Photo Courtesy of John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
“We will continue to focus on enacting solutions that eliminate long-standing inequities facing our communities,” Council Speaker Adams said.
By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council on Tuesday celebrated as Hizzoner signed several of the legislative body’s bills into law.
These new laws include two packages focused on addressing pay disparities across the municipal workforce and improving the accessibility of buildings and homeless shelters for New Yorkers with disabilities, respectively. The final bill signed into law requires quarterly reporting on family homelessness.
- Intro 515-A — sponsored by Council Speaker Adrienne Adams — requires city agency annual employment plans to include information on compensation and efforts to address pay disparities within their workforce.
- Intro 527-A — sponsored by Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa — requires DCAS to assess its efforts to provide equal opportunity for a diverse universe of applicants for municipal employment.
- Intro 541-A — sponsored by Councilwoman Farah N. Louis — amends the existing Pay Equity Law by requiring DCAS to collect and share additional data with the City Council in an effort to identify and address pay disparities within the city workforce.
- Intro 92-A — sponsored by Councilwoman Diana Ayala — creates an accessibility board to advise and make recommendations to the mayor, City Council, and city agencies on ways to increase accessibility for clients living in city shelters.
- Intro 141-A — also sponsored by Ayala — requires signage at each entrance or egress to a building required to have power-operated or power-assisted and low-energy doors, directing people to that door.
- Intro 375-A — also sponsored by Ayala — requires the City Department of Housing Preservation and Development to report every three years on how many of their affordable housing units are set aside for people living with disabilities and are rented to people with disabilities.
- Intro 676-A — sponsored by Councilwoman Crystal Hudson — requires HPD develop a list of universal design features and require developers who receive city financial assistance to incorporate universal design in all dwelling units in new housing development projects.
- Intro 421-A — sponsored by Councilman Kevin Riley — requires the City Department of Homeless Services to produce a quarterly report on families with children living in shelter and include the number of families in each type of shelter, their average length of stay, how many exit for permanent housing, and metrics on school enrollment and attendance.
“Addressing pay disparities within our workforce has been a top priority for this Council,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Now signed into law, our Pay Equity package will provide crucial data and insights into pay disparities based on gender, race, and ethnicity in our municipal workforce, and help improve practices that promote diversity and pay equity. I’m also proud of the Council’s legislative efforts to make our city more accessible for all New Yorkers, including residents of homeless shelters, and increase transparency about homelessness. We will continue to focus on enacting solutions that eliminate long-standing inequities facing our communities.”
Riley added, “It is a priority of this historic City Council to pass legislation that aims for a true means of equity and inclusion. I am looking forward to continuing the collaborative work with my colleagues to serve and protect all New Yorkers.”
