Chair Schulman details Intro 943 provisions

Thank you, Speaker Menon.

The circumstances surrounding Romantia's death are deeply disturbing.

The driver's conduct was reckless, unacceptable, and this young man's death was entirely preventable.

This recent tragedy comes on the heels of other high-profile incidents in which carriage horses have broken free, collapsed, or died.

These include Denise, a carriage horse who died in June after eating a plant toxic to horses, and Ryder, a horse who collapsed in Hell's Kitchen in 2022 and was later euthanized.

These incidents have intensified a debate that has been taking place for years in our city about the welfare of carriage horses, the safety of our residents and visitors, the livelihoods of carriage drivers, and the future of the horse carriage industry.

Today, we are discussing legislation that, if enacted, would wind down the horse carriage industry.

Introduction 943 would prohibit the issuance of new horse carriage operator licenses after June 1, 2028, and would also prohibit the operation of horse-drawn cabs after that date.

The bill would also require the humane disposition of former carriage horses, including prohibiting their sale or transfer for slaughter or for use in another horse-drawn cab business.

Finally, the bill would require the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and the Mayor's Office of Talent and Workforce Development to develop a job training program for former drivers and other workers involved in the industry,

with the goal of facilitating their transition to other fields of employment.

This is an industry with a long history in New York City, and for generations, carriage drivers have built their livelihoods around this work.

But times are changing, and we cannot ignore these tragic incidents or the serious public safety concerns they have raised.