Bill Text: NY S07543 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Enacts the legislative oversight of automated decision-making in government act (LOADinG Act) to regulate the use of automated decision-making systems and artificial intelligence techniques by state agencies.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 16-0)

Status: (Enrolled) 2024-12-19 - DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR [S07543 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S07543-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         7543--B
            Cal. No. 403

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      June 5, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  GONZALEZ,  BRISPORT,  COMRIE,  COONEY, GOUNARDES,
          HARCKHAM,   JACKSON,   KRUEGER,   LIU,   MYRIE,    PARKER,    SALAZAR,
          SCARCELLA-SPANTON,  SEPULVEDA, THOMAS -- read twice and ordered print-
          ed, and when printed to be committed to  the  Committee  on  Rules  --
          recommitted  to the Committee on Internet and Technology in accordance
          with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
          ordered  reprinted  as  amended  and  recommitted to said committee --
          reported favorably from said committee, ordered to  first  and  second
          report,  ordered  to  a  third reading, amended and ordered reprinted,
          retaining its place in the order of third reading

        AN ACT to amend the state technology law, in relation to automated deci-
          sion-making by state agencies

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Short title.  This act shall be known and may be cited as
     2  the "legislative oversight of automated  decision-making  in  government
     3  act (LOADinG Act)".
     4    §  2. The state technology law is amended by adding a new article 4 to
     5  read as follows:
     6                                  ARTICLE IV
     7                AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING IN STATE GOVERNMENT
     8  Section 401. Definitions.
     9          402. Use of automated decision-making systems by agencies.
    10          403. Impact assessments.
    11          404. Submission to the governor and legislature.
    12    § 401. Definitions. For the purpose of this article:
    13    1. "Automated decision-making system" shall  mean  any  software  that
    14  uses  algorithms, computational models, or artificial intelligence tech-
    15  niques, or a combination thereof, to automate, support, or replace human
    16  decision-making and shall  include,  without  limitation,  systems  that
    17  process  data, and apply predefined rules or machine learning algorithms

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11734-11-4

        S. 7543--B                          2

     1  to  analyze  such  data,  and  generate  conclusions,   recommendations,
     2  outcomes,  assumptions,  projections,  or predictions without meaningful
     3  human discretion. "Automated decision-making system" shall  not  include
     4  any  software  used  primarily for basic computerized processes, such as
     5  calculators,  spellcheck  tools,  autocorrect  functions,  spreadsheets,
     6  electronic  communications,  or  any  tool that relates only to internal
     7  management affairs  such  as  ordering  office  supplies  or  processing
     8  payments, and that do not materially affect the rights, liberties, bene-
     9  fits, safety or welfare of any individual within the state.
    10    2.  "Meaningful  human  review" means review, oversight and control of
    11  the automated decision-making process by one  or  more  individuals  who
    12  understand the risks, limitations, and functionality of, and are trained
    13  to  use, the automated decision-making system and who have the authority
    14  to intervene or alter the  decision  under  review,  including  but  not
    15  limited  to  the ability to approve, deny, or modify any decision recom-
    16  mended or made by the automated system.
    17    3. "State agency" shall mean any department, public authority,  board,
    18  bureau,  commission,  division, office, council, committee or officer of
    19  the state. Such terms shall not include the legislature or judiciary.
    20    4. "Public assistance benefit" shall mean any service or program with-
    21  in the control of the state, or benefit provided by the state  to  indi-
    22  viduals  or  households, including but not limited to public assistance,
    23  cash assistance, grants,  child  care  assistance,  housing  assistance,
    24  unemployment  benefits,  transportation  benefits, education assistance,
    25  domestic violence services, and any other assistance or  benefit  within
    26  the  authority  of  the  state to grant to individuals within the state.
    27  This shall not include any federal program that is administered  by  the
    28  federal government or the state.
    29    §  402.  Use  of  automated decision-making systems by agencies. 1. No
    30  state agency, or any entity acting  on  behalf  of  such  agency,  which
    31  utilizes  or  applies  any automated decision-making system, directly or
    32  indirectly, in performing any function  that:  (a)  is  related  to  the
    33  delivery  of  any  public  assistance  benefit; (b) will have a material
    34  impact on the rights, civil liberties, safety or welfare of any individ-
    35  ual within the state; or (c) affects any statutorily or constitutionally
    36  provided right of an individual, shall utilize such automated  decision-
    37  making  system,  unless such automated decision-making system is subject
    38  to continued and operational meaningful human review.
    39    2. No state agency shall authorize any procurement, purchase or acqui-
    40  sition of any service or system  utilizing,  or  relying  on,  automated
    41  decision-making  systems in performing any function that is: (a) related
    42  to the delivery of any public assistance benefit; (b) will have a  mate-
    43  rial  impact  on  the  rights, civil liberties, safety or welfare of any
    44  individual within the state; or (c) affects any statutorily or constitu-
    45  tionally provided right of an individual  unless  such  automated  deci-
    46  sion-making  system  is  subject to continued and operational meaningful
    47  human review.
    48    3. The use of an automated decision-making system shall not affect (a)
    49  the existing rights of employees  pursuant  to  an  existing  collective
    50  bargaining agreement, or (b) the existing representational relationships
    51  among employee organizations or the bargaining relationships between the
    52  employer  and  an  employee  organization. The use of an automated deci-
    53  sion-making system shall not result in the: (1) discharge,  displacement
    54  or  loss of position, including partial displacement such as a reduction
    55  in the hours of non-overtime work, wages,  or  employment  benefits,  or
    56  result  in  the impairment of existing collective bargaining agreements;

        S. 7543--B                          3

     1  (2) transfer of existing duties and  functions  currently  performed  by
     2  employees  of  the state or any agency or public authority thereof to an
     3  automated decision-making system; or (3) transfer of future  duties  and
     4  functions  ordinarily  performed by employees of the state or any agency
     5  or public authority. The use  of  an  automated  decision-making  system
     6  shall  not  alter  the rights or benefits, and privileges, including but
     7  not limited to terms and conditions of employment, civil service status,
     8  and collective bargaining unit membership status of all existing employ-
     9  ees of the state or any agency or  public  authority  thereof  shall  be
    10  preserved and protected.
    11    §  403.  Impact  assessments.  1. State agencies seeking to utilize or
    12  apply an automated decision-making system permitted under  section  four
    13  hundred  two  of  this article with continued and operational meaningful
    14  human review shall  conduct  or  have  conducted  an  impact  assessment
    15  substantially  completed  and bearing the signature of one or more indi-
    16  viduals responsible for meaningful human review for the lawful  applica-
    17  tion  and  use  of  such automated decision-making system. Following the
    18  first impact assessment, an impact  assessment  shall  be  conducted  in
    19  accordance  with  this  section at least once every two years. An impact
    20  assessment shall be conducted prior to any material change to the  auto-
    21  mated  decision-making  system  that may change the outcome or effect of
    22  such system.  Such impact assessments shall include:
    23    (a) a description of the objectives of the  automated  decision-making
    24  system;
    25    (b)  an  evaluation  of  the  ability of the automated decision-making
    26  system to achieve its stated objectives;
    27    (c) a description and evaluation of the objectives and development  of
    28  the automated decision-making including:
    29    (i)  a  summary of the underlying algorithms, computational modes, and
    30  artificial intelligence tools that are used within the  automated  deci-
    31  sion-making system; and
    32    (ii)  the design and training data used to develop the automated deci-
    33  sion-making system process;
    34    (d) testing for:
    35    (i) accuracy, fairness, bias and discrimination, and an assessment  of
    36  whether the use of the automated decision-making system produces discri-
    37  minatory  results  on the basis of a consumer's or a class of consumers'
    38  actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion,  national  origin,
    39  sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, biom-
    40  etric  information,  lawful source of income, or disability and outlines
    41  mitigations for  any  identified  performance  differences  in  outcomes
    42  across relevant groups impacted by such use;
    43    (ii)  any  cybersecurity  vulnerabilities  and privacy risks resulting
    44  from the deployment and use of the automated decision-making system, and
    45  the development or existence of safeguards to mitigate the risks;
    46    (iii) any public health or safety risks resulting from the  deployment
    47  and use of the automated decision-making system;
    48    (iv)  any reasonably foreseeable misuse of the automated decision-mak-
    49  ing system and the development or existence of safeguards  against  such
    50  misuse;
    51    (e)  the extent to which the deployment and use of the automated deci-
    52  sion-making system requires input of sensitive and  personal  data,  how
    53  that  data is used and stored, and any control users may have over their
    54  data; and
    55    (f) the notification mechanism or procedure, if any, by which individ-
    56  uals impacted by the utilization of the automated decision-making system

        S. 7543--B                          4

     1  may be notified of the use of such automated decision-making system  and
     2  of  the  individual's  personal  data,  and informed of their rights and
     3  options relating to such use.
     4    2. Notwithstanding the provisions of this article or any other law, if
     5  an  impact  assessment  finds  that the automated decision-making system
     6  produces discriminatory or biased outcomes, the state agency shall cease
     7  any utilization, application, or function of  such  automated  decision-
     8  making system, and of any information produced using such system.
     9    §  404.  Submission  to  the  governor and legislature. 1. Each impact
    10  assessment conducted pursuant to this article shall be submitted to  the
    11  governor,  the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the
    12  assembly at least thirty days prior to the implementation of  the  auto-
    13  mated decision-making system that is  the  subject  of such assessment.
    14    2.  (a)  The  impact assessment of an automated decision-making system
    15  shall be published on the website of the relevant state agency.
    16    (b) If the state agency makes a determination that the  disclosure  of
    17  any  information  required  in  the  impact assessment would result in a
    18  substantial negative impact on health or safety of the public,  infringe
    19  upon  the  privacy  rights  of  individuals, or significantly impair the
    20  state agency's ability to protect its information technology  or  opera-
    21  tional  assets,  such state agency may redact such information, provided
    22  that an explanatory statement on the process by which the  state  agency
    23  made  such  determination  is  published  along with the redacted impact
    24  assessment.
    25    (c) If the impact  assessment  covers  any  automated  decision-making
    26  system that includes technology that is used to prevent, detect, protect
    27  against  or respond   to   security   incidents,  identity theft, fraud,
    28  harassment, malicious or deceptive activities or other illegal activity,
    29  preserve the integrity  or  security  of systems,  or  to   investigate,
    30  report  or  prosecute those responsible for any such malicious or decep-
    31  tive action, such state agency  may  redact  such  information  for  the
    32  purposes  of this subdivision, provided that an explanatory statement on
    33  the  process by which  the   state   agency made such  determination  is
    34  published along with the redacted impact assessment.
    35    §  3.  Disclosure  of  existing automated decision-making systems. Any
    36  state agency, that directly or indirectly, utilizes an  automated  deci-
    37  sion-making  system,  as  defined in section 401 of the state technology
    38  law, shall submit to the legislature a disclosure on  the  use  of  such
    39  system, no later than one year after the effective date of this section.
    40  Such disclosure shall include:
    41    (a)  a description of the automated decision-making system utilized by
    42  such agency;
    43    (b) a list of any software vendors related  to  such  automated  deci-
    44  sion-making system;
    45    (c) the date that the use of such system began;
    46    (d)  a  summary  of  the  purpose  and use of such system, including a
    47  description  of  human  decision-making  and  discretion  supported   or
    48  replaced by the automated decision-making system;
    49    (e)  whether  any impact assessments for the automated decision-making
    50  system were conducted and the dates and summaries of the results of such
    51  assessments where applicable; and
    52    (f) any other information deemed relevant by the agency.
    53    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that section two
    54  of this act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
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