City Council Legislation: Bills and Local Laws

This dataset contains information on New York City bills from 1998 through 2024.

The New York City Council is the City’s legislative body, responsible for proposing, debating, and voting on legislation that affects all aspects of city governance. The legislative process for Introductions in NYC follows these steps:

Bill Introduced – A bill is introduced by a Council Member and assigned a number.

Committee Hearings – The bill is referred to a committee for review, where public hearings may be held for discussion, public comment, and stakeholder engagement.

Committee Vote – The committee votes on whether to advance the bill to the full Council.

Full Council Vote – If approved by the committee, the bill is voted on by the entire Council. A majority vote is required for passage.

Mayoral Action – Once passed by the Council, the bill is sent to the Mayor, who may sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature. If vetoed, the Council can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote.

Enactment – Once signed or passed via override, the bill is assigned a local law number and becomes part of the city’s legal code. Bills may be enacted immediately, or upon a date defined in the bill.

This dataset provides information on all introductions, regardless of whether they were enacted.