The Council will also vote on bills to regulate moped industryCity Hall – With plastic waste wreaking havoc on our planet, the New York City Council is further proving its commitment to reducing plastic waste in our City landfills. Members will vote on a bill to prohibit food service establishments from providing single-use plastic straws, stirrers and splash sticks to customers who don’t ask for them. Plastic straws, which people with disabilities often need, would still be available to those who ask. By making customers pro-actively ask for straws, we will dramatically reduce the amount of single use plastic being used in the largest city in the country. Each year, at least eight million tons of plastic leak into the ocean. If we don’t change our behavior, the World Economic Forum predicts there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.

The Council will also vote on a bill to create food waste prevention programs in our public schools. The bill would require the Chancellor of the Department of Education (DOE) to work with school sustainability coordinators to craft food waste production plans, consistent with a bill the Council recently passed to require that all city agencies with food procurement contracts develop and implement plans to do the same.

Additionally, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the use of mopeds on City streets, but the Department of Transportation (DOT) currently lacks the authority to regulate them. That’s why the Council will vote on a bill to prohibit the operation of a moped share system without DOT approval and require that system operators obtain a permit for each moped in their fleet.

Given the recent rise in acts of vandalism against houses of worship in New York City, the Council will additionally vote on a bill to increase the penalties for the criminal defacement of houses of worship.

The Council will also vote on a bill to improve the location accuracy of the 311 intake map. The bill would require the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DOITT) to consistently assess the interactive map on the 311 website and mobile applications used for 311 service request and complaint intake, ensuring optimal functionality.

The Council will also vote on a Resolution calling on the United States Congress to pass and the President to sign the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. The federal legislation would facilitate expedited reviews of COVID-19 related hate crimes. The need is urgent: 35 anti-Asian hate crimes were reported so far this year in New York City alone, compared to 28 in all of 2020, and just 3 in 2019.

Finally, the Council will vote on several land use items. For further details, see the full release here