New York Senate Bill S00777

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25

Caption

Clarifies violations of provisions prohibiting third-party restaurant reservation services from arranging unauthorized restaurant reservations with food service establishments.

Summary

S00777 amends New York’s General Business Law section 391-w, which governs third-party restaurant reservation services. The bill clarifies the civil penalty provision for violations of the law that prohibits these services from arranging unauthorized restaurant reservations with food service establishments. It preserves the existing maximum civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation and specifies that violations by third-party reservation services accrue daily for each affected restaurant. The bill also removes language that would have expressly allowed proceedings to recover civil penalties or restitution to be brought within any designated state agency, thereby narrowing or clarifying the enforcement language in the statute. Its effective date is tied to the same date and manner as the 2024 law that originally created the prohibition on unauthorized reservation arrangements.

Impact

This bill would amend the enforcement provisions of the recently enacted restaurant reservation service law, but it does not create a new prohibition. Instead, it refines how violations are penalized and how the statute is written, affecting third-party reservation platforms and any person who causes a violation. The practical impact is on civil enforcement against unauthorized reservation booking practices, with penalties continuing to accrue on a per-day, per-establishment basis. It may also affect how state agencies or enforcement bodies interpret their authority under the law.

Sentiment

There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so the bill’s sentiment must be inferred from its text and context. The measure appears technical and corrective rather than controversial, suggesting a generally neutral or supportive posture toward strengthening or clarifying enforcement of the existing restaurant reservation rules. Because it tracks a prior 2024 enactment, it likely reflects an effort to clean up statutory language rather than reopen the underlying policy debate.

Contention

The main point of contention appears to be the scope and mechanics of enforcement. The bill removes explicit language authorizing proceedings in any designated state agency, which could raise questions about who may bring penalty or restitution actions and whether enforcement authority is being narrowed. Another possible issue is the daily accrual of penalties for each affected restaurant, which can significantly increase exposure for third-party reservation services. No specific opposing stakeholders or arguments are identified in the provided record.