Recently, the City Council of New York passed the much-debated “Hotel Safety Bill,” which now mandates that hotels in the city apply for a business license every two years in order to operate. This new legislation has drawn criticism from the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), which issued a statement following the vote, condemning the bill for increasing the burden on businesses and raising costs for travelers.
City Council Member Julie Menin introduced the “Hotel Safety Bill” (Int 991), which stipulates that hotel operators must obtain a two-year business license at a cost of $350. Additionally, the bill prohibits hotels from outsourcing front desk, room service, and maintenance tasks, although small hotels with fewer than 100 rooms are exempt from this requirement.
Menin, who previously served as the director of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, highlighted that New York City currently has over 45,000 licensed businesses, including parking lots and nail salons, yet the hotel industry has not been included in this framework.
In response to the passage of the bill, the AHLA quickly condemned its potential impact, warning that it could cause irreparable harm to New York City’s hotel sector and tourism economy, particularly affecting small and minority-owned businesses. The association argues that the bill does not enhance health and safety standards but instead imposes additional burdens on businesses and increases costs for travelers, ultimately having a detrimental effect on the city’s economy.
The “Hotel Safety Bill” was first introduced in September, and at that time, Huang Huaqing, chairman of the Chinese Hotel Association in the U.S., expressed concerns that the proposal could result in excessive regulatory measures that would hinder normal business operations and damage employment opportunities. He underscored the importance of the hotel industry as a significant source of tax revenue for New York City and emphasized the need for caution regarding such legislation.
On the same day the hotel bill was passed, the City Council also advanced a measure aimed at reforming the juvenile justice system. This new law requires more information and demographic data on youth involved in the justice system to better understand their needs and formulate effective intervention and rehabilitation strategies. Since the state legislature passed the “Raise the Age” law in 2017, New York City has increased the age of criminal prosecution to 18, as it was one of the few states that previously allowed 16 and 17-year-olds to automatically enter adult criminal court.
