What's happening
This bill allows the NYC Department of Buildings to refuse filings from professionals found to have made false or negligent statements, clarifying procedures for licensed architects and engineers.
Why it matters
Clarifies accountability for licensed professionals. By specifying different procedures for architects, engineers, and landscape architects (licensed under NY Education Law), the bill ensures that those professionals are subject to their own disciplinary processes before their filing privileges can be restricted, rather than the Department of Buildings (DOB) acting independently.
Strengthens public trust in building safety. By allowing the DOB to refuse filings from professionals found guilty of making false or negligent statements, the law aims to reduce fraudulent or careless submissions, which can pose safety risks to the public.
Prevents workarounds and ensures accurate records. The bill requires the DOB to verify that the contact information on construction documents matches what's on file with the State Education Department, closing loopholes for professionals who might use outdated or incorrect information to avoid scrutiny.
Maintains local authority to set stricter standards. The bill preserves the NYC Buildings Commissioner’s power to adopt rules that could further limit filing privileges, ensuring the city can respond to emerging problems or patterns of misconduct even beyond state or education law discipline.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Crack Down on False Filings
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
4 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to cities
- Referred to cities
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Crack Down on Building Lies
In Senate Committee · Cities · Sponsor Andrew J. Lanza
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
928
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CUSICK, COLTON, CARROLL, HEVESI, HYNDMAN, SEAWRIGHT, STIRPE, TAYLOR -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. FAHY, MALLIOTAKIS, SIMON, WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Cities
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York and chapter 542 of the laws of 2007, amending the administrative code of the city of New York and the education law relating to filings by persons who have negligently or knowingly made false statements in documents submitted to the department of buildings of the city of New York, in relation to false statements made to the department of buildings of the city of New York
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 28-211.1.2 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by local law number 8 of the city of New York for the year 2008, is amended to read as follows:
§ 28-211.1.2 Additional penalty for false statements. In addition to any other penalty provided by law, the commissioner may refuse to accept an application or other document submitted pursuant to or in satisfaction of a requirement of this code or of a rule of any agency promulgated thereunder that bears the signature of a person, other than a person licensed pursuant to article one hundred forty-five, one hundred fortyseven or one hundred forty-eight of the education law, who has been found, after a hearing at the office of administrative trials and hearings pursuant to the department's rules, to have knowingly or negligently made a false statement or to have knowingly or negligently falsified or allowed to be falsified any certificate, form, signed statement, application, report or certification of the correction of a violation required under the provisions of this code or of a rule of any agency promulgated thereunder. In addition to any other penalty provided by law, the commissioner may refuse to accept an application or other docu-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00251-01-9
A. 928 2
ment submitted pursuant to or in satisfaction of a requirement of this code or of a rule of any agency promulgated thereunder that bears the signature of a person licensed pursuant to article one hundred fortyfive, one hundred forty-seven or one hundred forty-eight of the education law, who has been found, under the disciplinary procedures prescribed in section sixty-five hundred ten of the education law, to have knowingly or negligently falsified or allowed to be falsified any certificate, form, signed statement, application, report or certification or the correction of a violation required under the provisions of this code or of a rule of any agency promulgated thereunder.
§ 2. Section 28-104.6.1 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by section 10 of part A of local law number 141 of the city of New York for the year 2013, is amended to read as follows:
§ 28-104.6.1 Verification of professional qualification required. The department shall not accept construction documents or other documents submitted in connection with applications for construction document approval or work permits under this code by any person representing that he or she is a registered design professional or landscape architect without verifying, by means of lists compiled and made available by the New York state department of education pursuant to paragraph e-1 of subdivision four of section sixty-five hundred seven of the education law, that such person meets the qualifications established by law to practice as an architect or engineer in New York state, and that the address and contact information for such person provided on the application form matches the address and contact information on file with the New York state department of education.
§ 3. Section 4 of chapter 542 of the laws of 2007, amending the administrative code of the city of New York and the education law relating to filings by persons who have negligently or knowingly made false statements in documents submitted to the department of buildings of the city of New York, is amended to read as follows:
§ 4. Nothing set forth in this act shall be construed to limit the power of the New York city commissioner of buildings to adopt rules, consistent with state and local law, that set forth additional grounds for limitation of the filing privileges [of or otherwise sanctioning architects and professional engineers who have been determined after a hearing to have knowingly or negligently submitted applications, plans or other documents to the New York city department of buildings that contained false information or were not in compliance with all applicable provisions of law or who have otherwise demonstrated incompetence or a lack of knowledge of applicable law or standards] authorized pursuant to section 28-104.2.1 of the administrative code of the city of New York.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.