NYC Council Passes Legislation Establishing Outreach and Education Program to Help New Yorkers Avoid Scams Related to Hajj and Umrah

Council also passes bill requiring installation of at least 5,000 bike parking stations over five years

CITY HALL, NY - Today, the New York City Council passed legislation to equip New Yorkers with information and resources to avoid scams related to Hajj and Umrah. Each year, millions of people around the world participate in Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that is required once in a lifetime by every Muslim who can afford and physically make it, and Umrah, a voluntary pilgrimage to Mecca that can be completed at any time of the year. The expected dates of Hajj this year are from May 25 to 30.

Performing Hajj and Umrah requires bookings and obtaining visas and permits through an online platform called Nusuk Hajj, which is managed by the Saudi Arabian government. New Yorkers preparing for Hajj or Umrah have encountered scams outside of the Nusuk platform. In 2017, a Brooklyn travel agent was found guilty of stealing more than $350,000 from over 25 Pakistani immigrants who paid more than $6,000 per person for a Hajj package that was never booked. By establishing ongoing outreach and education about these scams, New Yorkers will be better prepared for Hajj and Umrah.

"Every New Yorker deserves to be protected from fraud and exploitation, especially when preparing for an important religious pilgrimage like Hajj or Umrah," said Speaker Julie Menin. "Unfortunately, bad actors have targeted members of our Muslim communities with devastating scams that have cost families thousands of dollars and denied them the opportunity to fulfill a deeply meaningful religious obligation. The Council is taking action to educate New Yorkers on the official avenues to book the holy pilgrimage and protect themselves and their loved ones."

Equipping New Yorkers with Information to Avoid Hajj- and Umrah-related Scams

Introduction 837-A, sponsored by Council Member Yusef Salaam, would direct the Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to establish and implement an ongoing outreach and education program for New York City residents about scams related to Hajj and Umrah. The outreach and education would address fraudulent offers of travel, accommodation, and catering services and visas. It would also recommend practices for identifying fraud and booking-related services. Informational materials would be required to be distributed to the public and posted online.

"Hajj and Umrah are sacred pillars of Islam, and fraudulent travel packages, fake visa brokers, and predatory booking services have for too long targeted New York City Muslims who save for years to make these pilgrimages," said Council Member Yusef Salaam. "Introduction 837-A directs the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to develop multilingual informational materials on Hajj and Umrah-related scams, and requires DCWP, the Commission on Human Rights, the Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the Department for the Aging to distribute those materials to the public and post them on each of their websites, so that any New Yorker preparing for pilgrimage can learn how to recognize fraud, book only through Saudi Arabia's official Hajj and Umrah platform, keep records of every payment, and report bad actors before their savings are lost. The free exercise of religion is enshrined in our Constitution, and this Council is committed to ensuring that New Yorkers can fulfill their sacred obligations without predators standing between them and their faith."

Installing Bike Parking Stations and Posting a Public Map

Introduction 93-A, sponsored by Council Member Gale A. Brewer, would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to install at least 5,000 bicycle parking stations over a period of five years, at a rate of at least 1,000 per year. Of those, at least 2,000 stations must be installed on commercial blocks, at a rate of at least 400 per year. The bicycle parking stations may be installed in the street or on the sidewalk. When identifying potential locations for stations, DOT must consider input from elected officials, community boards, and other interested parties; available data from food delivery services; and other factors, such as proximity to existing or planned biking infrastructure. Additionally, DOT must post online a map of all its bicycle parking stations. Finally, by January 1, 2032, DOT must submit to the Mayor and the City Council, and post online, a report assessing its bicycle parking station program.

"More New Yorkers are relying on bicycles for daily transportation, work, and deliveries, but our infrastructure has not kept pace," said Council Member Gale A. Brewer. "This legislation will require the City to significantly expand bicycle parking stations across all five boroughs, including on commercial corridors where demand is especially high. It also creates a clearer planning process by requiring DOT to consider community input, delivery activity, and existing bike infrastructure, while making the system more transparent through public mapping and reporting. If we want safer, more organized streets, we need infrastructure that reflects how people are actually getting around the city."

Supporting the Passage of Didarul Islam Police Recruitment Act

Resolution 392, sponsored by Council Member Amanda Farías, would call on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.9274/A.10381, also known as the Didarul Islam Police Recruitment Act.

Home Rule Resolutions

• SLR 1 would amend the vehicle and traffic law in relation to owner liability for failure to comply with street cleaning parking rules.
• SLR 2 would amend the general municipal law in relation to special accidental benefits paid to surviving children of deceased first responders, including NYPD Detective Miosotis Familia, who was killed in the line of duty in 2017.
• SLR 3 would amend the New York City administrative code in relation to establishing community improvement projects.
• SLR 4 would amend the retirement and social security law in relation to service retirement benefits for uniformed sanitation members of NYC's employees' retirement system.
• SLR 5 would amend the retirement and social security law in relation to service retirement benefits for uniformed correction members of NYC's employees' retirement system.
• SLR 6 would amend the New York City administrative code and retirement and social security law in relation to increasing the mandatory retirement age for uniform members of the NYPD.
• SLR 7 would authorize Frank R. Smith to receive performance of duty disability retirement benefits.
• SLR 8 would amend the retirement and social security law in relation to determination of salary base for members of the NYC police pension fund.
• SLR 9 would amend the New York City administrative code and retirement and social security law in relation to permitting certain NYC correction and sanitation members to borrow from their accumulated member contributions.
• SLR 10 would grant retroactive Tier IV membership in the NYC teachers' retirement system to certain employees.
• SLR 11 would amend the retirement and social security law in relation to providing a heart disease presumption for certain members employed as probation officers.
• SLR 12 would amend the retirement and social security law in relation to providing for the transfer of service credit between certain retirement systems.
• SLR 13 would amend the retirement and social security law in relation to the restoration of 20-year service retirement for certain NYC correction officers and sanitation workers.
• SLR 14 would amend the retirement and social security law and New York City administrative code in relation to the establishment of 25-year retirement programs for members of NYC employees' retirement system employed as water supply police.
• SLR 15 would amend the retirement and social security law in relation to the eligibility of certain participants in the NYC employees' retirement system to opt into the 25-year retirement program for EMT members.
• SLR 16 would authority the City of New York to sell certain lands now or formerly under the waters of Whale Creek, also known as Wyckoff Creek, which was formerly a tributary of Newtown Creek.
• SLR 17 would amend the general municipal law in relation to disabilities of deputy sheriff members of a retirement system in certain cities.
• SLR 18 would amend the general municipal law in relation to disabilities of deputy sheriffs in certain cities.
• SLR 19 would authorize the City of New York to discontinue certain parkland in Queens.
• SLR 20 would amend the New York City administrative code in relation to requiring the City of New York to replace body armor worn by emergency services personnel every five years.
• SLR 21 would amend the retirement and social security law in relation to the definition of overtime ceiling.

Land Use:

147-14 Northern Boulevard Rezoning - a private application to facilitate the development of two new 11-story buildings with a total of 389 units, up to 116 of which will be permanently affordable under MIH, as well as retail and community facility space and 280 new parking spaces in Deputy Leader Sandra Ung's district.

351 Powers Avenue - an application by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for disposition approval of a City-owned development site to facilitate a new eight-story, mixed-use building with 83 affordable rental units, community facility space, and parking for the Department of Education (DOE) in Deputy Whip Elsie Encarnacion's district.

Approval of two applications for revocable consent to operate a sidewalk cafe:

• Denino's in Council Member Harvey Epstein's district
• Chalong in Council Member Carl Wilson's district.

Finance:

A Transparency Resolution, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, approving new designations and changes of certain organizations receiving funding in the Expense Budget.

Preconsidered Resolution, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would establish the discount percentage for early payment of real estate taxes to be set at 0.5 percent per annum for Fiscal Year 2027.

Preconsidered Resolution, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would establish a partial 40-year, Article V tax exemption for two buildings in Council Member Yusef Salaam's district.

Preconsidered Resolution, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would establish a new 40-year, Article XI tax exemption for a six-story building in Council Member Harvey Epstein's district.

Preconsidered Resolution, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would establish a partial 40-year, Article XI tax exemption for a six-story building in Council Member Rita Joseph's district.

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