NYC Council Advances Pay Equity and Health Data Bills to Tackle Wage Gaps and Suicide Awareness

Council member Lewis introduced a significant bill during the New York City Council Charter meeting on January 8, 2025, aimed at enhancing pay equity among city contractors. Known as Intro 1161, this legislation seeks to modify the administrative code to improve the reporting and analysis of pay and employment equity data related to city contractors.

This proposal builds on the previous year’s pay equity package, which had already expanded access to such data throughout city agencies. By incorporating contractors, the new measure intends to uncover pay disparities affecting previously unprotected employee classifications. As a result, the City Council will have better data to work with, facilitating more effective oversight and actions to mitigate wage gaps tied to race, ethnicity, and gender (Source: https://youtu.be/X7lVYIZvHOg&t=1711).

In addition to the pay equity legislation, Lewis also presented another bill, Intro 1162, that mandates the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide annual suicide statistics in New York City. This data will include demographic details such as age, ethnicity, and gender, which advocates argue are crucial for targeting resources to at-risk communities (Source: https://youtu.be/X7lVYIZvHOg&t=1800).

Overall, these initiatives reflect an ongoing commitment by the City Council to address economic disparities and improve public health outcomes through more comprehensive data reporting and analysis, stressing the importance of transparency and accountability in government contracting and health services.