New law is an increasingly important part of the legal world. It means new ways of delivering legal services, embracing technology and focusing on process. It also means that law firms are beginning to look at this practice as a way to increase their revenue while putting more focus on the clients they serve.

The Law Revision Commission was created in 1934 to examine the common law and statutes of the state and current judicial decisions for defects and anachronisms in the law. It is the oldest continuous agency devoted to law reform through legislation and is responsible for making recommendations from time to time to the Legislature on such changes in the law as it believes are necessary to modify or eliminate antiquated and inequitable rules of law and bring the law into harmony with modern conditions.

In order to meet its mission, the Commission receives and considers suggestions from judges, justices, public officials, lawyers and the general public as to defects and anachronisms in the laws of the State and makes recommendations to the Legislature on such changes as it deems are necessary to eliminate such problems and to make the law more uniform with modern conditions. The Commission is composed of the chairpersons of the Committees on the Judiciary and Codes of the Senate and Assembly as members ex officio, and five members appointed by the Governor to serve for a term of five years.

Tobacco Retail Dealer Licenses

This bill expands the existing requirement to possess a tobacco retailer license to include all retailers that sell any type of tobacco products. It also restricts the availability of new tobacco retailer licenses by capping the number of retail dealer licenses in each community district at half the current number. The new restriction would not affect existing retailers who may continue to renew their licenses.

Street Vendor Enforcement

This new law aims to combat the practice of vending food on streets and sidewalks across the City. It would gradually expand the number of permits to operate a pushcart from a current cap of 10 to a total of 40, requiring that at least one supervisory licensee be present at each cart at all times. It would also create a dedicated vending law enforcement unit to enforce the new permit system.

Providing Sick Leave to Employees

This law requires that certain employers provide employees with paid sick leave. It also prohibits certain companies from denying or discharging any employee who requests it. It allows employees to bring in their own doctor or other health care provider to treat themselves for a health condition and it limits employers’ ability to deny or cancel a request for paid sick leave on short notice.

Creating a Safe Time Act for Sexual Offense Survivors, Domestic Violence Survivors and Stalking and Human Trafficking Survivors

This new law extends the protections of the City’s Paid Sick Leave Act to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking survivors as well as their family members. It also adds a requirement that employers notify employees of their right to take time off to attend court proceedings.