Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection meeting
April 29, 2026, 10:00 AM
The Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection held hearings on six bills and three resolutions related to consumer and worker protections, including legislation to establish a public outreach program (Int 0837), amend the NYC Charter on consumer oversight (Int 0285, Int 0685), and resolutions calling on the State Legislature to act on labor and consumer matters (Res 0387, Res 0389, Res 0395). No votes were taken.
What was discussed
- Committee convenes and the administration panel is sworn in The Sergeant-at-Arms opened the hybrid hearing of the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection and Committee Counsel administered the affirmation to the administration witnesses before testimony began.
- Opening statements on the consumer- and worker-protection package Chairperson Harvey Epstein opened the hearing on six bills and three resolutions. Speaker Julie Menin framed the proposed Office of Insurance Accountability as a response to soaring premiums, Council Member Gale Brewer previewed her resolution urging Albany action on insurance, and Council Member
- Administration testimony from DCWP and the Mayor's climate office Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung testified on the Office of the Utility Advocate (Int 0285) and DCWP Commissioner Samuel Levine testified on the department's consumer-protection bills. Both said they supported the intent of the legislation while flagging fiscal costs and the state's overlapping
- Can the city force down insurance costs, or only the state? Speaker Julie Menin, Chairperson Harvey Epstein, and Council Member Gale Brewer pressed the DCWP panel on the proposed Office of Insurance Accountability (Int 0685). Commissioner Samuel Levine and Chief of Staff Carlos Ortiz said DCWP cannot control insurance prices — that authority rests with the
- What would the Office of the Utility Advocate do, and how is it staffed? Chairperson Harvey Epstein questioned Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung on Int 0285. Yeung said the office would need four new staff and about $1.37 million, would represent the city in state and federal utility rate cases, and had launched an energy-affordability study; she drew a parallel to the
- What role should the city play on cryptocurrency scams? Chairperson Harvey Epstein pressed Commissioner Samuel Levine on Int 0286. Levine said DCWP lacks crypto expertise today but could build outreach and education capacity — estimating two community coordinators and about $120,000 for materials — and could refer criminal-fraud complaints to prosecutors
- Why so few complaints about pilgrimage and travel scams? On the outreach-program bill (Int 0837), Commissioner Samuel Levine told Chairperson Harvey Epstein that DCWP had received only two Hajj-related scam complaints since 2021, attributing the low number to lack of awareness rather than lack of harm. Chief of Staff Carlos Ortiz said the agency's staff
- Can the city curb tourist scams before the World Cup? Commissioner Samuel Levine told Chairperson Harvey Epstein that implementing Int 0847 in time for the World Cup was not realistic, but described existing anti-scam work — the hotel junk-fee rule, and pedicab and ticket-seller enforcement task forces. He noted that tourists often leave the city
- How would a utility advocate help constituents hit by the January blackout? Council Member Chi Ossé questioned Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung about Con Edison's high bills and the January blackout in his district. Yeung said her office represents the city in Con Ed rate cases, had previously won a ban on electric shutoffs around heat waves (protections since weakened at
- Beyond advocacy, what can the city actually do to lower Con Ed rates? Council Member Gale Brewer, calling herself jaded, asked what the city could do beyond advocacy given the state's authority. Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung explained the roughly year-long rate-case process, said the office would push utilities on return on equity and affordability programs and
- Small businesses and brokers on the Office of Insurance Accountability Four witnesses testified on Int 0685. Staten Island Chamber of Commerce President Linda Baran and commercial insurance broker Lauren Aquino urged that licensed brokers be written into the bill and warned that oversimplified guidance could mislead small businesses. National Supermarket Association
- Affordable-housing insurance costs and New York litigation John Crotty of the Milford Street Association testified that his group overlaid the state court database against NYU Furman Center affordable-housing addresses and found affordable buildings sued at disproportionately high rates. He argued the city should aggregate affordable-housing insurance onto
- Hearing adjourned With no further witnesses signed up to testify, Chairperson Harvey Epstein adjourned the hearing.
Agenda
9 items
- Res 0395-2026 Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.6356/A.4188 prohibiting increases in rates of homeowners’ insurance in excess of twenty-five percent per year Hearing Held by Committee
- Res 0389-2026 Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, the Automobile Insurance Consumer Information Act (S.1196/A.3893) Hearing Held by Committee
- Res 0387-2026 Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, A.07828A/S.07939, A.9015 and A.9016A to mitigate the rising cost of property insurance for affordable housing Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0847-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to providing outreach and education on consumer protection issues that affect tourists Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0837-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a public outreach and education program regarding Hajj and Umrah-related scams Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0685-2026 A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to establishing an office of insurance affordability Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0417-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the posting of information relating to wage theft at construction sites Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0286-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to outreach and education regarding deceptive and unconscionable trade practices involving cryptocurrency and other digital assets Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0285-2026 A Local Law to amend the New York city charter and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to expanding the outreach and advocacy duties of the office of the utility advocate Hearing Held by Committee