Bill Text: NY S03049 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Prohibits the use of weaponized robots, non-weaponized robots which may potentially cause injury, or robots being used for surveillance purposes by police agencies.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-23 - REFERRED TO CODES [S03049 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S03049-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          3049

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 23, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sens. BRISPORT, SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes

        AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to prohibiting the use of
          robots by police agencies

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

     1    Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section  837-y
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  837-y.  Use  of robots prohibited. 1.  Definitions. As used in this
     4  section, the following terms have the following meanings:
     5    (a) "Robot" means an artificial object or system  that  senses,  proc-
     6  esses  and acts, to at least some degree, and is operated either autono-
     7  mously by computers or by an individual remotely;
     8    (b) "Weapon" means a  device  designed  to  inflict  physical  injury,
     9  including nonlethal injury;
    10    (c) "Surveillance" means any observation or monitoring of civilians.
    11    2.  No police agency shall authorize the use, attempted use or threat-
    12  ened use of a robot armed with any weapon.
    13    3. No police agency shall authorize the use, attempted use or  threat-
    14  ened  use  of  a  robot in any manner that can potentially cause injury,
    15  regardless of whether or not the robot is armed with a weapon.
    16    4. No police agency shall authorize the use, attempted use or  threat-
    17  ened use of a robot for surveillance purposes.
    18    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.



         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05926-01-5