Council approves historic legislation to phase out horse drawn carriage industry

Council passes bill to raise income eligibility limit for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) program

Council also approves Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA), allowing some nonprofits and not-for-profits to purchase residential properties

NEW YORK – Today, the New York City Council approved Romanch’s Law, which will phase out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 1, 2028, while ensuring protections for the workers whose livelihoods have long depended on the industry.

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City Council voted to pass legislation ending horse-drawn carriage industry in Central Park by June 2028 

NEW YORK – Council Speaker Julie Menin and the New York City Council today passed Romanch’s Law, which phases out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 1, 2028, while ensuring an industry transition plan for drivers and small business owners dependent on the industry.

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Hearing findings highlight need for common sense safety guardrails on artificial intelligence technology 

NEW YORK – New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and the Council’s Committee on Technology today held a follow-up AI safety hearing focused on Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI. The hearing took place following the Council’s first subpoena on record against a private actor, which was issued after SpaceXAI did not attend last week’s Council-wide hearing that included sworn testimony from Anthropic, Google, Meta, and OpenAI.

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Full Council will vote October 22 on legislation to ban horse-drawn carriage industry from Central Park

NEW YORK – New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin today announced that the Council will vote on Romanch’s Law, which would phase out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 1, 2028, while ensuring protections for the workers whose livelihoods have long depended on the industry.

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Hearing scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16 before the City Council’s Committee on Technology following testimony last week by four major AI firms

NEW YORK – New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin today announced that she has secured a commitment from Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI to testify at an upcoming City Council hearing on AI safety.

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Council also approves measure to create new centralized database cataloguing all towed vehicles that will include search function and opt-in notifications

Council also designates Little Yemen as official cultural district

NEW YORK – Today, the New York City Council approved new legislation that will provide targeted support for small local businesses that have been impacted by City construction projects.

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Council funding will provide immediate assistance to small businesses across all five boroughs as City develops permanent security program required under Local Law 120

NEW YORK – New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin today announced $200,000 in Council discretionary funding to help small businesses across New York City purchase and install panic buttons and other security technology, providing immediate support to business owners in an effort to continue to curb retail theft.

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Streamlined grant process eliminates nine steps and allows eligible nonprofits to receive 100% of their awards of up to $25,000 within 30 days

Pilot successfully cut payment timelines by approximately 300%

NEW YORK — Today, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the expansion of the Discretionary Grant Pilot, a streamlined approach that eliminates nine steps from the traditional discretionary contracting process and gets City funding to community-based nonprofits up to nine months faster.

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Findings from the hearing highlight need for further safeguards to protect New Yorkers as New York City looks to be a blueprint for regulatory action

NEW YORK – New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council colleagues held a rare Committee of the Whole hearing to examine the risks posed by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence and the potential safeguards needed to protect New Yorkers.

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Speaker Menin will submit public comment with Council Members advocating against proposed Census overhaul, highlighting importance of accurate count

NEW YORK – New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, and civic leaders today announced a joint initiative to fight back against the Trump Administration’s recent attacks on the U.S.

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