In The News-New York State
Governor Hochul Announces Next Steps to Regulate Major AI Developers
Starting in November, New York Will Direct Large AI Developers To Register with the State as Part of Implementing the RAISE Act
Governor Kathy Hochul this week announced next steps to advance New York’s AI safety law, the Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act.
Starting in November, New York will direct large frontier AI developers to register with the State and prepare for compliance with requirements on transparency, safety, and incident reporting as prescribed by the RAISE Act. Specifics of the RAISE Act include requiring large frontier AI developers to:
- Establish safety and transparency frameworks, which must be published on the developer’s website;
- Report critical safety incidents to the state’s new Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity and Trust (DIGIT) Office within 72 hours and, as required, to other government authorities;
- File quarterly assessments of catastrophic risks to the DIGIT Office, which may transmit them to other government authorities; and
- Register with DIGIT, file a disclosure statement at least every other year, starting January 1, 2027, and pay assessments.
The Governor also emphasized that in the coming months, she will be exploring ways to build on the RAISE Act.
“We may even explore safeguards like AI kill switches if they’re deemed feasible and in the best interests of our state,” Governor Hochul said. “…All options are on the table.”
Governor Hochul also announced the appointment of Marc Gilman as New York’s Deputy Director for the RAISE Act. In this role, he will support New York’s ongoing implementation of that law. Gilman is the first full-time hire of the DIGIT Office which is housed in the State Department of Financial services. In addition to DFS staff with expertise in technology regulation, cybersecurity, and AI already working on this implementation, additional full-time staff will be joining the DIGIT office in the coming weeks and months.
The RAISE Act also permits the public to file suspected safety incident reports with the DIGIT Office which may transmit them to other governmental authorities as appropriate. The DIGIT Office will also produce an annual public report summarizing incident reports received, observations about frontier model safety, and any recommended changes to the RAISE Act.
“DFS is proud to lead the implementation of the RAISE Act for New York, and to build the state’s new DIGIT Office,” New York State Department of Financial Services Acting Superintendent Kaitlin Asrow said. “As our team continues to grow, we are working to protect New Yorkers and ensure the public and our law enforcement partners have the necessary insight into frontier AI developers’ safety frameworks and developing risks.”
Gilman previously served as General Counsel and VP of Compliance at Theta Lake, Inc., where he led enterprise commercial transactions, IP, regulatory engagement, and legal and compliance strategy for AI, privacy, and cybersecurity. He also has served as an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law, teaching about the intersection of financial services and technology.
In the coming months Governor Hochul will be reviewing a number of AI-related legislative proposals passed by the Legislature in 2026 including:
A3411B Sponsored by AM Vanel/Senator Kristen Gonzalez: Requires the owner, licensee or operator of a generative artificial intelligence system to conspicuously display a notice on the system’s user interface that is reasonably calculated to consistently apprise the user that the outputs of the generative artificial intelligence system may be inaccurate.
A6578B Sponsored by AM Alex Bores/Senator Andrew Gounardes: Establishes the artificial intelligence training data transparency act requiring developers of generative artificial intelligence models or services to post on the developer’s website information regarding the data used by the developer to train the generative artificial intelligence model or service, including a high-level summary of the datasets used in the development of such system or service.
A8022A Sponsored by AM Phil Steck/Senator Michele Hinchey: Requires platforms with at least one million users to provide a process for law enforcement agencies to contact such platform, and to comply with search warrants within seventy-two hours.
A9581B Sponsored by AM Harry Bronson/Senator Hinchey: Requires entities doing business in New
York State that employ more than 50 people or are publicly traded to annually report to the Department of
Labor regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on hiring and the nature of artificial intelligence use for
the previous year; requires the Department of Labor to file an annual report on the impact of artificial
intelligence on hiring and the nature of artificial intelligence use in the state.
S6954B Sponsored by Senator Gounardes/AM Bores: Requires the attachment and preservation of
metadata by synthetic content creation systems, large public-facing platforms, and state agencies.
S8451B Senator Patricia Fahy/AM Nilly Rozic: Enacts the “New York fundamental artificial intelligence requirements in (FAIR) news act” to provide transparency requirements for news media content composed, authored, or otherwise created through generative AI.
S9051B Senator Gonzalez/AM Alex Bores: Prohibits artificial intelligence companions from using
features which are considered unsafe for minors.
In The News-New York City
Citing New York City as Becoming the “AI Capital of the World,” the City Council Unveils Safety Proposals & Calls Upon Major AI Developers to Testify
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin this week announced a slate of legislative proposals to safeguard and regulate artificial intelligence. The bills will be heard at the Council’s upcoming Committee of the Whole hearing on October 5th, which will convene all 51 members of the City Council to examine the potential risks that AI development poses to New Yorkers.
Last week, Speaker Menin sent letters to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sunder Pichai, SpaceXAI CEO Elon Musk, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg requesting their participation in the hearing. Speaker Menin has made clear that their participation is expected and that the Council reserves the right to use its subpoena powers, if necessary.
“New York City is fast becoming the technology and AI capital of the world, which we want to encourage. But that also means we now have an even greater responsibility to ensure that we have the appropriate safeguards in place to protect New Yorkers from unintended consequences,” said Speaker Julie Menin.
The initial list of bills under consideration includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Introduction 26835 Sponsored by Speaker Julie Menin: Makes it unlawful for any business to market, offer for sale, or deploy an artificial intelligence (AI) system in the city that has not received third party validation.
- Introduction 26887 Sponsored by Speaker Menin: Allows individual whistleblowers to receive a portion of the fines or penalties recovered from artificial intelligence companies that violate applicable laws.
- Introduction 26834 Sponsored by Council Member Virginia Maloney: Establishes a private right of action against artificial intelligence companies for foreseeable harms arising from malicious use or circumvention of safety controls (“jailbreaking”).
- Introduction 26630 Sponsored by Majority Whip Kamilah Hanks: Requires the Office of Cyber Command to establish standards and procedures for contractors to identify the occurrence of an artificial intelligence safety incident relating to the covered contract.
- Introduction 26378 Sponsored by Council Member Chi Osse: Requires Cyber Command within the Office of Technology and Innovation, in collaboration with New York City Emergency Management, to create a plan to respond to events involving artificial intelligence that compromise New York City information systems and other infrastructure or otherwise disrupt New York City government operations and public safety.
- Introduction 26831 Sponsored by Council Member Kevin Riley: Clarifies that the Whistleblower protections extend to New York City employees and covered New York City contractors and subcontractors who report conduct relating to the use or development of artificial intelligence that they know or reasonably believe to present a public safety threat.
- Introduction 26832 Sponsored by Council Member Carl Wilson: Requires certain disclosures by artificial intelligence companies about their artificial intelligence tools and would prohibit such companies from making false or misleading representations regarding the safety of such tools.
- Introduction 26862 Sponsored by Council Member Frank Morano: Implements a local version of the People-First Chatbot Bill, as proposed by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which would create data privacy, security, and transparency requirements for chatbot providers, enforceable by the City.
- Introduction 161 Sponsored by Council Member Carmen De La Rosa: Requires the city to report on the number of employees whose employment status have been impacted by the use of AI including the number funded agency positions eliminated due to the use of such tool, the number of funded agency positions for which there was any displacement, the number of salaries changed due to changes in responsibility due to use of such tool, and the number of city employees who were required to undertake any new trainings due to the use of an algorithmic tool.
- Introduction 504 Sponsored by Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha Williams: Permits elected officials and candidates for elected office to notify, in writing, owners of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems that they do not authorize those systems to produce manipulated audio, photos, or videos with their likeness.
The Speaker indicated that additional bills will focus on prohibiting the generation of deceptive deepfakes and creating a better understanding of the impacts that algorithmic tools have on job duties.
Comptroller DiNapoli Releases Analysis of State Grant Funding to New York City
About 17% of the City’s total revenue for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, totaling over $21 billion, comes from state aid, including substantial categorical grant funding for essential programs for children, families and vulnerable residents, according to a new report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
The Comptroller asserted that major education and social service programs in New York City could be in jeopardy if federal funding cuts to the State occur.
Specifics of the funding include:
- Foundation Aid: The state’s primary public school funding formula, New York City will receive nearly $11 billion in FY 2027 in Foundation Aid.
- Building Aid: Total funding for FY2027 is $1.8 billion. It is expected to cover 44.6% of the Department of Education’s debt service costs.
- Universal Pre-K: The State is expected to provide $1.1 billion to support Pre-K in New York City.
- Transportation Aid: Funding will reach $880 million for FY 2027.
- Family Services Safety Net Assistance: The Safety Net Assistance program is one of New York State’s two public assistance programs, which provide cash and non-cash assistance to state residents, including direct payments made to landlords and vouchers sent to utility companies. The city expects to receive roughly $623 million from the state in FY 2027, but that could rise if enrollments exceed the city’s projection
- State Child Welfare Services: The city expects to receive $478 million from the state for these services in FY 2027.
- Charter School Tuition and Lease Aid: Comptroller DiNapoli’s report estimates that state support for city charter schools will reach at least $347 million in FY 2027 and will likely grow over the course of the fiscal year.
- High-Cost Aid, also known as Public Excess Cost, is for public school districts to educate students with disabilities: The state allocated $263 million in High-Cost Aid to New York City
- Medical Assistance Administration: The city expects $251 million in state support for Medicaid administration services in FY 2027, with 1.4 million enrollments administered by the city.
- Child Care Block Grants: The enacted SFY 2027 budget adds more than $940 million in baselined state childcare funding, bringing total state support to $2.4 billion for FY 2027.
Briefs
For Organized Labor AI is the “Hill to Die On”
Pitta LLP Partner Joseph Bonomo was quoted in the NY Times this week, discussing the importance of AI regulation and how unions should be wary of how AI “efficiencies” impact organized labor and labor negotiations.
“Employers may not necessarily say, ‘Hey, there’s a new AI system,’” Mr. Bonomo said. “They’re going to label it, characterize it as a scheduling tool, a safety platform, a productivity system, a camera upgrade, some routing software.”
He challenged unions to interrogate the jargon. What does the system do? Does it collect data? Make predictions? Is it influencing discipline, staffing, scheduling, pay rates? Did the vendor consult with the union before writing the code?
In addition, unions are particularly concerned that AI is going to be used to monitor and discipline workers. Mr. Bonomo urges his clients to press for contract provisions that guarantee human review of reports generated by an algorithm.
“A.I. is the hill to die on,” Mr. Bonomo tells union clients. “Because if you don’t have a job at the end of that contract, what good was the contract?”
State legislation sponsored by Assembly Labor Committee Chair Harry Bronson and Senator Michelle Hinchey seeks to quantify the impact of AI on New York companies and employees.
The bill, which has been passed by both houses and is awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul’s consideration, would require businesses with 50 or more employees or that are publicly traded to report the following information annually to the State Labor Department:
- Employment Data including: An estimate of the number of employees displaced, or whose hours have been reduced, due in full or in part to use of artificial intelligence; an estimate of the number of employees hired, or whose hours have been increased, due in full or in part to use of artificial intelligence; and an estimate of the number of positions previously filled that the covered business has decided not to fill due in full or in part to use of artificial intelligence.
- Information on the nature of artificial intelligence usage including: Descriptions of the objectives of the use of artificial intelligence; information regarding any human oversight of artificial intelligence; information on the frequency and length of use of artificial intelligence; information on any use of artificial intelligence in relation to sensitive personal data, including storage and access protections related to use of artificial intelligence in relation to such personal data; and measures in place for oversight, risk reduction, or other protections related to use of artificial intelligence.
Is Your Voter Registration Up To Date?
Have you moved since the last time you voted? Are you sure your voter registration is up to date?
Voter registration deadlines are fast approaching across the country, so now is the time to be sure you are registered to vote at your current address. The General election is November 3rd and Early Voting in New York State begins October 24th.
There is an easy tool to check your status, get registered or update your registration and look up the specific dates and rules for voting in your area.
Nationwide Information: Can I Vote National Association of Secretaries of State.
New York State Information: NYS Voter Registration Process NYS Board of Elections (Voter registration & updates.
New York City Information: Register to Vote NYC Board of Elections (Voter Registration & updates)
Attorney General James Secures Protections for Entertainment Industry Workers from Paramount and Warner Bros.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 11 other attorneys general this week secured new commitments from Paramount Skydance Corp. (Paramount) and Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (Warner Bros.) to protect film and television industry workers and help ensure fair prices for consumers as the two companies combine.
Paramount will produce and distribute at least 30 films every year, including 20 wide-release films distributed to thousands of theaters nationwide. 20 percent of these films must be big-budget “tentpole” films that help sustain theaters and other businesses reliant on film production. Paramount will also commit to invest $1.5 billion more in domestic film production over the next five years, and will increase its domestic film production even more if new federal or state film tax credits take effect. If Paramount fails to meet its production requirements, it must sell Miramax and pay $30 million in penalties for every film that falls short of its commitment.
“The artists, writers, crew members, and other workers who create the films and television shows we love count on new productions and investments to sustain their careers,” said Attorney General James. “Paramount’s commitments will allow the film and television industry to continue to thrive with more movies produced in America and $1.5 billion of new investment in film production.
To protect the television industry, Paramount will negotiate the licensing fees for Warner Bros. cable channels separately from its own, ensuring the company has less power to demand higher fees from distributors. Paramount must sell certain cable channels if it fails to abide by this commitment. Paramount will also institute an independent editorial board composed of independent journalists to oversee CNN and CBS.
Comptroller DiNapoli: Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Decline in New York
Workplace injuries and illnesses among private sector businesses in New York declined nearly 18% between 2014 and 2024, falling to 122,400 incidents, according to a new report by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Fewer than two workers per 100 were injured or fell ill on the job in 2024; however, rates in several subsectors were significantly higher. In 2024, 1.9 per 100 workers in New York were injured or fell ill on the job, lower than the national average of 2.3.
Couriers and messengers reported the highest rate at 7.5 per 100 workers, followed by air transportation (6), and warehousing and storage (5.3). Accommodation (leisure and hospitality) and nursing home and residential facilities (health care and social assistance) were the only other employment sectors with rates above 5 per 100 employees. In each of these subsectors, more than 1 in 20 workers fell sick or got injured on their job in 2024.
Comptroller DiNapoli’s report found that the overwhelming majority (81%) of injuries and illnesses were due to three sources: overexertion or repetitive motion; contact incidents, such as contact with heavy machinery or electricity; and falls, slips and trips.
NYC Department of Investigation Requests Expedited Approval of Vendor for 9/11 Toxins Report
Department of Investigation (DOI) has requested the City Chief Procurement Officer’s approval of a Competitive Negotiated Acquisition to procure professional investigative services to assist DOI in a “New York City Council-mandated, time sensitive” investigation of 9/11 Toxins.
According to the City Record, DOI entered into negotiations with Epstein Becker & Green PC for 9/11 World Trade Toxins Professional Investigative Services. Services are to include conducting an investigation to ascertain the knowledge possessed by mayoral administrations on environmental toxins produced by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and to submit a report to the Council. According to DOI, it is not practicable to award a contract by competitive sealed proposals due to a time-sensitive situation and a compelling need for services. The contract term is 10/1/2026-7/17/2027 with 3 optional 1-year extensions.
In the FY2027 New York City Budget, Speaker Julie Menin and the Council secured $4 million in additional funding for the Department of Investigation to complete and release its long-delayed report on 9/11 environmental toxins.
Prior to the 25th anniversary of 9/11 in September, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the release of more than 170,000 pages of City records documenting the government’s response to the attacks and their aftermath, as well as the settlement of two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch.
The portal, available now at nyc.gov/sept11docs, features an initial release of approximately 170,000 pages of records concerning health concerns, air quality and the City’s response to September 11th. The records include the frequently referenced Harding Memo, the “68 boxes” of records that were not located until 2025 despite multiple Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, and a collection of records concerning World Trade Center 7.
The portal will be updated regularly as the Law Department reviews additional City records over the next 12 months. The City expects more documents will be released in the coming year as they are reviewed, and personally identifiable information is removed.
NYC Settles With DoorDash
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) announced a $131.5 million settlement with delivery app DoorDash for violations of New York City’s Food Delivery Worker Laws. A DCWP investigation found that DoorDash paid workers below the Minimum Pay Rate or not at all. Under the settlement, DoorDash will pay over $115 million in worker restitution and over $16 million in civil penalties and administrative fines.
Individuals who worked for DoorDash between April 22, 2022, and November 29, 2026, may be eligible for payments. Workers do not need to file a claim or submit evidence to receive payment. DCWP has identified all individuals owed money from analysis of DoorDash’s records.
DCWP is working with Simpluris, a third-party settlement administrator, to help distribute payments to eligible workers.
- In late October, Simpluris will email each eligible worker who experienced an underpayment from April 22, 2022 to June 28, 2026, with a settlement notice specifying the payment amount. Eligible workers will have the ability to select payment method (e.g., mailed check, direct deposit, or other electronic transfer method). Workers who do not make a selection will receive a check in the mail to their last-known address.
- In early 2027, there will be a second set of payments to a small group of DoorDash workers who experienced underpayments from June 29, 2026 through November 29, 2026. This may include workers for DashLink.
- Money to workers who were denied timely payment will be calculated at 200% of the underpaid amount. For example, a worker who was never paid $1,000 in wages owed will receive $3,000. A worker who was paid $1,000 later than permitted under the law will receive $2,000.
- Money to workers who experienced Minimum Pay Rate violations will be calculated proportionately based on the amount of trip time each worker had in the pay period when the underpayment occurred.
NYC DOT to Provide Incentives to Reduce Truck Deliveries During Busiest Hours and Fight Congestion
NYC DOT’s Off-Hour Deliveries program (OHD) provides financial incentives, funded by the Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP) mitigation program, for businesses to shift deliveries to off-peak hours, between 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Up to 14 businesses will be given more than half of a million dollars in incentives during this first phase of OHD. Applications are now open for businesses interested in participating in the next phase of the program. The second phase will distribute the remaining incentive funding to participating businesses.
Small retailers participating in the first phase of the program include Element Brooklyn, Migrant Kitchen, and Tea and Milk. Applications are open on a rolling basis for businesses interested in participating in the next phase of the program.
The Off-Hour Deliveries incentives fund tools and strategies to make overnight deliveries feasible for businesses. This includes the installation of low-noise equipment for delivery vehicles (such as newer hand pallet trucks and backup alarms) to operate quietly at night; building security retrofits to enable unattended deliveries; and safety equipment such as security cameras.
Participating businesses will receive one-time payments. The incentives specifically aim to help smaller businesses that face financial barriers to transitioning to off-hour deliveries, though OHD is open to businesses of all sizes. NYC DOT also encourages participants to consider sustainable last-mile delivery options, such as electric vehicles and cargo bikes.
Upstate NY Fall Colors are Nearing Peak in Parts of the Adirondacks
I LOVE NY, the state’s tourism website, published their second round of predictions for where to find the most color change during the week of Sept. 23-29, 2026.
Most of New York state is changing color with parts of the Adirondack Mountains nearing peak.
I LOVE NY defines “peak” as the best overall appearance the foliage will have during the season, taking into account color transition, brilliance, and leaf droppage.
9/11 Solidarity Network Helps Claimants Obtain Vital Documentation for 9/11 Compensation Fund Claims
It is becoming increasingly difficult for some claimants to find documents to prove their presence at an eligible location so many years after the attacks. The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) understands this challenge and encourages individuals who were present in the exposure zone to gather and save their proof of presence documents now, even if they aren’t currently ill or planning to file a claim.
The 9/11 Solidarity Network, developed by Pitta & Baione LLP, directly addresses this challenge by creating a system where members can act as witnesses for one another. This network is especially vital because sworn Witness Presence Statements from people who can attest to a claimant’s presence are accepted as secondary evidence by the VCF when primary documentation is unavailable. By participating, you can provide the crucial testimony a fellow member might need while also securing potential support for your own future claim. This initiative formalizes the collective memory of our members to ensure no one is left to prove their presence alone.
For more information regarding the 9/11 Solidarity Network, please contact Pitta & Baione at 844-901-1262.
Coming Up
New York State
Thursday, October 1st
Cannabis Control Board Meeting, Monroe Community College – Building 3 – Forum Room 130 – Rochester, 11 a.m.
Joint Public Hearing: Examining the Implementation, Fiscal Impact, and Technical Sufficiency of Mandatory State Water Security and Wastewater Security Regulations Senate Hearing Room – 250 Broadway – 19th Floor, 12 p.m.
New York City
Monday, September 28th
Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Relations, The New York Public Library – 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, September 29th
Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 1 p.m.
Committee on Higher Education, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, September 30th
Committee on Parks and Recreation, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.
Committee on Public Safety, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Women and Gender Equity, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 10 a.m.
Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 10 a.m.
Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Council Chamber – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Technology, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 1 p.m.
Committee on Environmental Protection and Waterfronts, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2,
1 p.m.
Committee on Small Business, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 1 p.m.
Committee on Economic Development, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 1 p.m.