November 25, 2024 — With a little more than a month until the New Year, there are still hundreds of bills waiting for Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature or veto. Two of PEF’s key legislative priorities are in that pile.
The first centers around toxic work environments and is often referred to as “the bullying bill.” PEF launched an anti-bullying campaign during the September 2023 meeting of the Executive Board and has made it a top priority since. The union shared “Toxic Tales” from members to show the scope of the problem, and held rallies at troublesome facilities such as Kingsboro Psychiatric Center to call out toxicity.
The bill PEF has supported was introduced by Senator Jessicas Ramos and Assemblymember Harry Bronson and would add “abusive conduct” and “bullying” into the state’s workplace violence prevention law. The bill would mandate training of employers and employees to identify the risks and signs of bullying and how to prevent it.
Another bill PEF had a hand in getting pushed through to the governor focuses on Artificial Intelligence (AI). As AI continues to become more widely used across the nation and the state, PEF and other unions are fighting to make sure there is proper human oversight.
The bill, which was dubbed the “Legislative Oversight of Automated Decision-making in Government” Act, or LOADinG Act, was sponsored by Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Steven Otis.
PEF believes it is critical for New York to monitor the acquisition and implementation of any AI systems used in the public sector. If signed, the LOADinG Act would ensure that New York disclose which AI systems are being used at state agencies and protect employees against displacement or job losses. It would also provide for meaningful human oversight and periodic reviews of all AI systems acquired or operated using taxpayer dollars. Additionally, the act would prohibit AI from determining the delivery of benefits, to make sure that any biases built into the machine learning do not impact New Yorkers.
PEF members are encouraged to urge the governor to sign these bills. PEF has made it easy for members to copy and paste pre-written letters and submit them via the Governor’s website.