Braving the bitter cold, street vendors rallied in celebration outside City Hall on Thursday in anticipation of the City Council overriding a veto on a package of bills aimed at expanding licenses and protecting street vendors.

Three bills, Intro 431-B, would create an additional 21,000 street vending licenses available by 2031.

Intro 408-A would establish the Division of Street Vendor Assistance within the Deptartment of Small Business Services to provide training, education and outreach.

The last bill, Intro 1251-A, would combat the longstanding administrative delays in the licensing process.

A supermajority of City Council members voted in support of the bills on Dec. 18, 2025, days later.

Former Mayor Eric Adams vetoed the bills on his last day in office, saying in a statement at the time that they "directly counter to [his] North Star of lifting up working-class New Yorkers."

Sam Levine, commissioner of the Department of Consumer Worker Protection, joined the rally on Thursday afternoon.

"These vendors are the city's smallest, small businesses, DCWP, the department that I lead. We are proud to stand with you and support this legislation," Levine said.

Vincente Veintmilla is a merchandise vendor on Fordham Road in the Bronx. He left his stand to join the rally.

"We have been fighting and pushing this legislation... it will allow my people and everybody who is here to work without repercussion," said Veintimilla.

Under the current process, Veintimilla says vendors face fears of tickets and their products being taken away for vending without a license.

"Today of 70% of street vendors who are vending food are unlicensed, 40% of general vendors are unlicensed, we are talking about bringing those vendors, existing vendors into compliance," said Pierina Sanchez, a Bronx councilmember who has championed legislation to protect vendors.

Sanchez says some vendors have been waiting 10 years for a permit.

"Let me be clear, making a living should never be treated like a crime, that's why we fought to reduce criminal penalties, that's why we fought to undo decades of over policing, and that's why today we are proudly going to override this damn veto," said Amanda Farias, Bronx councilmember.