Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry joined Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kenny Minaya in Corona earlier in the week to promote city’s updated Business Owner Bill of Rights, which provides New York City business owners with the right to access the information, tools and resources necessary to compete in the city.
Thomas-Henry and Minaya conducted outreach at Corona Plaza on Tuesday, Sept. 1, offering local business owners an opportunity learn about the updated bill of rights, which also requires the city to provide access to information in languages other than English and the right to consistent and fair inspections.
Starting on Oct. 1, city inspectors will be required to provide a physical copy of the bill of rights to brick-and-mortar businesses and street vendors at the beginning of inspections. The city will also be required to post the bill of rights at New York City service centers.
The updated bill of rights — established under Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Executive Order 18 — makes substantial changes to the original document, building on an SBS survey conducted in 2025 which found that just 9% of business owners knew of the bill of rights’ existence. The first version of the bill of rights also existed primarily as an online document.
Under Mamdani’s executive order, the updated bill of rights will now be distributed to businesses as a physical document. The city is also required to conduct outreach about the changes starting Sept. 1.
The updates introduce significant changes to the bill of rights, expanding information for businesses on the type of treatment they should expect from city officials.
Among the updates include the right to respectful and professional treatment by a knowledgeable city worker who can provide ID when requested. It also includes the right to clear guidance to help correct issues before fines are levied rather than the previous right to explanations of violations and how to contest them.
The updates also establish the right to apply a small business lens to city policies and regulations and the right to timely and coordinated support from city agencies.
Minaya said the updated bill of rights aims to rectify an often confrontational relationship between the city and small businesses.
“For too long, the relationship between our city’s small businesses and their government has been characterized as adversarial, and even confrontational – today, that changes,” Minaya said in a statement.
Minaya said the updated document marks a “cultural shift” and a “major turning point” in how the city engages with small businesses.
“SBS is proud to lead this citywide campaign in September ahead of our sister agencies promoting these rights starting October, ensuring that all small businesses are treated with the dignity and respect they
deserve,” he said.
Thomas-Henry, who serves as chair of the City Council’s Committee on Small Business, said the updated document will ensure that business owners can avoid “navigating in the dark.”
“Good government meets people where they are, and that means making sure our entrepreneurs know their rights, understand what to expect, and have the tools to advocate for themselves,” Thomas-Henry said. “The updated Business Owner Bill of Rights is an important step toward building a government that works in partnership with our small businesses and I’m honored to be a part of this initiative.”