MAYOR GIULIANI CONSIDERS PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON INTRO. NUMBER 804-A, PROHIBITING THE PUBLIC DISPLAY OF DISCRIMINATORY PRICING BASED ON GENDER
The next bill before me for consideration is Introductory Number 804-A, which was introduced by Council Members Koslowitz, Eristoff, Stabile, Wooten, and Public Advocate Mark Green. This legislation would amend the administrative code of the City of New York, in relation to the public display of discriminatory pricing based on gender.
Specifically, this legislation would prohibit the disclosure of differing prices based upon gender by a retail service establishment. The primary purpose of this bill is to prohibit certain businesses, such as hair cutting and dry cleaning establishments, that have presumptively and historically engaged in basing the prices they charge for their services on gender, from continuing to do so.
This bill will allow the Department of Consumer Affairs to issue violations for those businesses that publicly display such differing prices based upon gender. The posting of the aforementioned discriminatory prices is a form of discrimination that is already prohibited by the City's Human Rights Law. The Human Rights Commission currently has the authority to bring individual actions against persons who engage in gender-based pricing discrimination.
My Administration has been consistent in the fight against discrimination in any form. The Human Rights Commission, last year alone, brought 13 actions against dry cleaning and hair cutting businesses for gender pricing discrimination. While I support the concept and intent of this legislation, I believe it may be duplicative and could cause conflict and confusion between governmental entities given the same mission.
Again, while this concern is not determinative of my decision to approve or disapprove this legislation, I would like to reserve final judgment until such time as I have had the chance to hear and consider the public testimony.
I will now turn to the sponsors of this legislation, other elected officials, and then to any one else who wishes to be heard for or against the bill.
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