纽约市长宣布拟提交POWER法案：赋予工人、消费者与租户私人诉权，起诉不公平商业行为
纽约州纽约市——市长佐赫兰·马姆达尼（Zohran Kwame Mamdani）与消费者与工人保护部（DCWP）部长塞缪尔·莱文（Samuel A.A. Levine）宣布，计划提交《POWER法案》（全称「人民与组织赢得经济救济法案」，People and Organizations Winning Economic Relief Act），在市级建立私人诉权，让工人、消费者、租户、小企业与非营利组织能就掠夺性商业行为直接兴讼。市府称，该法案将使纽约市的消费者与工人保护法律成为全美最强。
按市府说明，法案将允许租户工会就欺骗性交易行为起诉房东；允许出租车司机就显失公平的贷款条款起诉融资公司；允许被掠夺性营利学校欺骗的消费者寻求贷款救济；并允许非营利组织代表自身、其成员与公众提出索赔。现行纽约消费者保护法下，个人只能就「欺骗」兴讼，范围狭窄；州法同样不允许就「不公平或滥用性」行为起诉。POWER法案拟填补这一空白，覆盖不公平竞争方法及不公平、欺骗、滥用或违法的行为，包括租金多收等情形。
马姆达尼说：「POWER法案将让租户工会把房东告上法庭、追回被不当扣留的押金；让本地小企业能就不公平商业行为起诉企业巨头；让每年因定向诈骗损失数亿美元的老年人得到应有的正义。」法案将由消费者与工人保护委员会主席哈维·爱泼斯坦（Harvey Epstein）在10月8日的市议会例会上代为提交。市长同时提出另外两项法案：《真实定价法案》简化价格展示规则，企业可在商品或货架上标价；另一项消费者保护法修正则删除DCWP挑战显失公平行为前须走冗长立法程序的要求，让该部能更快行动。
DCWP部长莱文称，建立广泛的私人诉权是纽约市历史上消费者与工人权利的最大扩张之一。法案尚待市议会审议通过，其后续进展值得在纽约生活与经商的华人居民关注。
New York City Mayor Announces POWER Act: Workers, Consumers and Tenants Would Gain a Private Right to Sue Over Unfair Business Practices
NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine announced the planned introduction of the POWER (People and Organizations Winning Economic Relief) Act, legislation that would create a municipal private right of action and, in the administration's words, make New York City's consumer and worker protection laws the strongest in the country.
The bill would allow tenant unions to sue landlords for deceptive trade practices; allow taxi drivers to sue financing companies over unconscionable loan terms; allow consumers scammed by predatory for-profit schools to seek loan relief; and allow nonprofits to bring claims on behalf of themselves, their members and the public. Under current city law, individuals can sue only over deception, and state law likewise does not allow suits over unfair or abusive practices; the POWER Act would close that gap, covering unfair methods of competition and unfair, deceptive, abusive or unlawful practices, such as overcharging rent.
"The POWER Act will enable tenant unions to take landlords to court and win back wrongfully withheld security deposits. It will allow local small businesses who face competition from corporate giants to file suit for unfair business practices. It will empower seniors who lose hundreds of millions of dollars every year through targeted scams to get the justice they are owed," said Mayor Mamdani. The bill was to be introduced on his behalf by Committee Chair Harvey Epstein at the City Council stated meeting on October 8.
Mayor Mamdani also introduced two companion bills: the Truth in Pricing Act, which simplifies the city's pricing display rules so owners can display prices on the item or on the shelf, and a Consumer Protection Law amendment removing a lengthy rulemaking requirement so DCWP can act faster against unconscionable business practices. DCWP Commissioner Levine called the POWER Act one of the single greatest expansions of consumer and worker rights in New York City history. The legislation remains subject to City Council action.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：图：纽约市政厅（2025年9月摄）。Nielsoncaetanosalmeron 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons 发布。/ New York City Hall, photographed in September 2025. Photo by Nielsoncaetanosalmeron, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
