S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6797
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 2, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Cities
AN ACT to provide for the establishment of a vendor policy commission in
cities having a population of two million or more
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. There shall be established in each city having a population
of two million or more a vendor policy commission. Each such commission
shall be composed of 9 members, as follows:
(a) the commissioner of the city department of small business
services, or his or her designee;
(b) the director of the city department of city planning, or his or
her designee;
(c) the commissioner of the city department of transportation, or his
or her designee;
(d) the commissioner of the city department of health and mental
hygiene, or his or her designee;
(e) the commissioner of the city department of consumer affairs, or
his or her designee; and
(f) four members appointed by the mayor, upon the nomination of the
speaker of city council, of whom:
(1) one shall be a representative of an organization that advocates
for or provides services to street vendors in the city,
(2) one shall be a representative of a business improvement district
in the city,
(3) one shall be a representative of an established chamber of
commerce in the city, and
(4) one shall be a representative of an immigrant advocacy or services
organization in the city.
S 2. Each vendor policy commission shall, after review, study and
receipt of public comment, and concurrence of a majority of its members,
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10063-01-5
A. 6797 2
issue a report and promulgate recommendations relating to the local laws
and regulations governing the operation of general vending businesses,
as defined in section 20-452 of the administrative code of the city of
New York, and food vending businesses, as defined in section 17-306 of
the administrative code of the city of New York. Such report shall be
submitted to the mayor and the city council, and made available to the
public within 6 months of the effective date of this act. Such recommen-
dations shall include, but not be limited to, the following issues:
(a) the lifting of the cap on street vendor permits;
(b) establishing and enforcing a process to rescind the licenses of
licensees who illegally rent out credentials;
(c) the establishment of zoning regulations and incentive structures
that reduce congestion and lead to a more efficient distribution of
vendor locations;
(d) the creation of a letter grading system for mobile food vendors;
(e) the implementation of a system of fines that reduces penalties for
minor violations and focuses on serious health, safety, traffic and
sanitation violations;
(f) the establishment and promotion of designated community spaces
where street vendors can congregate to sell food without exacerbating
congestion; and
(g) the creation of a mediation process whereby street vendors and
adjacent business owners can resolve conflicts.
S 3. Each commission shall have the power to:
(a) appoint a chairperson by majority vote of its designated member-
ship;
(b) recommend to the mayor and the city council such legislation and
rules as it shall deem necessary to implement its recommendations; and
(c) in the same manner as provided in section 1043 of the New York
city charter, promulgate and amend, on an ongoing basis, the rules
governing street vendors, when such rules are within the purview and
enumerated powers of one or more of the city agencies represented in the
membership of the commission.
S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.