Chris Banks: Legislative Record
Committee Assignments
Banks chairs the Committee on Public Housing, a position he was first appointed to by Speaker Adrienne Adams following his swearing-in in January 2024 and was reappointed to by Speaker Julie Menin in January 2026 . He also sits on the committees for Consumer and Worker Protection, Economic Development, Land Use, Public Safety, Rules, Privileges and Elections, and Rules, Privileges, Elections, Standards and Ethics 3.
Banks has introduced five bills in the current legislative session 3:
Intro 0061-2026 would create a business directory for NYCHA tenant-owned businesses and establish a marketing campaign to highlight them. The bill has nine co-sponsors 3.
Intro 0062-2026 would direct the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to conduct a feasibility study on a reimbursement program for civil service applicants who did not receive an employment offer before their eligible list expired. The bill has eight co-sponsors 3.
Intro 0688-2026 would require temporary parking restrictions on streets surrounding temporary street closures. The bill has three co-sponsors 3.
Intro 0689-2026 addresses notice of intent to sell tax liens, a priority linked to Banks's advocacy on deed theft and predatory lien sales. The bill has six co-sponsors 3.
Intro 0926-2026 would require monthly reporting on unauthorized occupancies of and reclamation efforts concerning NYCHA dwelling units. The bill has five co-sponsors 3.
Co-Sponsored Legislation
Banks has co-sponsored 177 bills introduced by other Council members in the current session 3. Among the enacted legislation he co-sponsored are Intro 0001-2026, establishing security perimeters adjacent to places of religious worship (introduced by Speaker Menin), and Intro 0013-2026, requiring the installation of illuminated and solar-powered traffic devices at crosswalks (introduced by Selvena N. Brooks-Powers) 3.
Enacted Legislation
Local Law 155 of 2025, which Banks championed, requires the Human Resources Administration to notify landlords by text or email when a request for emergency housing assistance is made. The law was passed by the Council on October 9, 2025, and became effective after the Mayor neither signed nor vetoed it within thirty days 5.
As Public Housing Committee Chair, Banks has conducted multiple oversight hearings on NYCHA operations:
In February 2024, Banks chaired a joint hearing with the Committee on Contracts examining NYCHA's response to bribery and extortion schemes in micro-purchase contracts, following the indictment of 55 current and 15 former NYCHA superintendents by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney .
In September 2024, Banks led a hearing on NYCHA rent arrears, eviction rates in RAD/PACT conversions, and the shortfall of Emergency Rental Assistance Program funding .
In December 2024, Banks chaired a hearing focused on heating outages, security and fire safety failures, and oversight of management companies in PACT developments 8.
In February 2025, Banks convened a hearing on NYCHA transparency, questioning officials about resident complaint systems, eviction rates comparing PACT and conventional public housing, and anti-displacement protections 9.
In March 2025, Banks opened the hearing on NYCHA's fiscal year 2026 preliminary budget and five-year operating and capital plans, pressing on federal disinvestment and organizational mismanagement 10.
In March 2025, Banks delivered a statement at a Stated Meeting denouncing findings from a Department of Investigation report that revealed security guards abandoning posts, falsifying time sheets, 32 percent of lobby doors left unsecured, and 70 percent of CCTV cameras in senior housing rendered inoperable 11.
In June 2025, Banks convened a hearing on NYCHA vacancies and tenant transfers, alongside two pieces of related legislation: Intro 111 mandating NYCHA reporting on vacant public housing units and Intro 122 calling for NYPD crime data publication at each NYCHA development 12.
Key Votes
Banks voted in favor of the fiscal year 2025 budget in June 2024, which he noted was the first time in over 20 years that a Council member from the 42nd District voted to pass the city budget . He voted against the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning reform plan on December 5, 2024, which passed 31 to 20 . Banks voted in favor of the unanimously approved fiscal year 2026 budget of approximately $116 billion in June 2025 .