File #: Int 2424-2021    Version: Name: Establishing a street harassment prevention advisory board.
Type: Introduction Status: Enacted
Committee: Committee on Women and Gender Equity
On agenda: 10/7/2021
Enactment date: 1/15/2022 Law number: 2022/046
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a street harassment prevention advisory board
Sponsors: Helen K. Rosenthal, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, James G. Van Bramer, Farah N. Louis, Ben Kallos, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Deborah L. Rose
Council Member Sponsors: 7
Summary: This bill would require the creation of an advisory board to advise the Mayor and the Council on the issue if street harassment prevention. The advisory board would have the duty to: study the occurrence of street harassment; identify persons and communities most at risk of street harassment; and to develop and recommend: programming and training materials for city agencies to prevent and respond to street harassment; programming, training and educational materials to promote public awareness and prevention of street harassment; forms of support and resources for victims of street harassment; and programming regarding non-criminalization responses to street harassment. By December 31, 2022, the advisory board would be required to make information and resources available to city agencies for posting on their websites. Eighteen months after the local law takes effect, the advisory board would be required to develop a survey with questions that would assess the prevalence of street harassment in the city. By December 31, 2022, the advisory board would be required to produce a report summarizing its activities, and annually thereafter the report would be required to include the findings of the survey the advisory board developed. Members of the advisory board would include the directors of the Commission on Gender Equity and the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, the Chair of the City’s Human Rights Commission, and the Executive Director of the Office of Nightlife, among others, and would include appointments by the Mayor, Speaker of the Council, and the Public Advocate. Such members would be required to meet no less than once each quarter, and hold at least one meeting open to the public.
Indexes: Council Appointment Required, Other Appointment Required, Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 2424-B, 2. Summary of Int. No. 2424-A, 3. Summary of Int. No. 2424, 4. Int. No. 2424, 5. October 7, 2021 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 6. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 10-7-21, 7. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - October 7, 2021, 8. Proposed Int. No. 2424-A - 11/26/21, 9. Committee Report 11/29/21, 10. Hearing Testimony 11/29/21, 11. Hearing Transcript 11/29/21, 12. Proposed Int. No. 2424-B - 12/9/21, 13. Committee Report 12/14/21, 14. Hearing Transcript 12/14/21, 15. Committee Report - Stated Meeting, 16. December 15, 2021 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 17. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 12-15-21, 18. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - December 15, 2021, 19. Int. No. 2424-B (FINAL), 20. Fiscal Impact Statement, 21. Legislative Documents - Letter to the Mayor, 22. Local Law 46
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
1/15/2022BHelen K. Rosenthal Administration City Charter Rule Adopted  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/14/2022BHelen K. Rosenthal City Council Returned Unsigned by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/15/2021BHelen K. Rosenthal City Council Sent to Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/15/2021BHelen K. Rosenthal City Council Approved by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
12/14/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal Committee on Women and Gender Equity Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/14/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal Committee on Women and Gender Equity Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/14/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal Committee on Women and Gender Equity Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/14/2021BHelen K. Rosenthal Committee on Women and Gender Equity Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
11/29/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal Committee on General Welfare Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/29/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal Committee on General Welfare Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/29/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal Committee on General Welfare Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/29/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal Committee on Women and Gender Equity Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/29/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal Committee on Women and Gender Equity Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/29/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal Committee on Women and Gender Equity Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
10/7/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
10/7/2021*Helen K. Rosenthal City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Int. No. 2424-B

 

By Council Member Rosenthal, the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams) and Council Members Van Bramer, Louis, Kallos, Brooks-Powers and Rose

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a street harassment prevention advisory board

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 10 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 10-183 to read as follows:

§ 10-183 Street harassment prevention advisory board. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Advisory board. The term “advisory board” means the street harassment prevention advisory board established pursuant to this section.

Street harassment. The term “street harassment” means unwanted or unwelcome disrespectful, offensive or threatening statements, gestures or other conduct directed at a natural person in public based on the person’s actual or perceived age, race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation or any other trait, status or condition.

b. Advisory board established. There shall be an advisory board to advise the mayor and the council on the issue of street harassment and its prevention.

c. Duties. The advisory board shall have the following duties:

1. To study the occurrence of street harassment;

2. To identify persons and communities most at risk of street harassment, and most impacted by its occurrence;

3. To develop and recommend programming and training materials for appropriate agencies to prevent and respond to street harassment, including recommendations for communication and outreach;

4. To develop and recommend programming, training and educational materials to promote public awareness and prevention of street harassment, including recommendations for communication and outreach;

5. To develop and recommend forms of support and resources for victims of street harassment, which may include identifying existing avenues for individuals to file complaints regarding discrimination or harassment;

6. To develop and recommend programming regarding non-criminalization responses to street harassment;

7.  No later than December 31, 2022, to identify, recommend and make available to city agencies, for publicizing on their websites and through other methods, relevant information and resources addressing the prevention of street harassment, including, but not limited to a resource guide for victims of street harassment;

8. No later than 18 months after the effective date of the local law that added this section, and as frequently thereafter as the advisory board determines is necessary to fulfill the duties set forth in subdivision c of this section, to develop a survey for members of the public regarding the occurrence of street harassment. The advisory board shall determine the specific data elements to be collected in such survey, including but not limited to questions aimed at identifying high-risk locations, and shall collaborate with the members of the participating city offices and agencies to recommend which such city offices and agencies should conduct such survey;

9. Beginning on December 31, 2022, and no later than December 31 annually thereafter, to submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council that contains a summary of the advisory board’s activities for the relevant reporting period, including but not limited to public outreach conducted by the participating city offices and agencies; the advisory board’s recommendations for legislation and programming; and a list of materials the advisory board considered in making its recommendations;

10. Beginning with the report due December 31, 2023, and annually thereafter, the report due pursuant to paragraph 9 of this subdivision shall include a summary of findings of any survey conducted in the prior year pursuant to paragraph 8 of this subdivision; and

11. The report due pursuant to paragraph 9 of this subdivision shall be posted on the websites of the commission on gender equity and the office to end domestic and gender-based violence no later than 10 days after its submission to the mayor and the speaker of the council.

d. Members. The advisory board shall be composed of the following members:

1. The director of the commission on gender equity or their designee and the director of the office to end domestic and gender-based violence or their designee, who shall serve as co-chairs of the advisory board;

2. The chair of the city commission on human rights or their designee;

3. The executive director of the office of nightlife or their designee;

4. A representative from the department of transportation;

5. A representative from the metropolitan transit authority shall be invited to participate as a member;

6. Four members appointed by the mayor;

7. Two members appointed by the speaker of the council; and

8. Two members appointed by the public advocate.

Members appointed by the mayor, speaker of the council and the public advocate pursuant to paragraphs 6 through 8 of this subdivision shall: (i) be representative of all five boroughs; and (ii) have demonstrated expertise on the topic of street harassment prevention, including expertise as it relates to gender-based violence prevention, gender equity, LGBTQ rights, racial equity, religious tolerance, poverty and homelessness prevention, and immigrants’ rights.

e. Other participants. The co-chairs may invite officers and representatives of relevant federal, state and local agencies and authorities to participate in the work of the advisory board.

f. Appointments. All appointments required by this section shall be made no later than May 1, 2022. Each member of the advisory board shall serve for a term of two years at the pleasure of the officer who appointed the member. In the event of a vacancy on the advisory board, a successor shall be appointed in the same manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term. All members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation.

g. Meetings. 1. The co-chairs shall convene the first meeting of the advisory board no later than June 1, 2022, except that where not all members of the advisory board have been appointed within the time specified in subdivision f, the co-chairs shall convene the first meeting of the advisory board within 10 days of the appointment of a quorum.

2. The advisory board shall meet no less frequently than once each quarter to carry out the duties set forth in subdivision c of this section.

3. The advisory board may invite, or accept requests from, experts and stakeholders to attend its meetings and to provide testimony and information relevant to its duties.

4. The advisory board shall, during each calendar year, make at least one of its meetings open to members of the public to solicit their input. The advisory board shall seek assistance from agencies and organizations associated with members of the advisory board to publicize such public meetings to as broad a scope of the public as possible.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

NC/SMD

LS #7299/11810/17340

12/7/2021 1:30p