In New York, a bill presented as a future framework for last-mile regulation ultimately did not advance before the end of the year. The bill, known as the Delivery Protection Act, was strongly supported by labor organizations and had a large number of co-signers on the city council. Yet, no committee review has taken place, effectively blocking its adoption in 2025.
The heart of the system targeted the activity of delivery companies operating from warehouses or storage areas: mandatory municipal license, with the possibility of suspension in case of “repeated practices” related to safety, the environment, or workers’ rights. Even tho the text did not specify a single company, it was widely perceived as targeting major e-commerce players and their urban distribution networks.
The postponement does not mean abandonment: the text can come back on the table in 2026 with the new term, without necessarily starting from scratch. But the subject is explosive: local regulation of interstate logistics chains can trigger legal challenges, particularly regarding the limits of municipal jurisdiction and federal laws governing transportation and delivery. For operators, this is a signal to watch: regulatory pressure on the last mile continues to rise, even when the political calendar slows down.
