the condition and maintenance history of all vehicles and equipment at every firehouse and EMS station citywide.
The Mayor let this needle safety law take effect without signing it this week, making it official. The law requires syringe service programs citywide to give participants portable disposal containers and guidance on safe needle disposal, and mandates the city report every six months on needle collection efforts in public spaces.
EMS transparency bill becomes law as Mayor lets deadline pass; monthly staffing reports required
The Mayor allowed this EMS transparency bill to become law this week without signing it. The law requires the Fire Department to publish monthly reports on ambulance staffing levels and units out of service, broken down by borough and reason for unavailability.
The Mayor let this bill become law this week without signing it. The law requires the Department of Transportation to study New York's commuter van industry every four years starting by July 2027, tracking licensed and unlicensed vans, passenger numbers, routes, street impacts, and enforcement strategies.
Benefits bill becomes law without Mayor signature; DSS must offer online forms and phone interviews
The Mayor returned Int 1366 unsigned this week, meaning it automatically becomes law. This bill requires the Department of Social Services to offer online web forms for all benefits applications and allow phone interviews instead of requiring in-person visits—continuing a push that passed the full Council in December to make benefits access easier.
Special education discipline reporting law takes effect after Mayor's unsigned return
The Mayor allowed this bill to become law this week without signing it. The law requires the NYC Department of Education to report on manifestation determination reviews—the process schools use to decide whether a student's disciplinary infraction is caused by their disability. This strengthens oversight of how disabled students are disciplined.
Mayor lets NYPD youth program outreach bill become law without signature
The Mayor allowed Int 1360 to become law this week without their signature. This law requires the NYPD to create and distribute information about youth programs it offers, making materials available in multiple languages and ensuring schools and Council members can access details about enrollment and program times. The requirement takes effect 120 days after the law's January 19 enactment.
Small business loan prep resources law takes effect without Mayor's signature
The Mayor let this small business bill become law without signing it this week. The law requires the city to expand its small business loan resources to include guidance on community development financial institutions (CDFIs), typical lending fees and rates, and new "loan readiness" resources to help small businesses prepare applications and understand what lenders offer.
PFAS firefighter gear bill becomes law without Mayor's signature
After months in committee, the Mayor let a bill become law this week without signing it. The law requires the Fire Department to notify firefighters when their gear contains PFAS chemicals (known toxins in some protective equipment) and to switch to PFAS-free gear whenever possible starting in 2028.
Mayor allows contractor labor disclosure law to take effect without signature
The Mayor let Int 1401 become law without signing it this week, meaning it takes effect in 120 days. The law requires city agencies to request — but not mandate — that companies bidding on city contracts disclose their efforts to prevent child labor, forced labor, wage theft, and unsafe working conditions in their operations and supply chains. Vendors cannot be penalized for refusing to submit the disclosure.
PFAS firefighter gear swap law takes effect without Mayor signature
After weeks in the legislative pipeline, the Mayor let this bill become law without a signature this week. The law requires the Fire Department to collect firefighting gear containing PFAS chemicals (toxic 'forever chemicals' found in firefighting foam and protective equipment), swap it for safer gear, and report annually on the program starting January 2028.
Construction code cleanup bill becomes law as Mayor lets deadline pass without signature
After months of review, the Mayor allowed this construction code cleanup bill to become law without a signature this week. The bill streamlines NYC's building codes by removing outdated provisions and aligning rules for electrical, elevator, and plumbing inspections across new and existing buildings.
Condo board tax lien notification bill becomes law without Mayor's signature
The Mayor let this bill become law without signing it this week. Int 1411 requires the city to notify condominium boards when it plans to sell tax liens on their properties, giving boards a chance to pay the debt and avoid a lien sale. The bill also mandates multilingual notices to affected parties.
Coney Island Business Improvement District becomes law after Mayor returns bill unsigned
The Coney Island Business Improvement District officially became law this week after the Mayor returned it unsigned. This bill establishes a BID in Brooklyn that allows property owners in the district to fund improvements and services for the commercial area through a special assessment on their properties.
Updated energy code becomes law as Mayor allows bill to pass unsigned
The Mayor returned Int 1490 unsigned this week, making it law automatically. This bill updates NYC's energy code to match the 2025 New York State Energy Code while keeping NYC's standards stricter than the state's. It's the latest version of a recurring bill that the Council has been working on for months.
The Mayor let this budget timeline extension bill become law this week without signing it. The law pushes back multiple budget submission deadlines for fiscal year 2027 by several weeks—the preliminary budget deadline moves from late January to February 17, with other deadlines (community board input, borough president modifications, independent budget office reports) shifted to mid-to-late March.
Mayor lets street-naming bill for 77 city thoroughfares become law without signature
The Mayor let this street-naming bill become law this week without signing it. The measure officially names 77 city streets and public places across all five boroughs after community leaders, activists, firefighters, police officers, and public servants—including Harry Belafonte Way in Manhattan and Staten Island NAACP Way for the organization's 100th anniversary.