New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is gearing up legislative proposals for 2026 that she said aim to better protect children online and that pay particular attention to “harmful impacts” of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots that are integrated into online platforms.
The governor’s office detailed the legislative plan on Jan. 5 in a first look at Hochul’s 2026 “State of the State” proposals.
The legislative proposals, her office said, “will help protect kids from predators, scammers and harmful AI chatbots on online platforms.”
The governor is also proposing to expand the state’s teen mental health first aid training program “designed to give young people the tools to identify, understand, and effectively respond to signs of mental health and substance abuse challenges among their friends and peers,” Hochul’s office said.
The governor’s office said that these proposals build on Hochul’s work to ban K-12 student use of smartphones in schools, enact social media warning labels, and create safeguards around AI.
“As New York’s first mom Governor, the well-being and safety of our children has always been one of my top priorities, and today we are continuing to break new ground to give our kids the tools and safeguards they need to contend with the unprecedented mental health challenges and real world dangers that can sometimes be a byproduct of navigating today’s digital world,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement.
“These proposals will create a nation-leading standard that will ensure our kids’ safety in online and real world environments where they spend time,” she said.
