Senator Kristen Gonzalez' Joint Elected Letter Opposing the Federal Moratorium on State and Local AI Regulation Proposed in the House Committe on Energy and Commerce Reconciliation Text

As elected representatives of New York State, we strongly oppose the 10-year moratorium on state and local artificial intelligence legislation proposed in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce reconciliation text.

While the federal government struggles to act on regulating artificial intelligence, states are leading the way, enacting legislation to protect Americans from the multitude of threats posed by rapid technological advances in automated decision-making systems. In the past two years, New York has enacted legislation regulating AI-generated deep fakes, automated employment decision-making tools, and companion chatbots while similar legislation has stalled at the federal level. 

New York has also led the way when it comes to public-sector AI regulation. Our Legislative Oversight of Automated Decision Making in Government Act, which passed both the Senate and Assembly with bipartisan support, has been a model for similar legislation in other states. By stripping states of their powers to enact laws regarding their own governments’ use of automated decision-making tools, this moratorium undermines our Federalist system of government.

This proposed moratorium would not only undermine the work of state and local legislatures to minimize existing harms, but would also exacerbate the risks AI development poses by selectively excluding from the moratorium any legislation that makes it easier to remove the guardrails states have already enacted. 

The threats unregulated AI development poses are vast and are already being felt. In Florida, a 14 year old died by suicide after engaging with a companion chatbot for months. In 2023, UnitedHealthcare was sued for using an AI algorithm to deny claims and prematurely end acute care with a 90% reversal rate when reviewed by a physician. Where action at the federal level has stalled, state and local legislators must be allowed to act in the best interest of our constituents.

We call on House Republican leadership to remove this language from the reconciliation text and work with state legislatures to pass comprehensive AI regulation at the federal level using successful state and local legislation as a model.

Respectfully,

Kristen Gonzalez                        Steve Otis
State Senator                            Member of Assembly

Liz Krueger                            Nathalia Fernandez
State Senator                            State Senator

Roxanne Persaud                        Shelley Mayer
State Senator                            State Senator

Julia Salazar                            Jabari Brisport
State Senator                             State Senator

April Baskin                            Michelle Hinchey
State Senator                            State Senator

Patricia Fahy                            Zellnor Myrie
State Senator                            State Senator

Toby Ann Stavisky                        Jamaal Bailey
State Senator                            State Senator

Jessica Scarcella Spanton                    James Skoufis
State Senator                            State Senator

Leroy Comrie                            Samra Brouk
State Senator                            State Senator

John Liu                            Sean Ryan
State Senator                            State Senator

James Sanders                            Lea Webb
State Senator                            State Senator

Peter Harckham                        Chris Ryan
State Senator                            State Senator

Gustavo Rivera                        Jessica Ramos
State Senator                            State Senator

Michelle Hinchey                        Rachel May
State Senator                            State Senator

Robert Jackson                        Brad Hoylman-Sigal
State Senator                            State Senator

Brian Kavanagh
State Senator

Emily Gallagher                        Harvey Epstein 
Member of the Assembly                    Member of the Assembly

Marcela Mitaynes                        Catalina Cruz
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

Phara Souffrant Forrest                    Larinda Hooks
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

Jessica González-Rojas                    Emerita Torres
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

Tony Simone                            Claire Valdez
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

Alex Bores                            Steve Raga
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

John T. McDonald III, RPh                    Patrick Burke
Member of Assembly                         Member of Assembly

Jeffrey Dinowitz                        Clyde Vanel
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

MaryJane Shimsky                        Michaelle Solages
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

Jennifer Lunsford                        Jo Anne Simon
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

Khaleel Anderson                        Jonathan Rivera
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

Chris Burdick                            Anna Kelles
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly

Grace Lee                            Dana Levenberg
Member of Assembly                        Member of Assembly
 

cc: 

U.S Representative Nick Lalota, U.S Representative Andrew Garbarino, U.S Representative Nicole Malliotakis, U.S Representative Mike Lawler, U.S Representative Elise Stefanik, U.S Representative Nick Langworthy, U.S Representative Claudia Tenney