New Law
The legal profession is constantly changing, and it’s important to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the field. New law can mean new legislation, different ways of practicing, or a non-traditional way of doing business. It’s a term that can be hard to define, but it often means using strategies and methods that aren’t the standard approach in a law firm. This can include using technology, focusing on process and embracing a new kind of clientele.
This month, New York will begin to use a new system for recording criminal convictions. The new system will record convictions in an electronic database and will be accessible to the public. The change will make it easier for victims to access records and help law enforcement to catch criminals.
Other state laws that will take effect in the new year include a bill that will allow landlords to charge tenants only one month’s rent as a security deposit. Another will prevent cities and counties from imposing nuisance ordinances that penalize or encourage people to move out of an area. Another will allow churches, nonprofit colleges and other institutions to build affordable housing on their property. A third will increase the amount of time that a person can be placed on an involuntary mental health hold. And a fourth will give consumers the power to request that data brokers delete their personal information.
In addition, the federal government will continue to fight the opioid and fentanyl crisis. For example, under a law called Matthew’s Law, the government will provide communities with resources to test drugs for fentanyl and other drug adulterants. It will also expand the number of times that childhood victims of sexual assault can recover civil damages.
Federal law is created through a process called “bicameral review.” This means that the bill must pass both chambers of Congress before it becomes a law. Each chamber has a committee that will research, discuss and make changes to the bill. Then it goes to the full chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes, it is sent to the president to be signed into law.
New York City agency law and rule changes are available on the DCWP Laws and Rules page, NYC Laws (Public Access Portal) and the New York City Council Legislation website. The DCWP Laws and Rules page contains links to the current laws of the city organized by topic. The NYC Laws and Rules pages also include a searchable list of the laws proposed by the Senate, members of the Assembly, and the Governor. The laws are categorized by subject matter and can be filtered by year, language, and type of bill. The law changes are organized by subject matter, and the bills that were passed in each legislative session are grouped together. The changes are also listed by the date that they were enacted into law. If you are interested in a particular law, you can click on the text to see the amendments that were made to that law and how they affect the law.