Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Holds Public Hearing for and Signs Intros. 701-A, 721-A, 805-A, 814-A, 819, 818-A, 832-A and 763-A

March 28, 2016

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Alright. Good afternoon, everyone. My apology for the delay. We had a tabletop exercise at One Police Plaza, and then the press conference afterwards that went over – so, my apology. Welcome to the hearing.

First, we have two bills that will raise environmental standards for our city's buildings and capital projects. Climate change is an existential threat to New Yorkers and to our entire planet. It is our moral imperative to act and to act fast. Our plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 requires a tremendous effort by our city to harness clean energy and build greener buildings.

Intro. 701-A sets low energy intensity targets for city capital projects. And, from this day forward, requires City-owned buildings that are built, expanded, or reconstructed to reach those targets. The sponsor is Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

This will ensure our buildings conserve as much energy as possible, and also generate renewable energy where possible.

The next bill, Intro. 721-A, updates the city's green building code to require more city capital projects meet higher LEED standards – L-E-E-D standards. The sponsor is Council Member Jumaane Williams.

LEED is a nationally recognized system for rating green buildings. LEED certified buildings help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while saving energy and money. And over a decade ago, the city passed a local law creating the first LEED building standards for our own capital projects. Intro. 721-A raises those standards from LEED Silver to LEED Gold.

With all of these measures and more, we're ensuring that the City of New York is doing its part for a greener and more sustainable future.

I want to thank Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

And now I'd like to introduce the Director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability, Nilda Mesa.

[...]

Mayor: This bill is now law.

[Applause]

Mayor: Democracy is moving smoothly, here we go.

Next we have a package of legislation that strengthens our city's Human Rights Law. Our Human Rights Law is already one of the strongest and most comprehensive in the nation, but there's always more we can do to make our city fairer and more inclusive than ever. The law already prohibits anyone who owns, leases, runs, or manages a public accommodation from denying a person access to a product or service for discriminatory reasons. Intro. 805-A goes further and adds franchiser, franchisee, and lessor to the list of people who cannot discriminate by refusing someone public accommodations on the basis of gender, race, disability or any other protected class. Sponsor is Council Member Daniel Dromm.

No New Yorker should be denied a service because of who they are or who they are perceived to be. Intro. 814-A clarifies that the Human Rights Law must be interpreted broadly in order to maximize civil rights protections in all circumstances. The sponsor is Council Member Brad Lander. It requires that any exemptions or exceptions to the Human Rights Law be construed as narrowly and specifically as possible. This will insure that people can't use those exceptions as an excuse to discriminate.

Intro. 818-A gives the Human Rights Commission the authority to award attorney's fees to prevailing complainants who have brought a case before the Commission. Sponsor is Council Member Darlene Mealy. Too often New Yorkers who have been the victims of discrimination have had to pay the price – not once, but twice. Suffering an act of harassment or violence is troubling or traumatic to begin with. When they seek justice they're often forced to pay out of their own pockets to cover their legal fees. While this bill won't take back the physical or psychological damage done, it will help cover the cost of their legal fees if they win their suit.

Intro. 819-A removes antiquated language regarding sexual orientation from the New York City Human Rights Law. Sponsor is Council Member Rosie Mendez.

Intro. 832-A makes it unlawful to deny someone housing because he or she is a victim of domestic violence. The sponsor is Council Member Jumaane Williams. Domestic violence tears apart the lives of so many – so many individuals and their children so often. It's a fundamental challenge facing our city made more difficult by the stigma attached to it. In so many cases it means a family becomes homeless because they've had to flee their home for their own safety. And because some victims of domestic violence are then denied a place to live – I'm sorry, and some victims of domestic violence are then denied a place to live because they are or are believed to be victims. This is painful reality that we do not accept. With this bill we stand up for what's right – an equal opportunity to live anywhere no matter who you are.

Now it's my pleasure to introduce the Chair of the New York City Human Rights Commission, Carmelyn Malalis.

[...]

It has been a busy time. Keep up the good work.

[...]

Mayor: Alright, we have one more bill. Everybody in the middle aisle there I need you to just help us move along a little. So we got one more bill here. Here we go.

Intro. 763-A. Finally we have a bill that adds more transparency to the activity within our city's jails. Intro. 763-A requires the Department of Correction to report each month on all forms of violence in city jails. The sponsor is Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland. Previously, I signed a bill requiring the Department of Correction to report on violence among adolescents in our jails. This bill expands that reporting to cover inmates of all ages. If there is any violence in our jails, whether it's violence against an inmate or against an officer, the public deserves to know.

Now, a number of reforms are already underway at the Department of Correction. We made unprecedented investments for 100 percent camera-coverage of all DOC facilities. We've invested in X-ray machines and other security measures. We are also hiring more officers, and giving every officer specialized training to help them respond safely to inmates with mental illness. And we've already seen a decrease in the most serious violence from 2014 to 2015. The most serious use of violence towards inmates went down 23 percent, and the most serious assaults on staff went down 11 percent. But there is much more work to do, and we must keep our inmates and our officers even safer.

I want to thank Speaker Mark-Viverito; Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland; Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, Chair of the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice, and the Commissioner of DOC, Joseph Ponte.

We will now – actually let me say a few words in Spanish and then we will sign the last bill.

[Mayor speaks in Spanish]

Mayor: With that we will sign the last piece.

[...]

Mayor: This bill is now law.

[Applause]