REMARKS
Council Member Julie Menin Opens Consumer And Worker Protection Committee Vote on Lithium-Ion Battery Safety and Vendor Regulation
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Council Member Julie Menin leads the Consumer And Worker Protection Committee vote, focusing on lithium-ion battery safety and vendor regulations.
- Menin begins by acknowledging her fellow committee members and paying condolences to the victims of a recent fire caused by a lithium-ion battery.
- She underlines the voting on two critical bills aimed to enhance lithium-ion battery safety, sparked by the recent tragedy.
- Proposed introductions 19a and 21a, sponsored by Council Member Brewer, target the sales, rental, and certification of lithium-ion battery-powered devices.
- Additionally, Menin discusses three bills she sponsored to streamline regulations for mobile food vendors and general vendors in NYC.
- These include proposed introductions 49A, 50A, and 51A, which aim to simplify vending regulations and prevent vending in bicycle lanes.
Julie Menin
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Good morning, and welcome to today's Okay.
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Okay.
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Great.
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Good morning, and welcome to today's Consumer And Worker Protection Committee vote.
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I am chair Julie Menin.
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I want to, first of all, wreck ignize my fellow committee members who are here, council member Krishna, and majority leader, Farias, and council member, Brewer.
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Last Friday, a fire caused by a lithium ion battery ripped through a Harlem apartment building, killing twenty seven year old Fazalcon and injuring 22 others.
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We send our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy, particularly Mister Khan's family, and those who were injured.
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This horrific fire, the 31st, caused by lithium ion batteries in the city this year, underscores the importance of two bills we are voting on today.
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Each of these bills aims to address factors that cause lithium ion battery fires.
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It's critical that individuals who use lithium ion batter powered devices are aware of proper use, storage, and charging practices.
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Proposed introduction 19a, sponsored by council member brewer, would require all businesses that sell rent or lease ebikes, e scooters, and other personal mobility devices powered by lithium ion batteries to post safety information.
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Online retailers would also be responsible for posting such safety information.
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It is also crucial that businesses that trade in lithium ion batteries and power devices only sell, rent or lease products that have gone through testing and certification for safety.
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Proposed introduction 21a, also sponsored by council member Brewer, would increase the penalties for businesses sell, lease, or rent illegal, uncertified power mobility devices and batteries.
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The bill would also authorize DCWP and the fire department to seal business with repeat violations.
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We are also voting on 3 bills that I sponsored related to street vending that aimed to clarify and streamline requirements for mobile food vendors and general vendors in New York City.
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Proposed introduction number 49A would allow mobile food vendors to display or store goods on top of their carts, and it would simplify the display requirements for general vendors.
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This bill would also remove bookkeeping requirements for general vendors and mobile food vendors.
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Proposed introduction number 50a would eliminate the requirement that individual employees of mobile food vending carts are trucks.
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Each must have a New York state certificate of sales tax authority.
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This bill would also remove the requirement that vendors obtain a tax clearance certificate from the Department of Finance each time that they renew their license.
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And then finally proposed introduction number 51a would prohibit general vendors, mobile food vendors, and vendor related activity from occupying bicycle lanes.
