New York lawmakers and labor supporters are pressing Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill that would require certain businesses doing business in New York to report AI-related workforce changes to the New York State Department of Labor. According to the supplied reporting, the measure has passed the legislature, and Hochul had not yet acted as of the reporting.
The bill would apply to covered businesses that employ more than 50 people or are publicly traded entities. It would require annual reporting by March 1 on the prior calendar year’s AI-related employment effects, including estimates of employees displaced, employees whose hours were reduced, employees hired or whose hours increased, and positions left unfilled because of AI. The bill also calls for reporting on the objectives, human oversight, frequency and length of AI use, sensitive personal data protections, and other risk-reduction measures.
Spectrum News 1 reported on September 3, 2026 that supporters wanted action sooner rather than later because they said AI is changing quickly and the state should begin collecting the data now. FingerLakes1.com reported on September 4, 2026 that lawmakers were pushing Hochul to act quickly on the same workforce-reporting measure.
What the bill would require
The Assembly bill page states that covered businesses would have to file annual reports with the Department of Labor. The required filing would include estimates of employees displaced, employees whose hours were reduced, employees hired or whose hours increased, and positions left unfilled because of AI. The bill also requires reporting on the objectives of AI use, human oversight, the frequency and length of AI use, sensitive personal data protections, and other risk-reduction measures.
The same source says the Department of Labor would have to publish an annual report based on those filings within 120 days of the reporting deadline. It also includes a civil penalty of up to $500 per day for noncompliance, with a 90-day cure period after notice.
Where the measure stands
The supplied sources say the measure has passed the legislature. The Assembly bill page shows the Senate bill was introduced on January 7, 2026, passed the Senate on June 4, 2026, and was substituted by A9581B in the Assembly process. The supplied sources do not identify any action by Hochul beyond the reporting that she had not yet acted as of that reporting.
Spectrum News 1 reported that lawmakers were urging Hochul to act on the bill, and the article said supporters wanted action by Labor Day because of the speed of AI change. FingerLakes1.com reported that lawmakers were pushing Hochul to act quickly on the same measure.
Who would be affected
If enacted, the reporting obligation would fall on covered businesses doing business in New York that employ more than 50 people or are publicly traded entities. The bill would require those firms to quantify AI-related workforce effects and certain AI-use practices each year.
That scope matters because the bill is aimed at reporting, not direct employment regulation. The supplied materials describe it as a labor-policy response to AI’s impact on work, with the goal of producing a recurring statewide dataset. The bill would require employers to disclose job displacement and reduced hours, along with jobs or hours increased because of AI and positions left unfilled because of AI.
What to watch next
The immediate question is whether Hochul acts on the bill. The supplied reporting says lawmakers want her to sign it sooner rather than later, while the Assembly bill page shows the measure has already advanced through the legislature. If signed, the first reporting deadline described in the supplied sources would be March 1, with the Department of Labor’s annual report due within 120 days of that deadline.
Until then, the supplied sources support only a limited picture: New York lawmakers are pressing for action, the measure would impose annual reporting duties on covered businesses, and the state would collect information about AI-related changes to work if the bill becomes law.
Why this matters
The bill is notable because it would require employers to quantify AI-related displacement and hiring changes instead of leaving the issue to anecdotes or company claims. The supplied materials frame that as a way to give policymakers and workers a clearer view of whether AI is changing employment conditions in New York.
At the same time, the bill’s own reporting language is narrower than broad claims about automation and jobs. It would collect estimates from covered businesses on the specific workforce effects listed in the bill, along with disclosures about AI use and risk-reduction measures. That makes the measure useful as a reporting tool, but the supplied sources do not say it would by itself resolve disputes over AI’s broader labor effects.
Sources
- Bill Search and Legislative Information | New York State Assembly — New York State Assembly
- Lawmakers urge Hochul to act sooner rather than later on AI tech bills — Spectrum News 1
- New York lawmakers push Hochul to act on AI workforce legislation — FingerLakes1.com