Speaker Julie Menin and the New York City Council Pass Historic Romanch’s Law to Phase Out Horse Drawn Carriage Industry

 

City Council voted to pass legislation ending horse-drawn carriage industry in Central Park by June 2028 

Council Speaker Julie Menin and the New York City Council passed Romanch’s Law, which phases out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 1, 2028, while ensuring an industry transition plan for drivers and small business owners dependent on the industry. The law also protects the soon-to-be retired horses from inhumane treatment or disposition.

40 Council Members voted for Romanch’s Law, with 29 Council Members who signed onto the legislation sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte. Speaker Julie Menin is the first sitting Council Speaker to support a ban on horse-drawn carriages.

“The City Council made history. Our landmark vote to pass Romanch’s Law is a demonstration of this Council’s commitment to animal welfare, public safety, and worker protection,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “The tragic and preventable death of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan this summer underscored the need for urgent action after decades of mounting concerns. From longstanding animal welfare concerns and increasingly extreme heat conditions to historic overcrowding in Central Park, which now welcomes more than 42 million visitors annually, the status quo has become unsustainable and unsafe for horses and people alike. The Council took swift action, hearing hours of testimony from carriage drivers, animal welfare advocates, City officials, and constituents. The resulting plan establishes a deadline to phase out the industry while ensuring the development of a comprehensive workforce transition that will protect the livelihoods of the hardworking New Yorkers who depend on it. Thank you to Council Member Marte for championing this historic initiative, and to my Council colleagues and the advocates for their partnership in making it happen.”

The City Council first introduced legislation to ban horse-drawn carriages in 2007. Now, 19 years later, under the leadership of Speaker Julie Menin, the Council has passed the historic ban, following nearly two decades of debate among lawmakers, community leaders, labor representatives, and advocates over the future of the industry.

In order to ensure support for workers in the industry, the bill mandates that the mayoral administration establish a workforce transition program for carriage drivers and other workers in the industry, including referrals to employment opportunities, career counseling, hiring fairs, and identification of educational opportunities. The mayoral administration will also consider compensation for horse carriage drivers, including the value of their horse drawn cab businesses, horse drawn cab licenses, and equipment.

Additionally, Speaker Menin will form a joint working group and has invited the Administration and labor to each have one representative serve alongside one Speaker’s office representative. The group will work through the transition and aim to improve outcomes for workers.

The retired horses will also be protected under Romanch’s Law. The mayoral administration will work with drivers to assist them in finding humane disposition opportunities. No later than June 1, 2027, every owner of a licensed horse needs to certify to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that no horses will be sold or otherwise transferred for purposes of slaughter, resale for slaughter, or holding or transport for slaughter, or for use in a horse drawn cab business, or any inhumane purpose. Horse owners will also have the option to maintain ownership over their animals.

Beginning in 1858, horse-drawn carriages have been operating in Central Park, originally serving as a mode of transportation and evolving into a popular tourist attraction. However, the industry has since faced decades of scrutiny over animal welfare and public safety concerns. In 2007, Council Member Tony Avella introduced the first legislation seeking to repeal the operation of horse-drawn cabs, following years of advocacy and regulatory efforts. Subsequent attempts to prohibit the industry, including efforts under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration and the City Council in 2014, were unsuccessful.

Public support for ending the industry was reignited after the collapse of a carriage horse named Ryder in August 2022. In response, then Council Member Robert Holden sponsored Ryder’s Law, which aimed at replacing horse-drawn carriages with electric carriages. However, the legislation failed to pass due to concerns over costs and logistics associated with the newly proposed carriages. In November 2025, Council Member Holden reintroduced Ryder’s Law, which removed the requirement of electric carriages, and instead focused on workforce development programs to help drivers and other workers transition to other employment. The bill failed to move forward as the industry remained the subject of longstanding debate between animal welfare advocates and carriage operators.  

Following the tragic death of Romanch Mahajan, who was thrown from a runaway carriage in Central Park this past June, support for an industry ban reached a tipping point. Speaker Menin announced on June 17 the Council would hold a hearing on the horse-drawn carriage industry to examine potential legislative action. The hearing was held the following month at City Hall on July 14, where Council Members heard input from stakeholders, community members, City agencies, and advocates for several hours. The Council conducted a thoughtful review process to implement community feedback and produce a final, comprehensive version of the law that was voted on by the full body.