The New York City Council is in celebration mode after many of its bills were recently signed into law.
The newly-signed bills are part of two legislative packages, with one package focused on addressing pay equity across the municipal workforce and the other one focused on making buildings and homeless shelters more accessible to New Yorkers with disabilities.
A total of three bills from the pay equity package were officially made into laws, with the first requiring city agencies to analyze compensation data to address areas such as pay disparity, work accommodations, occupational segregation, and diversity and inclusion training.
The second bill in the package will require city agencies to report on data related to civil service exams to diversify city government recruitment and retention, while the third and final bill will require the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to gather employment data to report to the city council.
In addition to the pay equity package, four bills from the New York City Council’s accessibility package were also signed.
The new laws comprising the accessibility package include: A bill to create an advisory board to report on accessibility issues to the mayor and city council; a bill that enforces signage for power-operated doors in buildings; a bill requiring reports every three years on the number of affordable housing units for people with disabilities that are being rented to these individuals; as well as a bill that requires housing projects receiving financial assistance to utilize Universal Design (a more accessible design for individuals with disabilities).
The final bill, as part of the accessibility package, is a law that will have the Department of Homeless Services provide the City with quarterly reports on family homelessness throughout NYC.
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams says the new laws will help address issues many New Yorkers face.
“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.”
