Bill Text: NY A04127 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Prohibits third-party food delivery services from charging a food service establishment a delivery fee that totals more than a certain percent of the total purchase price of an online order.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to consumer affairs and protection [A04127 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A04127-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         4127--A

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 1, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. FAHY, McDONALD, BURDICK -- read once and referred
          to  the  Committee  on  Consumer  Affairs  and Protection -- committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the general business law,  in  relation  to  third-party
          food  delivery  service  charges; and providing for the repeal of such
          provisions upon expiration thereof

          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  391-v to read as follows:
     3    § 391-v. Third-party food delivery service charge. 1. For the purposes
     4  of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
     5    (a)  "Delivery fee" means a fee charged by a third-party food delivery
     6  service for providing a food service establishment with a  service  that
     7  delivers  food  from  such establishment to customers. The term does not
     8  include any other fee that may be charged by a third-party food delivery
     9  service to a food service establishment, such as  fees  for  listing  or
    10  advertising  the  food  service  establishment  on  the third-party food
    11  delivery service platform or  fees  related  to  processing  the  online
    12  order.
    13    (b)  "Food service establishment" means a place where food is provided
    14  for individual portion service directly to  the  consumer  whether  such
    15  food  is provided free of charge or sold, and whether consumption occurs
    16  on or off the premises or is provided from a pushcart, stand or vehicle.
    17    (c) "Online order" means any order placed by  a  customer  through  or
    18  with  the assistance of a platform provided by a third-party food deliv-
    19  ery service, including a telephone order.
    20    (d) "Purchase price" means the total price of the items  contained  in
    21  an  online  order that are listed on the menu of the food service estab-
    22  lishment where such order is placed. Such term does not  include  taxes,

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06555-06-1

        A. 4127--A                          2

     1  gratuities  and  any  other  fees that may make up the total cost to the
     2  customer of an online order.
     3    (e)  "Third-party  food  delivery  service"  means any website, mobile
     4  application or other internet service that offers or  arranges  for  the
     5  sale  of  food  and  beverages prepared by, and the same-day delivery or
     6  same-day pickup of food and beverages from, no fewer  than  twenty  food
     7  service  establishments located in the state that are owned and operated
     8  by different persons.
     9    2. Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation:
    10    (a) No third-party food delivery service shall charge a  food  service
    11  establishment  a  delivery  fee that totals more than fifteen percent of
    12  the purchase price of each online order;
    13    (b) It shall be unlawful for a third-party food  delivery  service  to
    14  charge a food service establishment any fee or fees, other than a deliv-
    15  ery  fee  permitted under paragraph (a) of this subdivision, for the use
    16  of services provided by such third-party delivery service that is great-
    17  er than five percent  of  the  purchase  price  of  each  online  order,
    18  provided  that  such  cap  shall  not apply to a credit card fee that is
    19  charged to the third-party food delivery service and is charged  in  the
    20  same  amount  by  the  third-party  food  delivery  service to such food
    21  service establishment.
    22    (c) Any fee or other charges from a third-party food delivery  service
    23  to a food service establishment beyond such maximum five percent fee per
    24  order  and  a credit card fee pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subdivi-
    25  sion, and a delivery fee collected pursuant to  paragraph  (a)  of  this
    26  subdivision, shall be unlawful; and
    27    (d)  No  third-party  food  delivery  service shall reduce the compen-
    28  sation, including but not limited to, any tip or gratuity, paid  to  any
    29  worker, as a result of compliance with the provisions of this section.
    30    3. Whenever there shall be a violation of this section, an application
    31  may  be  made  by  the attorney general in the name of the people of the
    32  state of New York to a court or justice having jurisdiction to issue  an
    33  injunction to enjoin and restrain the continuance of such violation; and
    34  if  it shall appear to the satisfaction of the court or justice that the
    35  defendant has, in fact, violated this  section,  an  injunction  may  be
    36  issued  by  such court or justice, enjoining and restraining any further
    37  violation, without requiring proof that any person has,  in  fact,  been
    38  injured  or  damaged thereby. In any such proceeding, the court may make
    39  allowances to the attorney general and direct restitution of  an  amount
    40  not  to exceed the amount of fees collected in violation of this section
    41  by a third-party food delivery service, attorneys' fees, and such  other
    42  remedies  as  the  court  may deem appropriate. Whenever the court shall
    43  determine that a violation of this section has occurred, the  court  may
    44  impose  a  civil  penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for each
    45  violation. Each day a violation of this section is  continued  and  each
    46  food  service  establishment  charged a fee in violation of this section
    47  shall constitute a separate  violation.  In  connection  with  any  such
    48  proposed  application  the  attorney general is authorized to take proof
    49  and make a determination of the relevant facts and to issue subpoenas in
    50  accordance with the civil practice law and rules.
    51    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire  and  be
    52  deemed repealed ninety days after the end of the state disaster emergen-
    53  cy  declared  pursuant  to  executive  order  number 202 and any further
    54  amendments or modifications, and as may be further extended pursuant  to
    55  section  28 of the executive law; and provided, further, that the attor-
    56  ney general shall notify the legislative bill drafting  commission  upon

        A. 4127--A                          3

     1  the  occurrence  of  the  expiration  of  the  state  disaster emergency
     2  declared by executive order number 202 and  any  further  amendments  or
     3  modifications,  and as may be further extended pursuant to section 28 of
     4  the executive law, in order that the commission may maintain an accurate
     5  and  timely  effective data base of the official text of the laws of the
     6  state of New York in  furtherance  of  effectuating  the  provisions  of
     7  section  44  of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public offi-
     8  cers law.
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