Int. No. 954
By Council Members Won, Farías, Riley, Louis, Epstein and Hanif
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring signs regarding penalties for assaulting retail, bodega, deli, and dukkan workers
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 4 of title 20 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subchapter 17 to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER 17
RETAIL WORKER SAFETY
§20-699.31 Short title. This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Alshawish worker protection law”.
§ 20-699.32 Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Bodega. The term “bodega” means a retail storefront, including a deli, dukkan, or other similar store, in the city of New York in which the sale of food for off-site consumption comprises 50 percent or more of store sales, which has 2 or fewer cash registers, and which is smaller than 4,000 square feet in size. The term “bodega” does not include stores that specialize in a single category of items such as bakeries and vitamin stores.
Food. The term “food” means any raw, cooked or processed edible substances, beverages, ingredients, chewing gum, ice, or water used or intended for use or for sale in whole or in part for human consumption.
Retail storefront. The term "retail storefront" means a “ground floor commercial premises,” as defined in subdivision a of section 11-3101, wherein consumer commodities are sold, displayed or offered for sale, or where services are provided to consumers at retail.
§ 20-699.33 Signs regarding penalties for assaulting retail workers. a. Every bodega shall conspicuously post, either near each entrance or each cash register, a sign displaying an appropriate graphic icon, as determined by the commissioner, and the following text: “ATTENTION: Assaulting A Retail Worker Is A Felony Punishable By Up to Twenty-Five Years in Prison. Surveillance footage may be viewed by law enforcement, including the NYC Police Department.”
b. The commissioner shall promulgate rules, consistent with this section, regarding the colors, size, and font to be used in such signs, the manner of display, the graphic icon to be included, and the penalty for failing to comply with the requirements of this section. When determining the graphic icon to include in the sign, the commissioner shall consider icons that suggest security or visual surveillance, such as the logo for the police department of the city of New York, an eye, or a video camera.
§ 20-699.34 Education and sign availability. The commissioner shall coordinate with the commissioner of small business services to conduct outreach and education about the signs required pursuant to this subchapter and shall make such signs available at no cost to the owners or operators of bodegas.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law.
JLB
LS #18031
5/28/26