N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul Signs Sweeping AI Safety Bill
On January 10, 2026, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) signed the RAISE Act into law, making New York the latest state to implement broad safety regulations for advanced AI models.
Importance of the Legislation
This development is significant as both New York and California are establishing de facto safety standards for frontier AI companies in the United States amidst ongoing struggles in Congress to agree on federal regulations.
The timing is notable, occurring just a week after former President Trump signed an executive order intended to override state-level AI laws.
Details of the RAISE Act
Following extensive negotiations, the RAISE Act introduces regulations that focus on AI safety, including:
- Incident reporting requirements for both large and small AI models.
- Mandatory risk assessment plans.
- Financial penalties for violations, which can reach up to $1 million for the first violation and up to $3 million for subsequent violations.
AI companies are now required to report any safety incidents to the state within 72 hours of determining that an incident has occurred. Additionally, the act establishes a new oversight office within the Department of Financial Services to ensure transparency in AI frontier models.
Statements from Key Figures
Governor Hochul emphasized that this law builds upon California’s recently adopted framework, creating a unified benchmark among the nation’s leading tech states while the federal government fails to implement effective regulations to protect the public.
State Assemblymember and bill sponsor Alex Bores described the signing as a “major victory” in the national effort to harness the potential of AI while safeguarding the public from its possible harms.
Negotiations and Changes
Before the bill’s signing, tech and AI lobbyists negotiated changes to align the act more closely with California’s SB 53. This move aimed to create uniformity in state bills to provide industry certainty. However, the sponsors successfully strengthened the requirements around reporting critical safety incidents in the final version.
Bores highlighted the successful negotiations among himself, Hochul, and co-sponsor state Senator Andrew Gounardes, noting that they resisted last-ditch attempts from AI oligarchs to undermine the bill. He asserted that they effectively countered Trump’s executive actions that sought to inhibit the RAISE Act, thereby setting a higher standard for AI safety legislation.
