New York City Council Proposes Ban of Fur Sales for Apparel

FUR NEW YORK: The New York City Council is in the early stages of presenting a bill that would ban the sale of fur apparel.

Last week the proposal was presented during a New York City Council meeting and it has since moved to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing for further discussion. The bill was put forward by Council Speaker Corey Johnson, and City Council members Mark Levine, Fernando Cabrera, Justin Brannan, Helen Rosenthal and Robert Holden.

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If approved, violations would be punished by a civil penalty of no more than $500 for the first violation, and no less than $500, but no more than $1,500 for subsequent violations. Fur apparel sold or offered for sale would be subject to seizure and forfeiture.

Johnson, a mayoral candidate, said Tuesday, “As an animal lover, I think it is cruel to kill an animal for the sole purpose of people wearing a fur coat. In a progressive city like ours, we need to take steps to protect animals. This proposal reflects an ever-growing consensus in the fashion industry that the use of fur is not ethical, and world-famous designers, including Donatella Versace and Diane von Furstenberg, recently said they would stop using fur in their collections. Banning the sale of fur in New York City is long overdue.”

On the West Coast, Californians have been on the march to stop selling fur. Late last month, a proposed law that would create consistency statewide on where California stands on the subject of fur product sales moved forward in the legislative process.

Assembly Bill 44 passed 9 to 2 in the state Judiciary Committee following an initial hearing earlier last month, after it received the all clear from the Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife.

In February, the Los Angeles City Council voted to support an ordinance to ban the sale and manufacture of new fur throughout Los Angeles. The vote makes Los Angeles the largest city in the U.S. to ban new fur products. The ordinance will take effect on Jan. 1, 2021, and specifically prohibit the sale of products and apparel made in whole or in part of fur or any fashion accessory, such as handbags, shoes, hats, earmuffs and jewelry. Last year, San Francisco also banned the sale of fur, and other California cities including West Hollywood and Berkeley have done the same.

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