New York City Council Approves Landmark Legislation Banning Surveillance Pricing

Speaker Julie Menin's legislation will prevent companies from using personal data to offer different prices to different New Yorkers

Council also passes legislative package in honor of Veterans Day, including property tax exemption for seriously disabled veterans

NEW YORK - Today, the New York City Council approved major legislation that will ban surveillance pricing in the five boroughs. The bill, sponsored by Speaker Julie Menin, will prevent companies from using New Yorkers' personal data and algorithms to sell goods and services at different prices to different consumers, and is among the strongest surveillance pricing bans in the country.

In honor of Veterans Day, the Council also approved a package of bills aimed at improving life for New York City veterans. The package includes two bills that will improve housing access and affordability for veterans: one granting a full property tax exemption for the primary residence of permanently and totally disabled veterans, and the other requiring the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to conduct an annual report on veteran occupancy in city-run Mitchell-Lama housing. A third bill in the package would establish a permanent LGBTQ+ liaison within the Department of Veterans' Services (DVS).

Watch Speaker Menin's pre-Stated press conference here and the Council's Stated Meeting here. Photos will be available here.

Banning Surveillance Pricing in New York City

Introduction 891-A, sponsored by Speaker Julie Menin, would prohibit any entity or service provider from engaging in surveillance pricing, defined as pricing set completely or in part by algorithm that uses personal data to offer different prices to different customers for the same goods or services.

"The City Council is putting consumers first by ending the deceptive and insidious practice of surveillance pricing," said Speaker Julie Menin. "When corporations use algorithms and personal data to charge different people different prices for the same products, it's unethical and worsens our affordability crisis. We take consumer protection extremely seriously, and we will continue fighting to lower prices and stop predatory corporate tactics."

Surveillance pricing is invisible to consumers, making it difficult to identify, but reports suggest the practice is occurring in a variety of industries. One investigation found that a major grocery delivery platform was engaging in algorithmic pricing experiments that resulted in individualized price differences as high as 23 percent. Another investigation found that the price of a television at one retailer increased from $499.99 to $599.99 when the consumer pulled into the store's parking lot. A behavioral economist who worked for a major ride-share company revealed that the application increases prices when a consumer's phone battery is low because they might not otherwise be able to get home if they do not accept the high offer. The Council aims to end these predatory practices and protect New York consumers with this landmark ban.

Read the full announcement here.

Supporting New York City Veterans

Introduction 1051-A, sponsored by Council Member Frank Morano, would provide that the primary residence of any permanently and totally disabled veteran shall be fully exempt from taxation and special district charges, assessments and special ad valorem levies, provided that such veteran meets all other applicable requirements of section 458-a of the real property tax law.

"On Veterans Day, we thank the men and women who served our country," said Council Member Frank Morano. "The very next day, we're backing up those words with action. New York State has already given local governments the authority to eliminate property taxes for veterans who are 100 percent disabled as a result of their military service, and it's about time New York City did its part. These men and women have sacrificed enough, and they shouldn't have to worry about being taxed out of their own homes. We're talking about meaningful relief for approximately 4,500 veteran households at a cost to the city of less than $5 million. I'm grateful to Speaker Julie Menin and my colleagues from both parties for helping us deliver something more meaningful than another Veterans Day proclamation."

Introduction 488-A, sponsored by Council Member Inna Vernikov, would require an annual report from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development on the number of veterans or their surviving spouses applying for housing in city-run Mitchell-Lama developments and the number of veterans being selected for occupancy, to ensure that applicants benefiting from a veteran preference are in fact veterans.

"Too many NYC veterans lack quality housing, and too few know about their options," said Council Member Inna Vernikov. "My bill, Intro 488, mandates a report verifying that applicants receiving the veterans preference in Mitchell-Lama housing are in fact veterans and veteran spouses. This is a measure of progress designed to encourage the Department of Veteran Services to connect more veterans to the underutilized Mitchell-Lama housing benefit. I thank Speaker Menin and Veteran Committee Chair Morano for helping me advance this meaningful step for veterans in our city."

Introduction 928-A, sponsored by Council Member David Carr, would establish an LGBTQ+ liaison within the department of veterans' services. The liaison would be tasked with conducting outreach to LGBTQ+ veterans, coordinating the department's assistance with discharge characterization upgrades for LGBTQ+ veterans, and connecting LGBTQ+ veterans with programs and services offered by the department of veterans' services and other relevant agencies.

"Years after the military rescinded its infamous 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, there are still thousands of veterans who were unjustly denied honorable discharges due to their identity, and have yet to receive the benefits they earned," said Minority Leader David M. Carr. "This legislation builds on a law passed by our predecessors that requires the city Department of Veterans' Services to extend city benefits to these veterans by ensuring there is a dedicated liaison whose main mission would be to assist them with getting reviews of their status to upgrade their discharges and to connect them with the assistance they need. These patriots who served our country deserve nothing less."

Read the full Veterans Day package announcement here.

Establishing Deadlines for Traffic Safety Improvements Near Schools

Introduction 202-A, sponsored by Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to make reasonable efforts to install traffic safety improvements, including stop signs, speed reducers, traffic signals, and designated school loading zones, within 120 days of determining through a traffic study that such improvements are appropriate on streets adjacent to schools, or within 180 days for traffic signals, subject to certain exceptions.

"Streets near schools are some of the most heavily trafficked areas in the entire city, and yet many schools lack traffic calming or controlling devices," said Council Member Jennifer Gutierrez. "Today, with the passage of my bill, Intro 202, that changes. Today, we give parents and teachers peace of mind, and we save children's lives. We do this by creating a firm standard for action while recognizing that major transportation projects require separate timelines - keeping safety urgent without disrupting long-term planning."

Requiring Centralized City Support for Converting Non-Residential Spaces into Housing

Introduction 178-A, sponsored by Council Member Harvey Epstein, would require the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Department of Buildings (DOB), Department of City Planning (DCP), Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), and Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to provide centralized technical assistance to developers and owners seeking to convert non-residential space into residential units. This support would include designating a liaison to facilitate interagency communications and respond to inquiries from prospective and current conversion applicants, maintaining a publicly available website to provide educational materials on conversions, liaising with federal and New York State authorities on permits and relevant grant, loan, and tax programs, and collecting data on conversions in the City.

"Thanks to the Speaker and Chair Sanchez for their work to advance this common sense legislation to centralize information across agencies and facilitate the creation of new affordable housing," said Council Member Harvey Epstein. "Bureaucracy cannot become a barrier to addressing our housing crisis and with Intro 178, we are cutting red tape and ensuring affordable housing developers have the information they need to put permanently affordable units online safely and efficiently."

Recognizing the Impact of The Shangri-Las on Music

Resolution 163-A, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha Williams, would designate the fourth week of November as The Shangri-Las Week in the City of New York and celebrate The Shangri-Las' indelible impact on the music of the 1960s and ever since.

"From their beginnings in Cambria Heights, The Shangri-Las helped redefine what was possible for girl groups in the 1960s," said Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha Williams. "At a time when young women in music were often expected to fit a particular image, they challenged those expectations with a sound and presence that set them apart. Their influence extended well beyond the pop charts, reaching artists like Debbie Harry, the Ramones, and Amy Winehouse across generations and genres. As the Council Member representing Cambria Heights, I'm especially proud to recognize their contributions to American music and ensure that their pioneering role and lasting influence are celebrated as part of New York City's cultural history. I also want to thank my former colleague and co-sponsor Justin Brannan, who played in a band himself and has long appreciated The Shangri-Las' music, for joining me in honoring their legacy."

Land Use:

South Richmond Designated Open Space Amendment - An application submitted by the NYC Department of City Planning's Staten Island office for a zoning text amendment to modify the Designated Open Space (DOS) boundaries within the South Richmond Development District (SRD) in Council Member Frank Morano's district.

Studio 54 Rehabilitation and Text Amendment - An application submitted by Roundabout Theater Company, for a zoning text amendment to allow more flexibility for the transfer and sale of development rights and a special permit to authorize the granting of 187,783 square feet of bonus floor area in exchange for the substantial rehabilitation of the Studio 54 theater in Council Member Carl Wilson's district.

Finance:

Preconsidered Resolution, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would determine a 0.3 percent increase of the current base proportion of any class of real property over the adjusted based proportion of the immediately preceding year for purposes of determining the current base proportion for Fiscal 2027.

Preconsidered Resolution, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would amend and restate the resolution computing and certifying base percentage, current percentage, and current base proportion of each class of real property for Fiscal 2027 to the State Board of Real Property Tax Services pursuant to Section 1803-a of the Real Property Tax Law.

Preconsidered Resolution, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would amend and restate the resolution computing and certifying adjusted base proportion of each class of real property for Fiscal 2027 to the State Board of Real Property Tax Services pursuant to Section 1803-a of the Real Property Tax Law.

Preconsidered Resolution, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would amend and restate the resolution to provide the amounts necessary for the support of the government of the City of New York and the counties therein and for the payment of indebtedness thereof, for the Fiscal Year beginning on July 1, 2026 and ending on June 30, 2027, by the levy of taxes on the real property in the City of New York, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the State of New York, the Real Property Law and the Charter of the City of New York. The amounts necessary for the support of the government of the City of New York and the counties therein and for the payment of indebtedness thereof, for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2026 and ending on June 20, 2027, by the levy of taxes on the real property in the City of New York, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the State of New York, the Real Property Tax Law and the Charter of the City of New York.

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