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New York City Overview
The New York City Charter
NEW YORK CITY CHARTER
Preamble
Introductory
Chapter 1: Mayor
Chapter 2: Council
Chapter 2-A: Districting Commission
Chapter 3: Board of Estimate [Repealed]
Chapter 4: Borough Presidents.
Chapter 5: Comptroller.
Chapter 6: Expense Budget
Chapter 7: Tax Appeals
Chapter 8: City Planning
Chapter 9: Capital Projects and Budget
Chapter 10: Budget Process
Chapter 11: Independent Budget Office
Chapter 12: Obligations of the City
Chapter 13: Procurement
Chapter 13-A: Office of Economic and Financial Opportunity [Repealed]
Chapter 13-B: Office of Labor Services [Repealed]
Chapter 14: Franchises, Revocable Consents and Concessions
Chapter 15: Property of the City
Chapter 16: Heads of Mayoral Agencies
Chapter 17: Law Department
Chapter 18: Police Department
Chapter 18-A: Civilian Complaint Review Board
Chapter 18-B: Independent Police Investigation and Audit Board
Chapter 18-C: Public Safety
Chapter 18-D: Sale, Purchase and Possession of Weapons
Chapter 19: Fire Department
Chapter 19-A: Emergency Management Department
Chapter 20: Education
Chapter 21: Department of Parks and Recreation
Chapter 21-A: New York City Sports Commission
Chapter 22: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Chapter 23: Office of Animal Welfare
Chapter 24: Department of Social Services
Chapter 24-A: Department of Homeless Services
Chapter 24-B: Administration for Children's Services
Chapter 25: Department of Correction
Chapter 26: Department of Buildings
Chapter 27: Board of Standards and Appeals
Chapter 28: Department of Juvenile Justice [Repealed]
Chapter 29: Department of Ports and Trade [Repealed]
Chapter 30: Department of Youth and Community Development
Chapter 31: Department of Sanitation
Chapter 34: Department of Investigation
Chapter 35: Department of Citywide Administrative Services
Chapter 36: Equal Employment Practices Commission
Chapter 37: Art Commission
Chapter 38: Financial Information Services Agency
Chapter 39: Office of Payroll Administration
Chapter 40: New York City Human Rights Commission
Chapter 45: City Administrative Procedure Act
Chapter 45-A: Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings
Chapter 46: Elections and Voter Assistance
Chapter 46-A: Voting by Lawful Permanent Residents and Persons Authorized to Work in the United States
Chapter 47: Public Access to Meetings and Information
Chapter 48: Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications
Chapter 49: Officers and Employees
Chapter 50: Term Limits
Chapter 50-A: Qualification for Elected Office
Chapter 51: Transitory Provisions
Chapter 52: General Provisions
Chapter 54: Collective Bargaining
Chapter 55: Department of Design and Construction
Chapter 56: Department of Small Business Services
Chapter 57: Department of Environmental Protection
Chapter 58: Department of Finance
Chapter 59: Department of General Services [Repealed]
Chapter 61: Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Chapter 63: Business Integrity Commission
Chapter 64: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
Chapter 65: New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission
Chapter 66: Department for the Aging
Chapter 67: Department of Cultural Affairs
Chapter 68: Conflicts of Interest
Chapter 69: Community Districts and Coterminality of Services
Chapter 70: City Government In the Community
Chapter 71: Department of Transportation
Chapter 72: Department of Records and Information Services
Chapter 73: Department of Employment [Repealed]
Chapter 74: Landmarks Preservation Commission
Chapter 75: Department of Veterans' Services
Chapter 76: Civic Engagement Commission
Chapter 77: Office of Ethnic and Community Media
Chapter 78: Equity
Chapter 79: Community Hiring and Workforce Development
The New York City Administrative Code
The Rules of the City of New York
THE RULES OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
Title 1: Department of Buildings
Title 2: Board of Standards and Appeals
Title 3: Fire Department
Title 6: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
Title 9: Procurement Policy Board Rules
Title 12: Franchise and Concession Review Committee
Title 15: Department of Environmental Protection
Title 16: Department of Sanitation
Title 17: Business Integrity Commission
Title 19: Department of Finance
Title 20: Tax Appeals Tribunal
Title 21: Tax Commission
Title 22: Banking Commission
Title 24: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Title 25: Department of Mental Health and Retardation [Repealed]
Title 28: Housing Preservation and Development
Title 29: Loft Board
Title 30: Rent Guidelines Board
Title 31: Mayor's Office of Homelessness and Single Room Occupancy
Title 34: Department of Transportation
Title 35: Taxi and Limousine Commission
Title 38: Police Department
Title 38-A: Civilian Complaint Review Board
Title 39: Department of Correction
Title 40: Board of Correction
Title 41: Department of Juvenile Justice
Title 42: Department of Probation
Title 43: Mayor
Title 44: Comptroller
Title 45: Borough Presidents
Title 46: Law Department
Title 47: Commission on Human Rights
Title 48: Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH)
Title 49: Department of Records and Information Services
Title 50: Community Assistance Unit
Title 51: City Clerk
Title 52: Campaign Finance Board*
Title 53: Conflicts of Interest Board
Title 55: Department of Citywide Administrative Services
Title 56: Department of Parks and Recreation
Title 57: Art Commission
Title 58: Department of Cultural Affairs
Title 60: Civil Service Commission
Title 61: Office of Collective Bargaining
Title 62: City Planning
Title 63: Landmarks Preservation Commission
Title 66: Department of Small Business Services
Title 67: Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications
Title 68: Human Resources Administration
Title 69: Department of Aging
Title 70: In Rem Foreclosure Release Board
Title 71: Voter Assistance Commission
Title 72: Office of Emergency Management
Title 73: Civic Engagement Commission
Title 74: Community Hiring
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Section 27. Local laws and resolutions increasing or decreasing salaries or allowances.
No local law or resolution increasing or decreasing the salaries, or other allowances, in accordance with section twenty-six shall be adopted during the period between the general election day and the thirty-first day of December, both such days inclusive, in any year in which all of the council members are elected.
Section 28. Powers of council.
   a.   The council in addition to all enumerated powers shall have power to adopt local laws which it deems appropriate, which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this charter or with the constitution or laws of the United States or this state, for the good rule and government of the city; for the order, protection and government of persons and property; for the preservation of the public health, comfort, peace and prosperity of the city and its inhabitants; and to effectuate the purposes and provisions of this charter or of the other law relating to the city. The power of the council to act with respect to matters set forth in sections one hundred ninety-seven-c and two hundred shall be limited by the provisions of section one hundred ninety seven-d.
   b.   The council shall have power to provide for the enforcement of local laws by legal or equitable proceedings, to prescribe that violations thereof shall constitute misdemeanors, offenses or infractions and to provide for the punishment of violations thereof by civil penalty, fine, forfeiture or imprisonment, or by two or more of such punishments.
   c.   In the event that there exists no other provision of law for the filling of a vacancy in any elective office, resulting from removal or suspension from such office, or the death, resignation or inability of the incumbent to exercise the powers or to discharge the duties of the office, the council by a majority vote of all the council members shall elect a successor to fill the vacancy in such office.
   d.   All local laws shall be general, applying either throughout the whole city or throughout specified portions thereof.
   e.   The council shall not pass any local law authorizing the placing or continuing of any encroachment or obstruction upon any street or sidewalk excepting temporary occupation thereof by commercial refuse containers or during and for the purpose of the erection, repairing or demolition of a building on a lot abutting thereon under revocable licenses therefor, and excepting the erection of booths, stands or displays or the maintenance of sidewalk cafes under licenses to be granted only with the consent of the owner of the premises if the same shall be located in whole or in part within stoop lines; any such commercial refuse containers thus placed or continued upon any street or sidewalk pursuant to such a revocable license shall be painted with a phosphorescent substance so that the dimensions thereof shall be clearly discernible at night.
   f.   All local laws in relation to licenses shall fix the license fees to be paid, if any, and shall provide that all licenses shall be according to an established form and shall be regularly numbered and duly registered.
   g.   The council shall hold a public hearing prior to the consideration of any resolution requesting the state legislature, in accordance with the provisions of section two of article nine of the Constitution of the state of New York, to pass any bill, the substance of which, if adopted by the council as a local law, would require its approval by the electorate voting thereon at a referendum. Notice of such public hearing shall be published in the City Record for at least five days immediately preceding the commencement of such a hearing.
Section 29. Power of investigation and oversight.
   a.   The council, acting as a committee of the whole, and each standing or special committee of the council, through hearings or otherwise:
      1.   may investigate any matters within its jurisdiction relating to the property, affairs, or government of the city or of any county within the city, or to any other powers of the council, or to the effectuation of the purposes or provisions of this charter or any laws relating to the city or to any county within the city.
      2.   shall review on a regular and continuous basis the activities of the agencies of the city, including their service goals and performance and management efficiency. Each unit of appropriation in the adopted budget of the city shall be assigned to a standing committee. Each standing committee of the council shall hold at least one hearing each year relating to the activities of each of the agencies under its jurisdiction.
   b.   Any standing or special committee shall have power to require the attendance and examine and take testimony under oath of such persons as it may deem necessary and to require the production of books, accounts, papers and other evidence relative to the inquiry. Copies of all reports or studies received by the council pursuant to section eleven hundred thirty-four and subdivision c of section ninety-three shall be assigned to the appropriate standing committees for review and action, as necessary.
Section 30. Council review of city procurement policies and procedures.
The council shall periodically review all city procurement policies and procedures, including:
   1.   the rules and procedures adopted by the procurement policy board, all rules relating to the participation of minority and women owned business enterprises in the city's procurement process and the implementation of those rules and procedures by city agencies;
   2.   patterns of contractual spending by city agencies, including determinations of the need to contract made by agencies in accordance with rules of the procurement policy board;
   3.   access to and fairness in city procurement opportunities, the fair distribution of contract awards, and the fair employment practices of city contractors;
   4.   procedures for evaluating contractor performance; and
   5.   procedures for declaring bidders not responsible and for debarring contractors.
Section 31. Power of advice and consent.
Appointment by the mayor of the commissioner of investigation and the corporation counsel, and of the members of the art commission, board of health (other than the chair), board of standards and appeals, city planning commission (other than the chair), civil service commission, landmarks preservation commission, tax commission, taxi and limousine commission and the public members of the environmental control board shall be made with the advice and consent of the council after a public hearing. Within 30 days after the first stated meeting of the council after receipt of a nomination, the council shall hold a hearing and act upon such nomination and in the event it does not act within such period, the nomination shall be deemed to be confirmed.
(Am. L.L. 2016/096, 8/31/2016, eff. 12/29/2016; Am. L.L. 2019/215, 12/11/2019, eff. 12/11/2019)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Administrative Code Appendix A at L.L. 2016/096.
Section 32. Local laws.
Except as otherwise provided by law, all legislative action by the council shall be by local law. The style of local law shall be "Be it enacted by the council as follows." Every local law shall embrace only one subject. The title shall briefly refer to the subject-matter.
Section 33. Local laws and budget modifications; fiscal impact statements.
   a.   No public hearing on a proposed local law shall be held by a council committee, and no proposed local law shall be voted on by the council, unless: (i) the council committee, the council, or the speaker has provided no fewer than 8 days’ notice of such hearing or the council’s intent to vote on such proposed local law, as applicable, to the director of management and budget, provided that such notice shall not be required if the mayor shall have certified as to the necessity for the immediate passage of such local law; and (ii) such proposed local law is accompanied by a fiscal impact statement containing the information set forth in subdivision c of this section.
   b.   No proposed budget modification shall be voted on by a council committee or the council unless such budget modification is accompanied by a fiscal impact statement containing the information set forth in subdivision c of this section.
   c.   A fiscal impact statement required by subdivision a of this section shall contain estimates from the council and the office of management and budget, provided, however, that an estimate from the office of management and budget shall not be required where such office has not provided such estimate to the council at least 3 days before a hearing or vote subject to such subdivision a. A fiscal impact statement required by subdivision b of this section need only contain an estimate from the council. Each such estimate in a fiscal impact statement shall: indicate the fiscal year in which the proposed law or modification would first become effective and the first fiscal year in which the full fiscal impact of the law or modification is expected to occur; and contain an estimate of the fiscal impact of the law or modification on the revenues and expenditures of the city during the fiscal year in which the law or modification is to first become effective, during the succeeding fiscal year, and during the first fiscal year in which the full fiscal impact of the law or modification is expected to occur.
   d.   All agency heads shall promptly provide to any council committee any information that it requests to assist it in preparing a fiscal impact statement.
   e.   Each estimate contained in a fiscal impact statement shall identify the sources of information used in its preparation.
   f.   If the estimate contained in a fiscal impact statement is inaccurate, such inaccuracy shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the local law or budget modification.
(Am. L.L. 2024/117, 12/3/2024, eff. 12/3/2024)
Section 33-a. Local laws relating to public safety.
   a.   No proposed local law relating to the public safety operations of the police department, the fire department, or the department of correction shall be voted on by the council unless the council has provided to the public, the mayor and the commissioner of each such department written notice of the council’s intent to vote on the proposed local law no sooner than thirty days following such notice. During the period between the provision of notice and a vote on the proposed local law, the mayor or any such commissioner may hold one or more public hearings to solicit additional public comment on such proposed local law, provided, however, that nothing in this section shall limit the authority of the mayor or any commissioner to hold public hearings at other times.
   b.   The speaker may perform functions assigned to the council pursuant to subdivision a of this section.
   c.   The requirements of subdivision a shall not prevent the council or a council committee from amending the proposed local law prior to voting on it, and such amendments shall not require additional notices as long as the notice required by subdivision a has been provided.
   d.   The mayor may waive in writing any requirement imposed by this section.
(L.L. 2024/117, 12/3/2024, eff. 12/3/2024)
Section 34. Vote required for local law or resolution.
Except as otherwise provided by law, no local law or resolution shall be passed except by at least the majority affirmative vote of all the council members.
Section 35. Ayes and noes.
   a.   On the final passage of a local law or resolution the question shall be taken by ayes and noes, which shall be entered in the journal of proceedings. No such vote may be cast except by a council member who is present and who casts his or her own vote in the manner prescribed by the rules of the council.
   b.   All committee votes on proposed local laws or resolutions shall be taken by ayes and noes, which shall be entered in a committee report a copy of which shall be filed with the clerk or other official specified by the council rules for this purpose and which shall be available for public inspection. No such vote may be cast except by a member of the committee who is present at the meeting at which the vote is taken.
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