a. Authority.
1. Each agency is empowered to adopt rules necessary to carry out the powers and duties delegated to it by or pursuant to federal, state or local law. No agency shall adopt a rule except pursuant to this section. Each such rule shall be simply written, using ordinary language where possible.
2. Subject to paragraph 1 of subdivision f, each agency may adopt rules necessary to carry out the power and duties delegated to it by a local law that has not yet gone into effect, except as otherwise provided by law.
b. Notice.
1. Each agency shall publish the full text of the proposed rule in the City Record at least thirty days prior to the date set for a public hearing to be held pursuant to the requirements of subdivision e of this section or the final date for receipt of written comments, whichever is earlier. A proposed rule amending an existing rule shall contain in brackets any part to be deleted and shall have underlined or italicized any new part to be added. A proposed rule repealing an existing rule shall contain in brackets the rule to be repealed, or if the full text of the rule was published in the Compilation required to be published pursuant to section one thousand forty-five, shall give the citation of the rule to be repealed and a summary of its contents. Such published notice shall include a draft statement of the basis and purpose of the proposed rule, the statutory authority, including the particular sections and subdivisions upon which the action is based, the time and place of public hearing, if any, to be held or the reason that a public hearing will not be held, and the final date for receipt of written comments. If the proposed rule was not included in the regulatory agenda, such notice shall also include the reason the rule was not anticipated, as required in subdivision c of section one thousand forty-two of this chapter.
2. Copies of the full text of the proposed rule shall be electronically transmitted to the office of the speaker of the council, the council's office of legislative documents, the corporation counsel, each council member, the chairs of all community boards, the news media and civic organizations no later than the date the proposed rule is transmitted to the City Record for publication pursuant to paragraph one of subdivision b of this section; provided that an inadvertent failure to fully comply with the notice requirements of this paragraph shall not serve to invalidate any rule.
3. (a) News media, for the purposes of this subdivision, shall include (i) all radio and television stations broadcasting in the city of New York, all newspapers published in the city of New York having a city-wide or borough-wide circulation, and any newspaper of any labor union or trade association representing an industry affected by such rule, and (ii) any community newspaper or any other publication that requests such notification on an annual basis.
(b) Civic organizations, for the purposes of this subdivision, shall include any city-wide or borough-wide organization or any labor union, trade association or other group that requests such notification on an annual basis.
4. In addition to the requirements set forth in paragraph one of this subdivision, each agency shall provide information regarding the public hearing to be held with regard to a proposed rule in a prominent location on such agency's website at least seven days prior to the date set for such hearing. Each agency shall further provide, in a prominent location on such agency's website, a link to the NYC Rules online portal or any successor city website or page that is substantially similar in form or function. Each agency shall, to the greatest extent practicable, and in addition to the electronic transmissions required by paragraph two of this subdivision, publicize upcoming public hearings via electronic means that are likely to reach interested members of the public. This paragraph shall not be construed to create a private right of action to enforce its provisions. Inadvertent failure to comply with this paragraph shall not result in the invalidation of any rule.
c. Review of statutory authority. The corporation counsel shall review the proposed rule to determine whether it is within the authority delegated by law to the agency proposing the rule. If the corporation counsel determines that the proposed rule is not within the agency's delegated authority, the corporation counsel shall notify the agency in writing prior to the publication of the final rule in the City Record.
d. 1. The law department and the mayor's office of operations shall review each proposed rule prior to publication of such proposed rule in the City Record. At the conclusion of its review, the law department shall state whether each proposed rule: (i) is drafted so as to accomplish the purpose of the authorizing provisions of law; (ii) is not in conflict with other applicable rules; (iii) to the extent practicable and appropriate, is narrowly drawn to achieve its stated purpose; and (iv) to the extent practicable and appropriate, contains a statement of basis and purpose that provides a clear explanation of the rule and the requirements imposed by the rule. As part of its review, the mayor's office of operations shall analyze each proposed rule and state: (a) whether such rule is understandable and written in plain language; (b) how the drafting process of the rule, to the extent practicable and appropriate, included analysis sufficient to minimize the compliance costs for the discrete regulated community or communities, to the extent one exists, consistent with achieving the stated purpose of the rule; and (c) why, in the event such rule involves the establishment of a violation, modification of a violation or modification of the penalties associated with a violation without also including a cure period, or other opportunity for ameliorative action by the party or parties subject to enforcement, such cure period or other opportunity for ameliorative action was not included. Provided, however, that if the proposed rule solely establishes or modifies the amount of a monetary penalty or penalties then the law department statement required by this paragraph shall not be required and the analysis of the office of operations may be limited to the reason or reasons a cure period or other opportunity for ameliorative action was not included.
2. After completing the review as set forth in paragraph one of this subdivision, the law department and the mayor's office of operations shall certify that they have performed such review, and shall promptly transmit a copy of such certification, including the analysis performed by the mayor's office of operations, to the relevant agency. Such agency shall annex such certification and analysis to the full text of the proposed rule as published in the City Record. Such certification and analysis shall also be made available to the public on the city's website and transmitted to the speaker of the city council at the time of publication. In no event shall a proposed rule be submitted for initial publication in the City Record unless the law department and the mayor's office of operations have issued such certification and analysis.
3. This subdivision shall not be construed to create a private right of action to enforce its provisions. Inadvertent failure to comply with this subdivision shall not result in the invalidation of any rule.
4. This subdivision shall not apply to rules that: (i) are promulgated pursuant to the emergency procedures set forth in subdivision i of this section; (ii) are solely concerned with the establishment or modification of the amount of a monetary penalty or penalties, and the underlying violation or a modification of the penalties associated with such violation has previously been analyzed in accordance with paragraph one of this subdivision; (iii) are solely concerned with the establishment or modification of the amount of a fee or fees or (iv) implement particular mandates or standards set forth in newly enacted federal, state, or local laws, regulations or other requirements with only minor, if any, exercise of agency discretion in interpreting such mandates or standards. If an analysis of a proposed rule is not performed pursuant to the exceptions noted in this paragraph, such fact shall be noted and the note annexed to the full text of the proposed rule as published in the City Record.
e. Opportunity for and consideration of agency and public comment. The agency shall provide the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed rule (i) through outreach to the discrete regulated community or communities, if one exists, provided that this clause shall not be construed to create a private right of action to enforce this requirement; (ii) through submission of written data, views, or arguments, and (iii) at a public hearing unless it is determined by the agency in writing, which shall be published in the notice of proposed rulemaking in the City Record, that such a public hearing on a proposed rule would serve no public purpose. All written comments and a summary of oral comments concerning a proposed rule received from the public or any agency shall be placed in a public record and be made readily available to the public as soon as practicable and in any event within a reasonable time, not to be delayed because of the continued pendency of consideration of the proposed rule. After consideration of the relevant comments presented, the agency may adopt a final rule pursuant to subdivision f of this section; except that, other than a rule adopted pursuant to subdivision i of this section, no final rule shall be adopted by such board or commission unless its final language is posted in a prominent location on such agency's website and electronically transmitted to each member of such board or commission at least three calendar days, exclusive of Sundays, prior to such rule's adoption; provided, however, that revisions may be made to a final rule posted online and sent electronically in conformity with this subdivision at any time prior to the vote on such rule if such revisions are approved by all members of such board or commission by unanimous consent. Such final rule may include revisions of the proposed rule, and such adoption of revisions based on the consideration of relevant agency or public comments shall not require further notice and comment pursuant to this section. This paragraph shall not be construed to create a private right of action to enforce its provisions. Inadvertent failure to comply with this paragraph shall not result in the invalidation of any rule.
f. Effective date.
1. No rule shall be effective until
(a) the rule is filed by the agency with the corporation counsel for publication in the Compilation,
(b) the rule and a statement of basis and purpose is transmitted to the council for its information,
(c) in the case of a rule adopted pursuant to one or more provisions of a local law, the effective date of the section or sections of the local law that added such provision or provisions, and
(d) the rule and a statement of basis and purpose have been published in the City Record and thirty days have elapsed after such publication. The requirement that thirty days shall first elapse after such publication shall not apply where a finding that a substantial need for the earlier implementation of a program or policy has been made by the agency in writing and has been approved by the mayor prior to the effective date of the rule and such finding and approval is contained in the notice.
2. A rule shall be void if it is not published in the next supplement to the Compilation in which its publication is practicable; provided, however, that in the case of an inadvertent failure to publish a rule in such supplement, the rule shall become effective as of the date of its publication, if it is published within six months of the date the corporation counsel receives notice of its omission; and further provided that any judicial or administrative action or proceeding, whether criminal or civil, commenced under or by virtue of any provision of a rule voided pursuant to this section and pending prior to such voidance, may be prosecuted and defended to final effect in the same manner as they might if such rule had not been so voided.
g. Petition for rules. Any person may petition an agency to consider the adoption of any rule. Within sixty days after the submission of a petition, the agency shall either deny such petition in writing, stating the reasons for denial, or state the agency's intention to initiate rulemaking, by a specified date, concerning the subject of such petition. Each agency shall prescribe by rule the procedure for submission, consideration and disposition of such petitions. In the case of a board, commission or other body that is not headed by a single person, such rules of procedure may authorize such body to delegate to its chair the authority to reject such petitions. Such decision shall be within the discretion of the agency and shall not be subject to judicial review.
h. Maintenance of comments. Each agency shall establish a system for maintaining and making available for public inspection all written comments received in response to each notice of rulemaking.
i. Emergency procedures.
1. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an agency may adopt a rule prior to the notice and comment otherwise required by this section if the immediate effectiveness of such rule is necessary to address an imminent threat to health, safety, property or a necessary service. A finding of such imminent threat and the specific reasons for the finding must be made in writing by the agency adopting such rule and shall be approved by the mayor before such rule may be made effective. In the event that an elected official other than the mayor has the authority to promulgate rules, such official may make such findings without prior mayoral approval. The rule and accompanying finding shall be made public forthwith and shall be published in the City Record as soon as practicable. Agencies shall also electronically transmit all emergency rules adopted pursuant to this paragraph to the office of the speaker of the council, the council's office of legislative documents, the corporation counsel, each council member, the chairs of all community boards, the news media and civic organizations, as such term is defined in subdivision b of this section, no later than the date the emergency rules are transmitted to the City Record for publication pursuant to this paragraph.
2. A rule adopted on an emergency basis shall not remain in effect for longer than sixty days unless the agency has initiated notice and comment otherwise required by this section within such sixty day period and publishes with such notice a statement that an extension of such rule on an emergency basis is necessary for an additional sixty days to afford an opportunity for notice and comment and to adopt a final rule as required by this section; provided that no further such finding of an emergency may be made with respect to the same or a substantially similar rule.
(Am. L.L. 2020/104, 10/17/2020, eff. 10/17/2020)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Administrative Code Appendix A at L.L. 1989/042 and L.L. 1991/018.