Prohibits local laws from requiring certain storefront security gates or grilles comply with certain conditions; defines "storefront security gate or grille".
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11280
IN ASSEMBLY
May 5, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Pirozzolo)
-- read once and referred to the Committee on Economic Development
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to protecting
small businesses and commercial property owners from local mandates
requiring the replacement of certain storefront security gates or
grilles
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
2 399-ww to read as follows:
3 § 399-ww. Storefront security gates and grilles. 1. For the purposes
4 of this section:
5 (a) "Existing storefront security gate or grille" shall mean a store-
6 front security gate or grille installed prior to July first, two thou-
7 sand twenty-six.
8 (b) "Local government" shall mean any county, city, town, village, or
9 any agency, department, board, bureau, commission, office, or other
10 entity thereof.
11 (c) "Storefront security gate or grille" shall mean any roll down
12 gate, roll down grille, security grille, metal gate, or similar protec-
13 tive barrier installed at or near the exterior entrance, window, or
14 storefront of a building or premises used in whole or in part for busi-
15 ness, professional, commercial, retail, or mercantile purposes.
16 2. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any local law, ordi-
17 nance, rule, regulation, building code, construction code, administra-
18 tive code, or policy, no local government shall require the owner or
19 operator of a business, or the owner of real property used in whole or
20 in part for business, professional, commercial, retail, or mercantile
21 purposes, to remove, replace, alter, modify, or discontinue the use of
22 an existing storefront security gate or grille solely on the basis that
23 such gate or grille does not satisfy a required percentage of transpar-
24 ency, openness, visibility, or visual access from a sidewalk, street, or
25 other public place.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15750-01-6
A. 11280 2
1 3. No local government shall impose a civil penalty, fine, summons,
2 violation, permit condition, certificate of correction requirement, or
3 other enforcement action against any person or entity for failure to
4 remove, replace, alter, modify, or discontinue the use of an existing
5 storefront security gate or grille where such enforcement is based sole-
6 ly on a requirement described in subdivision two of this section.
7 4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a local
8 government from enforcing laws, rules, regulations, or codes relating to
9 fire safety, emergency egress, structural safety, accessibility, elec-
10 trical safety, landmark preservation, or unsafe conditions, provided
11 that such enforcement is not based solely on the transparency, openness,
12 visibility, or visual access percentage of an existing storefront secu-
13 rity gate or grille.
14 5. Any local law, ordinance, rule, regulation, building code,
15 construction code, administrative code, or policy inconsistent with this
16 section shall be preempted and superseded to the extent of such incon-
17 sistency.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
