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The New York Pro-Worker AI Workforce Act (NY-AI-Workforce)

New York state companion to AI Workforce. Structures incentives as labor-protective training credits and Empire State Development matching grants. Builds on N.Y. Bus. Corp. Law, N.Y. Tax Law credits, ESD, and the NY DFS financial-innovation framework.

THE NEW YORK PRO-WORKER AI WORKFORCE ACT (NY-AI-WORKFORCE)

Vehicle: State passage. New York State Legislature, regular session. Primary referral to Assembly / Senate Economic Development / Ways and Means / Labor.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “New York Pro-Worker AI Workforce Act (NY-AI-Workforce).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The Legislature finds that New York business entities are governed by N.Y. Bus. Corp. Law and N.Y. Ltd. Liab. Co. Law; that N.Y. Tax Law Art. 9 and Art. 22 provide tax credits including the Excelsior Jobs Program; that Empire State Development operates under N.Y. Pub. Auth. Law Art. 8 Title 28; that the Department of Financial Services operates under N.Y. Fin. Serv. Law; and that N.Y. Lab. Law protections apply to all training and employment relationships. This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH NEW YORK LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “Qualified NY AI Workforce Training” means training toward an NYRMC or Federal FRAC in AI fields.
  2. (b) “New York Innovation Sandbox” means a regulatory sandbox under Title III.
  3. (c) “Qualified small business” has the meaning given in N.Y. Bus. Corp. Law.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing New York Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • N.Y. Bus. Corp. Law; N.Y. Ltd. Liab. Co. Law.
  • N.Y. Tax Law Art. 9, 22.
  • N.Y. Pub. Auth. Law Art. 8 Title 28 (ESD).
  • N.Y. Fin. Serv. Law (DFS).

TITLE II — NEW YORK AI WORKFORCE TRAINING CREDIT (Worker-Protective Rewire)

Sec. 201. Training Credit and ESD Matching Grant

  1. (a) A new credit is added to N.Y. Tax Law Art. 9 and Art. 22 for qualified AI workforce training expenditures, modeled on the Excelsior framework.
  2. (b) Credit availability is conditioned on the employer’s compliance with N.Y. Lab. Law Art. 6 and Art. 20-C.
  3. (c) A parallel matching grant program is authorized at ESD, with priority to employers that have a labor-management partnership with a certified collective bargaining representative.
  4. (d) Coordinated with federal IRC Sec. 45BB; aggregate cap.
  5. (e) N.Y. Department of Taxation and Finance and ESD jointly administer.

TITLE III — NEW YORK INNOVATION SANDBOX

Sec. 301. Establishment of the New York Innovation Sandbox

  1. (a) A New York Innovation Sandbox is established within ESD, covering occupational-licensure activities under N.Y. Educ. Law Title VIII and financial-product innovation under N.Y. Fin. Serv. Law.
  2. (b) Twenty-four-month terms; renewable.

Sec. 302. Scope

  1. (a) Covers state-licensed activities and financial activities to the extent not preempted. N.Y. Lab. Law protections apply.

TITLE IV — SMALL-BUSINESS FORMATION

Sec. 401. Expedited Formation Pathway

  1. (a) The Department of State shall implement an expedited formation pathway for N.Y. Bus. Corp. Law and N.Y. Ltd. Liab. Co. Law entities within 24 hours.

Sec. 402. Single-Portal Licensing

  1. (a) The New York Business Express portal shall operate a single-portal licensing system for state-level occupational licenses under N.Y. Educ. Law Title VIII and related licensing statutes.

TITLE V — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 501. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 502. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect on the first day of the taxable year following enactment.

Canonical federal version: AI Workforce. Other New York bills: NY-ACSA, NY-MEWRA, NY-GT&P.