A10215A

The New York State Senate unanimously passed Assembly Bill 10215A, sponsored by Assemblymember Bores, amending the General Business Law to prohibit unauthorized third-party restaurant reservation platforms from making or marketing reservations without explicit restaurant consent. The 60-0 roll call vote came after floor debate highlighting the rise of reservation scalping and predatory online practices. Sen. Fernandez warned that unauthorized platforms charge consumers excessive fees—up to $500 per reservation—while leaving restaurants with empty seats and creating double-booking problems. Sen. Borrello, a restaurant owner, described the practice as "reservation scalping" and noted that AI robots are now making unauthorized reservations on behalf of customers who never requested them. Both senators praised the measure as necessary to protect New York's hospitality industry and consumers from exploitation. The bill takes effect 60 days after becoming law.