L.L. 2003/066

Enactment date: 10/31/2003

Preconsidered Int. No. 574

By Council Member Perkins

A Local Law in relation to the disapproval of a determination by the department of housing preservation and development to approve the transfer of the property located at 141 West 126 Street, also known as Block 1911, Lot 115, in the borough of Manhattan.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section one. In accordance with the provisions of section 11-412.2 of the administrative code of the city of New York, the determination by the department of housing preservation and development to authorize the transfer by the department of finance of the property located at 141 West 126 Street, also known as Block 1911, Lot 115, in the borough of Manhattan, to transferees selected by the department of housing preservation and development, is hereby disapproved.

§ 2. In the event that the mayor disapproves this local law, the determination of the department of housing preservation and development to authorize the transfer of the property as set forth in section one of this local law shall not be deemed approved until the council shall have failed to repass such local law in accordance with section thirty-seven of the of the charter or the period within which such repassing may occur has elapsed. In the event that such local law is repassed in accordance with section thirty-seven of the charter, such determination of the department of housing preservation and development shall be deemed to be disapproved.

§ 3. This local law shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on the date it was first passed by the council.

L.L. 2003/067

Enactment date: 11/13/2003

Int. No. 539

By Council Member Baez, the Speaker (Council Member Miller) and Council Members Weprin, Oddo, Dilán, Comrie, Nelson, Brewer, Gennaro, Seabrook, Rivera, Barron, Serrano, López, Provenzano, Recchia, Gallagher, Avella, Sears, Espada, Gerson, Katz, Addabbo, González, Felder, Fidler, Foster, Perkins, Clarke, Gioia, Jackson, Jennings, Koppell, Liu, Martinez, McMahon, Monserrate, Moskowitz, Quinn, Reed, Reyna, Sanders, Stewart, Vallone, Vann, Yassky, Gentile, DeBlasio and The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum)

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to increasing to $24,000 the maximum income level qualifying for exemption from rent increases granted to certain senior citizens.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

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[Consolidated provisions are not included in this Appendix A]

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§ 5. This local law shall take effect immediately, and shall be retroactive to and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after September 1, 2003. Notwithstanding any other provision of the administrative code of the city of New York, any person who on or after September 1, 2003 through the date of enactment of this local law would have been eligible for a rent increase exemption order pursuant to such code but for the fact that his or her income exceeded the income limitation of twenty thousand dollars in effect before the enactment of this local law, and who as a result of the enactment of this local law increasing the maximum income limitation to twenty-four thousand dollars is eligible for such order on or after September 1, 2003 through the date of enactment of this local law may file an application for such order within ninety days of the enactment of this local law. Any such rent increase exemption order issued to such applicant shall be effective as of that date on or after September 1, 2003 through the date of enactment of this local law upon which such person would have been eligible for such rent increase exemption order but for the fact that his or her income exceeded the income limitation of twenty thousand dollars in effect before the enactment of this local law.

L.L. 2003/068

Enactment date: 11/13/2003

Int. No. 540

By Council Members Baez, Comrie, Addabbo, Barron, Clarke, Fidler, Foster, Gennaro, Gentile, Gerson, Gioia, Jackson, Jennings, Koppell, Liu, Lopez, Martinez, McMahon, Monserrate, Nelson, Perkins, Provenzano, Quinn, Recchia, Reed, Reyna, Rivera, Sanders, Seabrook, Vallone, Gonzalez, Serrano, the Speaker (Council Member Miller), Brewer, DeBlasio, Felder, Weprin and The Public Advocate (Ms.Gotbaum)

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to tax exemptions for low-income elderly persons.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

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[Consolidated provisions are not included in this Appendix A]

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§ 3. This local law shall take effect immediately and shall apply to assessment rolls prepared on the basis of taxable status dates occurring on or after January 1, 2004.

L.L. 2003/069

Enactment date: 11/19/2003

Preconsidered Int. No. 575

By Council Member Perkins

A Local Law in relation to the disapproval of a determination by the department of housing preservation and development to approve the transfer of the property located at 121 West 126 Street, also known as Block 1911, Lot 22, in the borough of Manhattan.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section one. In accordance with the provisions of section 11-412.2 of the administrative code of the city of New York, the determination by the department of housing preservation and development to authorize the transfer by the department of finance of the property located at 121 West 126 Street, also known as Block 1911, Lot 22, in the borough of Manhattan, to transferees selected by the department of housing preservation and development, is hereby disapproved.

§ 2. In the event that the mayor disapproves this local law, the determination of the department of housing preservation and development to authorize the transfer of the property as set forth in section one of this local law shall not be deemed approved until the council shall have failed to repass such local law in accordance with section thirty-seven of the of the charter or the period within which such repassing may occur has elapsed. In the event that such local law is repassed in accordance with section thirty-seven of the charter, such determination of the department of housing preservation and development shall be deemed to be disapproved.

§ 3. This local law shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on the date it was first passed by the council.

L.L. 2003/070

Enactment date: 11/26/2003

Proposed Int. No. 409-A

By the Speaker (Council Member Miller) and Council Members Boyland, Gioia, Baez, Brewer, Clarke, Comrie, Gerson, Jackson, Katz, Koppell, Liu, Martinez, Nelson, Perkins, Quinn, Recchia, Reed, Sears, Serrano, Stewart, Vann, Weprin, Yassky, DeBlasio, Espada, Lopez, Reyna, Avella, Rivera and Barron

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the practices of debt collection agencies that collect child support payments.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. Existing federal, state and local consumer protection laws do not generally regulate private child support collection agencies. Furthermore, current industry practices, as reflected in consumer complaints and litigation, raise significant questions about the implications of the lack of such regulation. Specifically, the Council finds that alleged practices, including, but not limited to, charging exorbitant and excessive fees, threats and abusive telephone calls directed at both custodial and non-custodial parents, signing custodial parents to contracts with unclear terms, collecting fees for payments of child support collected primarily by a government agency, and utilizing unclear accounting practices that lead to the designation of current payments of child support as arrears in order to prevent parents from ever satisfying their obligations to such agencies, necessitate the creation of basic consumer protections for consumer-parents interacting with these agencies. The Council also finds that current, timely and/or on-going payments of orders of child support are part of a family's income needed to meet basic needs. Therefore, the Council finds that private child support collection agencies should be regulated by New York City's consumer protection laws, and that the fees collected by such agencies should be reasonably related to the work and services provided.

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[Consolidated provisions are not included in this Appendix A]

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§ 7. Effect of invalidity; severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or other portion of this local law is, for any reason, declared unconstitutional or invalid, in whole or in part, by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed severable, and such unconstitutionality or invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this local law, which remaining portions shall continue in full force and effect.

§ 8. Effective date. This local law shall take effect ninety days after its enactment into law, and shall apply to contracts entered into on or after such date.

L.L. 2003/073

Enactment date: 12/22/2003

Proposed Int. No. 38-A

By the Speaker (Council Member Miller) and Council Members Liu, Brewer, DeBlasio, Barron, Comrie, Dilan, Martinez, Monserrate, Moskowitz, Perkins, Quinn, Reyna, Rivera, Serrano, Yassky, Reed, Sanders, Jr., Gennaro, Foster, Koppell, Clarke, Recchia, Jr., Baez, Nelson, Seabrook, Sears, Lopez, Felder, Espada, Jr., Katz, Stewart, Gonzalez, Jackson, James, Jennings, Addabbo, Jr., Avella, McMahon and the Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum); also Council Members Boyland, Vann, Fidler, Gerson, Weprin and Gioia

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the provision of language assistance services.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Declaration of legislative findings and intent. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides in pertinent part that "[n]o person in the United States shall on the ground of race, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal assistance." The United States Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services have stated that all recipients of federal funding must take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to the information and services they provide and that failure to do so may amount to a violation of Title VI.

It is and has been the policy of the City of New York to oppose all forms of discrimination, especially when such discrimination could undermine the welfare of New York City residents. Individuals should not face obstacles to receiving social services for which they may be eligible because they do not speak English. The purpose of this local law is to ensure that persons eligible for social services receive them and to avoid the possibility that a person who attempts to access services will face discrimination based upon the language s/he speaks.

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[Consolidated provisions are not included in this Appendix A]

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§ 3. This local law shall take effect forty-five days after its enactment.