Policy Alerts & Introduction

Policy Alerts & Introduction

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Greetings all!  My name is Ryan Naples and I am Tech:NYC’s new Deputy Director  I started this week and will be overseeing all things policy-related.  I’m excited to be joining the team during these dynamic, difficult, and pivotal times and I look forward to working with you all.  I will be reaching out individually to introduce myself over the next few weeks, but if you’d like to connect sooner rather than later, please feel free to email me for a Zoom coffee or a quick call to say hello!  In the meantime, below is an update on several NYC Council bills that passed this afternoon.

New York City Council Passes Airbnb Settlement Bill

Today, the New York City Council passed Int. 1976-2020, which was drafted after a June 12, 2020 lawsuit settlement agreement between Airbnb and the City of New York.  The lawsuit was brought against an expansive 2018 bill signed by the Mayor requiring homesharing platforms to submit information on all listings and rentals to the city for enforcement.  The compromise bill that passed today requires homesharing platforms to report host and guest data quarterly, with exemptions for: (1) shared dwelling space, e.g. when a host is renting a spare room in a home they occupy, and (2) for hosts who rent their homes for four days or less per quarter.  The bill passed unanimously and we expect the mayor to sign it.  We anticipate that to happen quickly.  This bill represents a positive step forward as New York implements strategies for re-starting its post-COVID tourism economy.

New York City Council Passes E-Bikes & E-Scooter Enabling Bills

Also this afternoon, the New York City Council passed three separate bills that legalized e-bikes, e-scooters, and an e-scooter sharing pilot program in four out of five New York City boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx.  These bills were necessary because the New York State budget agreed to in April of this year requires all municipalities that choose to allow e-bikes and e-scooters to affirmatively pass enabling legislation.  The state budget agreement explicitly excluded Manhattan.  The NYC Department of Transportation will specifically define areas of operation for all programs through an RFP process.With these bills, New York City is building a more equitable, environmentally-friendly, and efficient transportation system and adopting these micromobility options will not only boost transport accessibility across the boroughs but also help New York maintain its status as a capital for innovation.

Additional Note on the New York City Budget

The NYC budget must be agreed to by the end of June.  We will provide relevant updates on negotiations and final agreements as they become available.

If you have any questions about any of these bills or the budget, please do not hesitate to contact me.