S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  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.