Committee on Health meeting
July 15, 2026, 10:00 AM
The Committee on Health held a hearing on Int 0943, a bill that would prohibit the operation of horse drawn cabs and repeal several related sections of the administrative code.
What was discussed
- Sergeant-at-Arms opens the Committee on Health hearing The Sergeant-at-Arms welcomed attendees, asked the packed balcony and floor to be seated, called for cell phones to be silenced and decorum to be kept, and turned the proceeding over to the Chair.
- Chair Schulman convenes the hearing and holds a moment of silence for Romanch Mahajan Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Committee on Health, opened the hearing on Intro 943, recounted the June 17 death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan after a carriage horse bolted in Central Park, and led a moment of silence before recognizing the members present.
- Speaker Menin's opening: end the industry while protecting the workers Speaker Julie Menin framed the hearing as a turning point, saying nearly 70% of New Yorkers support phasing out horse carriages and committing to strong worker protections and a path to new jobs for drivers even as the Council moves to end the practice; she offered condolences to the Mahajan family.
- Chair Schulman outlines what Intro 943 would do Council Member Lynn Schulman described the bill's provisions: prohibiting new operator licenses after June 1, 2028 and barring horse-drawn cab operation after that date, requiring humane disposition of retired horses (no sale or transfer for slaughter), and directing DCWP and the Mayor's Office of
- Sponsor Council Member Marte makes the case for Romanch's Law Council Member Christopher Marte, the sponsor, argued the industry cannot be reformed, citing 128 documented accidents and 30 horse deaths over 34 years; he said hitching posts and added driver training are not real fixes, that owners had refused to let an independent city veterinarian fully inspect
- Romanch Mahajan's family testifies in support of a full ban Romanch's parents Deepak and Priya Mahajan, his uncle Gorav Mahajan, aunts Navdeep Magat and Sovia Thukral, and family attorney Sagar Chadha (Liakas Law) described the June 17 carriage ride in which the driver stepped away to take a photo, the horse bolted, and Romanch died trying to protect his
- Administration witnesses are sworn in The Committee Counsel administered the oath to the administration's witnesses before their testimony.
- Health Department and DCWP testify that the administration supports winding down the industry Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff (DOHMH) said the administration, under Mayor Mamdani, supports the intent of Intro 943 and described the Health Department's role licensing horses, reviewing veterinary and furlough records, and running the driver-training course; she and Deputy Commissioner Carlos
- Has the city ever suspended a carriage license, and where is the data to justify a ban? Council Member James Gennaro pressed the administration on why it backs a ban without presenting enforcement data; Deputy Commissioner Carlos Ortiz said there have been no recent driver-license or medallion suspensions but pointed to the inherent challenges of horses in urban traffic, while Speaker
- What is the administration's position on the unattended-horse incident, and how many workers would a ban affect? Speaker Menin asked about the fatal incident and worker impact; Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff said the Administrative Code clearly bars leaving a horse unattended and that enforcement of the incident is under review, and Deputy Commissioner Carlos Ortiz said there are 208 licensed drivers
- How many horses and stables are there, and how does the city inspect them? Council Member Lynn Schulman pressed for counts and enforcement records; Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff said just under 160 horses were licensed at the end of June across three stables, that DOHMH inspects stables two to three times a year with six inspectors and contract equine vets, that there
- What does the driver-training course cover, and can training stop a horse from bolting? Council Member Lynn Schulman asked about the operator's course and whether risks can be trained away; Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff described a classroom exam plus a practical test with an equine vet, said the $25 course is English-only and was offered fewer than four times in 2025 (18
- Was the Health Department's independent vet exam truly independent, and would the administration accept a shorter phase-out? Council Member Christopher Marte asked about the late-2025 pilot in which one veterinarian, chosen because they were not already tied to the industry, examined 12 horses in the stables; Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff confirmed the pilot's scope, and Deputy Commissioner Carlos Ortiz said the
- How much staff time goes to horses, and what would worker 'transition' actually mean? Council Member Harvey Epstein drew out that DOHMH devotes roughly one full-time-equivalent health inspector to the carriage industry; Deputy Commissioner Carlos Ortiz said 'transition' means securing employment outcomes for workers through workforce development, with the target industries to be
- Who will make sure retired carriage horses are actually cared for? Council Member Carl Wilson, who lives near the stables, pressed on follow-up at sanctuaries and retirement farms; Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff said DOHMH is still reviewing how it would collect and share placement information, and Deputy Commissioner Carlos Ortiz said the Mayor's Office of
- At what point must a regulator admit an activity's risk cannot be regulated away? Council Member Frank Morano asked whether any regulation could eliminate a horse's instinct to bolt and whether the city would ever approve such an industry if it were proposed new today; Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff and Deputy Commissioner Carlos Ortiz said the point was well taken and was
- Who pays for rehoming the horses, and are stable hands covered by the transition? Council Member Mercedes Narcisse asked about financial responsibility for the horses and whether stable hands and other workers—not just drivers—qualify for transition benefits; Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff said the bill directs DOHMH to gather placement information and collect owner
- How do the agencies coordinate enforcement, and did other cities' worker programs work? Council Member Gale Brewer asked about DOHMH–NYPD coordination, other cities' transition programs, and alternatives like pedicabs; Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff described routine communication with NYPD around weather suspensions, and Deputy Commissioner Carlos Ortiz said DCWP had not yet
- What oversight does the Health Department actually have, and how many violations has it issued? Council Member Shahana Hanif asked about DOHMH's authority and enforcement record; Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff said owners must obtain veterinary exams every four to eight months and prove five weeks of annual furlough, and reported that from 2023 through April 2026 the department issued 17
- Did DCWP contact any carriage workers under Executive Order 56, and were the horses that died inspected first? Council Member Phil Wong asked what DCWP did under Mayor Adams's Executive Order 56 and about inspections of horses that later died; Deputy Commissioner Carlos Ortiz said the prior First Deputy Mayor's office led worker outreach and DCWP provided contact data, and Deputy Commissioner Corinne Schiff
Agenda
1 item
- Int 0943-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to prohibiting the operation of horse drawn cabs, and to repeal sections 17-334.1, 19-174, 20-377, 20-377.1, 20-380, 20-381, 20-381.1, 20-381.2, 20-382 and subdivisions b, c, and d of section 20-383 of the Hearing Held by Committee