Shahana Hanif: Legislative Record
Overview
Since taking office in January 2022, Hanif has introduced over 25 bills in a single legislative session and passed multiple local laws across reproductive rights, immigrant protections, environmental policy, domestic violence prevention, and gender-affirming care . She has also sponsored over 300 bills introduced by other Council members in the current legislative session 3.
Committee Assignments
In her first term, Hanif chaired the Committee on Immigration . Following Speaker Adrienne Adams' January 2024 committee reorganization, she was reassigned to chair the Committee on Disabilities and co-chair the Task Force to Combat Hate . She also serves on the committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Civil and Human Rights, Small Business, Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, Workforce Development, and Technology .
Caucus Memberships
Hanif co-chairs the Progressive Caucus alongside Sandy Nurse, a role she has held since 2022, first with Lincoln Restler and then with Nurse following Restler's decision to step down . She is a member of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus, the Women's Caucus, and the Animal Welfare Caucus 3.
Reproductive Rights (2022)
Local Laws 75 and 76 of 2022 expanded access to abortion services in New York City and established a public outreach campaign informing residents across multiple states about reproductive rights available in the city . Local Law 75 established the outreach campaign, which included billboards in states such as Georgia, Texas, and Florida . Local Law 76 clarified the private right of action for interference with reproductive healthcare .
Universal Residential Composting (2023)
Local Law 85 of 2023 mandated universal residential composting across the city, requiring the Department of Sanitation to establish a curbside composting program in all remaining sanitation districts . Hanif served as the lead sponsor of the legislation, which built on smaller pilot programs .
Immigrant Workers Bill of Rights (2023)
Local Law 161 of 2023 created the city's first comprehensive Immigrant Workers Bill of Rights, requiring the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the NYC Commission on Human Rights to compile and distribute worker protections applicable regardless of immigration status . The bill passed by a vote of 43 to 8 . The law requires employers to conspicuously display the bill of rights in the workplace and mandates public outreach events and multilingual materials .
Domestic Violence Survivor Protections (2024)
Local Law 45 of 2024 provides survivors of domestic violence with free lock changes, personal safety alarms, and door and window repairs to enhance physical security .
Lupus Awareness Month (2023)
Resolution 550 designated May as Lupus Awareness Month in New York City, a measure Hanif championed based on her personal experience with the disease 10.
Gender-Affirming Care Protections (2025)
The Affirm Act (Intro 1201-A) extended safe-harbor protections to gender-affirming care facilities, making it illegal to physically block, follow, harass, or interfere with facilities providing gender-affirming care . The bill also broadened the private right of action for interference with reproductive or endocrine medical care. It passed as part of the Protect Trans Futures legislative package on April 24, 2025 .
Lesbian Herstory Archives Landmark Designation (2022)
Hanif supported the designation of the Lesbian Herstory Archives at 484 14th Street in Park Slope as an individual New York City landmark, the first in Brooklyn designated for its LGBTQ+ significance . The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously in November 2022 to approve the designation .
Access to IDNYC Act
Hanif sponsored legislation expanding access to the municipal identification card program, making it easier for immigrants and other underserved populations to obtain city-issued identification .
Stop Shelter Evictions Act
Intro 210 would remove caps on shelter stays for asylum seekers and their school-aged children 3. Hanif has described this bill as a priority for her second term.
Fertility Care Access
Intro 1303, introduced in June 2025, would require a public education campaign about fertility care and insurance coverage for fertility treatments .
Worker Protection Expansion
Intro 206 would expand worker coverage under the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act 3.
Anti-Hate Education Campaign
Intro 586 would establish an annual education campaign to combat antisemitism and promote inclusion 3.
Land Use Actions
Hanif played a central role in the Gowanus rezoning, which will produce 8,500 new units including 3,000 affordable units, alongside $450 million in infrastructure improvements and $200 million in NYCHA capital improvements . In 2022, she reduced the maximum building size on a rezoned block on Ninth Street in Gowanus, a move that drew criticism from housing advocates who argued it would yield fewer affordable units . In February 2025, she negotiated the Arrow Linen rezoning in Windsor Terrace, securing 100 affordable units at 40 percent affordability with a community benefits agreement .