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What are some notable laws passed by Jumaane Williams during his term as Public Advocate?
Executive Summary
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams sponsored and advanced a mix of tenant-protection, criminal-justice reform, and small-business support laws during his term, with notable victories including the “Worst Landlord Law” (passed May 2023) and bills to create a Street Vendor Office and end solitary confinement in city jails (2023–2025). Coverage and legislative records show Williams introduced dozens of bills, passed multiple local laws in 2023, and continued to pursue housing, public safety, and small-business measures through 2024–2025 [1] [2] [3].
1. Why the “Worst Landlord Law” became a headline — fraud prevention and stiffer penalties
The most widely reported legislative success attributed to Williams is the Worst Landlord Law, which the City Council passed in May 2023 to curb fraudulent repair practices and raise penalties for landlords who fail to fix hazardous violations. The law bars unscrupulous owners from self-certifying repairs and increases financial exposure for noncompliance, aiming to make enforcement more effective against landlords who game the system rather than remedy dangerous conditions [1]. Advocates framed the law as strengthening tenant protections and accelerating remediation timelines; critics in landlord and property owner circles argued it could increase costs and bureaucratic hurdles for routine building maintenance. The May 2023 passage date is consistently reported in contemporary coverage and municipal summaries, and the law sits alongside other tenant-protection efforts Williams supported during his tenure [1] [4].
2. Street vendors and the push to un-criminalize small-scale commerce
In 2025 Williams advanced Intro 408 to establish a Street Vendor Office intended to centralize resources, provide education, and move away from criminal enforcement of vending activity. The bill’s stated purpose is to protect New York’s smallest businesses by creating a regulatory framework that reduces arrests and penalties while offering licensing and training support [2]. Supporters describe the measure as pro-entrepreneurship and equity-focused; opponents raise concerns about enforcement capacity, sidewalk congestion, and business competition dynamics. The 2025 reporting frames this as part of a broader Williams agenda to shift enforcement priorities from criminalization to administrative regulation, a stance consistent with his prior criminal-justice and economic-justice initiatives [2].
3. Criminal-justice reforms: ending solitary confinement and increasing police reporting
Williams’ legislative portfolio includes criminal-justice reforms reported as passed or advanced in 2023, notably measures aiming to end or restrict solitary confinement in city jails (Intro 549-A) and require the NYPD to log and report investigative encounters (Intro 586-A). A December 2023 summary credits Williams with passage of 11 bills that year across public safety and jail reform themes, reflecting a sustained focus on custodial conditions and police accountability [3]. These initiatives drew support from civil-rights and decarceration advocates and criticism from some public-safety stakeholders who warned of operational challenges; the council files and summaries from 2023 place these measures firmly within that year’s legislative activity [3].
4. Broader legislative footprint: dozens of bills, some long-standing achievements
Municipal reporting and Williams’ own legislative histories indicate he introduced numerous bills—reports cite figures such as 65 introduced bills and sponsorship of many more—and that his record includes longstanding measures like the Fair Chance Act (Ban the Box) and tenant-harassment definitions and fines enacted earlier in his career [5] [6] [4]. The city documents show Williams’ strategy blends high-profile, single-issue laws with incremental regulatory changes, from waste containerization proposals in large buildings to commemorative signage marking historical sites like Wall and Pearl Streets [7] [8]. Observers note the mixture of symbolic and substantive legislation suggests a dual emphasis on policy change and public-education initiatives.
5. How to reconcile coverage differences and what’s still unsettled
Sources vary in emphasis and scope: some compile Williams’ entire legislative record and long-term accomplishments, while news reports highlight discrete wins like the Worst Landlord Law [1] [4]. Timing differences appear—some reforms are clustered in 2023 with follow-up proposals continuing through 2024–2025, such as the Street Vendor Office effort [2] [3]. Potential agendas are evident: tenant-advocacy outlets and Williams’ communications highlight tenant protections and decarceration wins, while municipal council reports catalog procedural details and passage dates. For a definitive, up-to-date inventory of laws enacted during Williams’ Public Advocate term, the City Council’s legislative files and the Public Advocate’s official accomplishments pages provide contemporaneous records and text for each local law mentioned [8] [4].