Week of February 7, 2026

The Housing Committee held a hearing on shared housing bill Int 0066 this week and laid it over for further consideration. The bill would create a new category of housing called 'shared housing rooming units'—small rooms (100-150 sq ft) that can house up to 2 people and must include shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. It would allow these units in new and converted apartment buildings starting January 1, 2027, with strict rules on management, safety, and prohibition of short-term rentals.

The City Council approved a bill this week that requires the city to create an online searchable database showing details about government contracts. The system will display information about upcoming procurements, published bids, awarded contracts, and spending—helping New Yorkers and businesses see how the city spends money and what opportunities are available to bid on.

The City Council approved a pilot program this week to test power-washing machines for cleaning sidewalks in commercial areas. The Department of Sanitation must launch the program by April 2027 in at least one location per borough—each with at least 5 contiguous blocks—and report back by December 2027 on whether to expand it citywide.

The City Council approved a bill this week requiring the Department of Health to create clear guidance for child care providers applying for permits, including a visual map of the process and all required licenses from city agencies. The guidance must be posted on the city website in multiple languages and kept up to date. The bill aims to simplify what can be a confusing multi-step permitting process.

The City Council approved a bill this week that increases criminal penalties for contractors who submit false information when bidding for city contracts. The law also requires contractors to disclose detailed information about their subcontractors—including owners, addresses, and whether they're minority or women-owned businesses—and creates criminal penalties for lying about subcontractor qualifications. The bill is now awaiting the Mayor's signature.

The Housing and Buildings Committee held a hearing this week on a bill requiring construction permit holders to repair or replace city trees damaged by sidewalk sheds or scaffolding within six months. Currently, there's no requirement for contractors to fix trees harmed during construction—this bill would hold them financially responsible and set a deadline.

A committee hearing was held this week on a bill that would create a task force to study how street design and infrastructure can be made safer as e-bike use increases and collisions rise. The task force would examine collision data, compare solutions from other cities, and recommend new laws and policies to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and e-bike riders.

The Committee on Housing and Buildings held a hearing on this bill this week and laid it over for further consideration. The bill would require the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to expand tenant relocation services when buildings receive vacate orders due to safety hazards, code violations, or disease. It mandates that city representatives visit vacated buildings, inform displaced tenants about relocation assistance in their preferred language, and help them recover personal belongings.

The Committee on Transportation held a hearing on this bill this week and laid it over for further consideration. The bill would require the city to post clear signage on every block with bus lane restrictions and publish searchable information online about when those restrictions are in effect.

The Housing and Buildings Committee held a hearing this week on a bill that would allow cellar occupancy in one- and two-family homes, then postponed it for further consideration. The proposal would permit accessory kitchens and legally permitted dwelling units in cellars, while maintaining restrictions on using cellars as primary bedrooms or living spaces without proper certification.

The Committee on Housing and Buildings held a hearing on this bill this week and laid it over for further consideration. The bill would require that when affordable housing units become vacant, they must be re-rented through NYC's housing portal with notifications sent to interested applicants, ensuring transparent access to these units rather than allowing the city discretion in how they're filled.

The Housing and Buildings Committee held a hearing on this bill this week and laid it over for further consideration. The bill would require the city's housing agency to set up in-person assistance centers at libraries, community centers, and recreation centers across all 51 community districts to help New Yorkers apply for affordable housing, starting by June 2026.

This bill requires NYC agencies to preserve biological evidence (like DNA from sexual assault kits and crime scenes) until all people convicted in related cases are released from prison or 100 years pass, whichever comes first. Agencies must notify defendants, lawyers, and prosecutors before destroying evidence, and courts can impose penalties if evidence is destroyed illegally.

This bill requires the city to create standard contract and invoice templates for all agencies to use when working with contractors. The goal is to simplify the contracting process, reduce confusion, and make it easier for vendors to do business with the city by having consistent requirements across all departments.

The City must study whether renewable diesel—a cleaner fuel made from plant and animal waste—could replace traditional heating oil in NYC buildings. The study will examine benefits, barriers like cost and equipment compatibility, and how it fits with the city's climate goals, with findings due in one year.

This bill requires NYC city agencies to switch from biodiesel blends to renewable diesel fuel starting July 2026. Renewable diesel has a lower carbon footprint than traditional diesel and meets stricter environmental standards. The change applies to all city-owned diesel vehicles and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the city's fleet.

This bill reforms how NYC's Industrial Business Zone Boundary Commission operates by adding transparency requirements, conflict-of-interest rules, and stricter voting thresholds. It requires online posting of meetings and financial disclosures, bans lobbyists and people with real estate development interests from serving, and makes it harder to change existing industrial zones (requiring two-thirds votes instead of simple majorities). The goal is to better protect manufacturing jobs and industrial land from being converted to residential or commercial use.

This bill makes it easier for New Yorkers with disabilities to get special parking permits by creating an online application system, allowing provisional permits while applications are being processed, and expanding where medical certifications can be obtained. Currently, the process is manual and can be slow; this bill streamlines it while keeping a paper option available.

This bill requires a study of why language barriers and geography affect which young children get into NYC's gifted and talented programs. The study will identify disparities for non-English speaking families and underserved neighborhoods, then recommend ways to make these selective programs more accessible.

This bill requires the city to annually review parking signs near schools, hospitals, and government buildings to remove outdated restrictions when facilities close or relocate. It also mandates a comprehensive study every 5 years of commercial parking zones to determine if restrictions should be reduced due to low usage, with public reporting on findings.

This bill requires the Department of Buildings to conduct final inspections of major solar energy projects (25+ kilowatts) instead of allowing private approved agencies to do the work. It ensures city oversight of larger solar installations to verify they're safe and meet code requirements before operation.

This bill would create a temporary Office of Restaurant Recovery to help NYC restaurants rebuild after COVID-19 shutdowns and losses. The office would expire automatically, ending the program once recovery efforts are complete.

A City Council committee held a hearing this week on a bill to tighten newsrack regulations and enforcement in New York City. The bill requires newsrack owners to provide email addresses, submit annual reports to the city, and repair damaged racks within seven business days or face removal and fines—with stricter two-day timelines for racks that pose safety hazards.

The Cultural Affairs Committee held a hearing this week on a resolution commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence on July 4, 2026, and then laid it over for further consideration. The resolution acknowledges the U.S. Declaration of Independence, New York's role in the Revolution, and notes that many groups—including women, African Americans, and Native Americans—were excluded from its promises, while celebrating the state's leadership in subsequent civil rights movements.

A committee hearing was held this week on a resolution to designate July 2 as 'Freedom Day' in NYC, commemorating the Second Continental Congress's 1776 vote for independence. The bill was then laid over, meaning it remains in committee without a vote. This is a ceremonial resolution with no legal impact—it simply asks the city to recognize July 2 alongside the traditional July 4 celebration.