Senate Bill S10049

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S10049

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to updating the defi-
nition of cyberbullying in the dignity for all students act

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation amends the definition of "cyberbullying" in the dignity
for all students act to prohibit bullying and harassment through AI-gen-
erated likenesses created without the victim's consent.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subdivision 8 of section 11 of the education law to
amend the definition of cyberbullying to include, but not be limited to,
intentionally using artificial intelligence to mimic or alter a person's
likeness or voice without their consent.

Section 2 establishes the effective date.
              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The need to improve civility and kindness in social interactions at
schools, at school functions and on the internet remains a priority.
Reports of bullying, a youth mental health crisis and increased youth
suicide rates continue to make headlines. The Dignity for All Students
Act, which initially became effective at the end of 2013, was designed
to help prevent bullying/harassment/discrimination in public schools by
identifying and addressing such behaviors at their earliest stages.

Since 2013, technology has evolved and become ubiquitous. When DASA
became effective, 37 percent of teens ages twelve to seventeen had a
smartphone, and artificial intelligence seemed like science fiction to
many consumers. Now, nearly all teens have access to a smartphone and AI
models are widely available to the public, giving users the tools to
easily create or alter imagery or mimic a human voice in ways that feel
increasingly real.

For children facing bullying and harassment at school, this is an urgent
concern. Reporting shows that in schools across the country, students
are the victims of malicious deepfakes, many of them sexually explicit.
This kind of cyberbullying is traumatic, and victims often struggle with
depression, anxiety, and the pain of reputational harm. This bill
updates the definition of "cyberbullying" to address these new technolo-
gies and prohibit the use of AI-generated likenesses to bully or harass
students on school campuses or at school functions.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.