Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced his backing of the Delivery Protection Act on Aug 10. The bill is aimed at increasing accountability for major delivery service companies.
Sponsored by New York City Council Member Tiffany Cabán, the Delivery Protection Act would establish a licensing system for certain last-mile warehouses and distribution facilities — warehouses where packages are sorted and dispatched for final delivery — while setting new safety, training and labor standards.
At least 18 large facilities have opened across New York City since 2017, including 11 since 2020. While delivery companies may use subcontractors to employ drivers, the legislation argues that companies such as Amazon can still exert significant control over hiring, schedules, routes, workloads and other workplace conditions.
"As last-mile delivery centers have exploded across New York, so too have traffic accidents and worker injuries," Mamdani said. "The Delivery Protection Act is commonsense regulation that protects delivery workers, safeguards the communities where these facilities operate and ensures that the corporations benefiting from workers’ labor are responsible for the consequences of their business practices."
Under the proposed legislation, last-mile facilities would need licenses from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and would have to meet minimum safety, training and worker protection requirements. Companies would also be held accountable for decisions involving delivery quotas, schedules and routes that can affect workers and public safety.
Mamdani's support comes as his administration takes broader action against corporate practices affecting New Yorkers. The administration recently recovered $9 million in unpaid vehicle idling fines from Amazon and has pursued enforcement involving consumer fees, self-storage businesses, towing companies and delivery-worker tipping practices.
The issue has implications for Brooklyn, where neighborhoods with large delivery operations can experience increased truck and delivery traffic.
The Delivery Protection Act now faces consideration by the New York City Council, where Cabán is seeking support for its passage.
