Governor’s proposals focus on protecting children

STATEWIDE — PROTECTING CHILDREN IS THE PRIORITY OF SEVERAL STATE OF THE STATE PROPOSALS that Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled on Monday, Jan. 5. Earlier on Monday, she and State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, D-26, announced that his “Stop Online Predators Act” will be incorporated into the State of the State address. This bill would protect minors from scammers and harmful AI chatbots integrated on online platforms.

The governor proposes an innovative, statewide expansion of Teen Mental Health First Aid training, designed to give young people the tools to identify, understand and effectively respond to signs of mental health and substance abuse challenges among their friends and peers, such as bullying and school violence. As part of this initiative, the State will offer new Youth Mental Health First Aid training for adults who regularly interact with youth in schools and community programs. This nationally-recognized curriculum introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development and teaches a five-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations.

ThankingHochul for her partnership, Gounardes said, “This proposal sends a clear message that New York will always prioritize our kids’ safety over Big Tech’s profits.”

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