Hochul Signs Comprehensive AI Bill With Negotiated Changes
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Friday evening signed comprehensive AI legislation with chapter amendments she negotiated with bill sponsors, as expected (see 2512190016, 2511170054 and 2512100008).
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Hochul signed the New York Responsible AI Safety and Education (Raise) Act (S-6953), which requires “large AI developers to create and publish information about their safety protocols and report incidents to the state within 72 hours,” according to her office. The bill establishes a Department of Financial Services office that will assess large frontier developers and issue reports annually.
It’s possible for the governor to modify legislature-passed bills through New York’s chapter amendment process. The governor can sign the modified bill with a commitment from the legislature to pass the updated version, which usually happens in January.
“This law builds on California’s recently adopted framework, creating a unified benchmark among the country’s leading tech states as the federal government lags behind, failing to implement common-sense regulations that protect the public,” said Hochul. The governor said the negotiated legislation marks a "responsible, nation-leading approach to AI safety.”
Hochul and sponsor Assemblymember Alex Bores (D) negotiated various changes, including a reduction in penalties, according to a summary from Bores' office. Previously, the penalty was $10 million for the first violation and $30 million for subsequent violations, but the negotiated bill is $1 million for the first and $3 million for the second, it said. Hochul had proposed a flat rate of $1 million.
"Today is a major victory in what will soon be a national fight to harness the best of AI’s potential and protect Americans from the worst of its harms," said Bores. "We defeated last-ditch attempts from AI oligarchs to wipe out this bill" and "defeated Trump’s -- and his donors’ -- attempt to stop RAISE through executive action greenlighting a Wild West for AI."
Hochul and sponsors negotiated altered language for safety and security plan (SSP) requirements for large frontier developers. The negotiated version says SSPs “must describe in detail how companies handle risk.” The original bill mandated that SSPs “if implemented reduce the risk of critical harm.”
According to Bores’ summary, Hochul had proposed extending the 72-hour reporting window to 15 days, but the 72-hour provision was finalized. Hochul had proposed allowing exemptions for developers from reporting risks from smaller models, but the final version maintained the original language, without such exemptions.
The bill's signing disappointed NetChoice. The Raise Act creates “a dangerous legal minefield for American AI by imposing vague standards and misplacing liability on developers for the unpredictable actions of third parties,” said Amy Bos, the trade association's vice president of government affairs, in a statement Monday. “This misguided new law will stifle American innovation and contribute to a harmful regulatory patchwork that puts New York’s economic competitiveness and technological leadership at risk."
Sen. Andrew Gournardes (D), sponsor in the upper chamber, said the new law makes clear that tech innovation and safety “don’t have to be at odds.”
Common Sense Media called the new law a “big step forward for AI safety and innovation.” The U.S. “can’t lead the way on AI unless Americans know and trust that it’s safe,” said Bruce Reed, head of AI.
Also on Friday, Hochul vetoed a health privacy bill and approved a bill on warning labels for social media (see 2512220019 and 2512220014).