A 11620: Prohibits local laws from requiring certain storefront security gates or grilles comply with certain conditions; extends the provisions concerning existing storefront security gates or grilles.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 11620  IN ASSEMBLY July 29, 2026 ___________ Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Chang) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments AN ACT to amend the general business law and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to protecting small businesses and commercial property owners from local mandates requiring the replace- ment of certain storefront security gates or grilles, and extending the compliance deadline for existing storefront security gate or grille visibility requirements The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 2 399-ww to read as follows: 3 § 399-ww. Storefront security gates and grilles. 1. For the purposes 4 of this section: 5 (a) "Existing storefront security gate or grille" shall mean a store- 6 front security gate or grille installed prior to July first, two thou- 7 sand twenty-six. 8 (b) "Local government" shall mean any county, city, town, village, or 9 any agency, department, board, bureau, commission, office, or other 10 entity thereof. 11 (c) "Storefront security gate or grille" shall mean any roll down 12 gate, roll down grille, security grille, metal gate, or similar protec- 13 tive barrier installed at or near the exterior entrance, window, or 14 storefront of a building or premises used in whole or in part for busi- 15 ness, professional, commercial, retail, or mercantile purposes. 16 2. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any local law, ordi- 17 nance, rule, regulation, building code, construction code, administra- 18 tive code, or policy, no local government shall require the owner or 19 operator of a business, or the owner of real property used in whole or 20 in part for business, professional, commercial, retail, or mercantile 21 purposes, to remove, replace, alter, modify, or discontinue the use of 22 an existing storefront security gate or grille solely on the basis that 23 such gate or grille does not satisfy a required percentage of transpar- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD16085-01-6 
 A. 11620 2 1 ency, openness, visibility, or visual access from a sidewalk, street, or 2 other public place. 3 3. No local government shall impose a civil penalty, fine, summons, 4 violation, permit condition, certificate of correction requirement, or 5 other enforcement action against any person or entity for failure to 6 remove, replace, alter, modify, or discontinue the use of an existing 7 storefront security gate or grille where such enforcement is based sole- 8 ly on a requirement described in subdivision two of this section. 9 4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a local 10 government from enforcing laws, rules, regulations, or codes relating to 11 fire safety, emergency egress, structural safety, accessibility, elec- 12 trical safety, landmark preservation, or unsafe conditions, provided 13 that such enforcement is not based solely on the transparency, openness, 14 visibility, or visual access percentage of an existing storefront secu- 15 rity gate or grille. 16 5. Any local law, ordinance, rule, regulation, building code, 17 construction code, administrative code, or policy inconsistent with this 18 section shall be preempted and superseded to the extent of such incon- 19 sistency. 20 § 2. Section 28-315.7.1 of the administrative code of the city of New 21 York, as amended by section 3 of part A of local law number 126 of the 22 city of New York for the year 2021, is amended to read as follows: 23 § 28-315.7.1 Security grilles on buildings in occupancy groups B or M. 24 Security grilles abutting sidewalks on buildings in occupancy groups B 25 or M shall comply with the retroactive requirements of item 4 of section 26 1010.1.4.4 of the New York city building code. On and after July 1, 27 [2026] 2031, such grilles when closed shall permit visibility from the 28 sidewalk of at least 70 percent of the area covered by such grille. 29 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.