CSEA had a successful 2024 New York State legislative session, including a massive Tier 6 victory in the state budget.
Our union was also successful in getting several positive bills done after the budget, including substantive changes to the civil service system, a first-in-the-nation law to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector and several bills to protect and support workers.
Below is a summary of key legislation passed by both houses. All the passed bills await Gov. Kathy Hochul’s action. For more information about the bills, visit cseany.org.
The Legislative Oversight of Automated Decision-making in Government (LOADing) Act
S.7543 (Gonzalez) / A.9430 (Otis)
This first of its kind legislation aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the public sector. Specifically, this bill includes groundbreaking employee protection language that will prohibit the displacement of state employees when a state agency uses an AI program or system. No other state has similar protections.
Crediting Provisional Time for Promotional Exams
S.8557 (Jackson) / A.9386 (Pheffer Amato)
This legislation allows time spent by an employee in provisional status to count towards time required for a promotional exam if the employee becomes competitive in the same title without a break. This legislation will give CSEA members who were provisional the ability to take promotional examinations faster than they currently are able and grow their career in the public sector.
Age & Education Requirements for Civil Service Exams
S.8216 (Jackson) / A.8876 (Pheffer Amato)
This legislation allows individuals who are within 12 months of meeting the age or education requirements of a given civil service job to take an exam for that position. This legislation will allow prospective employees to reduce the time they need to wait between meeting the job requirements and beginning a career in the public sector.
Updating Civil Service Exams
S.8551 (Jackson) / A.9349 (Pheffer Amato)
This legislation requires the state Department of Civil Service to review and update civil service exams every five years. This will help ensure that exams remain relevant to the jobs for which they are seeking candidates.
Virtual Training for CPS Workers
S.6357B (Mannion) / A.7341B (Hevesi)
This legislation allows Child Protective Services caseworkers to complete certain training requirements, excluding the annual in-service training requirement, virtually, rather than in-person, removing a costly and time-consuming burden on caseworkers and employers.
Maximum Temperature in School Buildings and Indoor Facilities
S.3397A (Skoufis) / A.9011A (Eachus)
This legislation sets maximum temperature thresholds in K-12 classrooms. If a classroom reaches 82 degrees, school administration must reduce the room temperature. If a classroom reaches 88 degrees, it can no longer be occupied for educational and support services.
Expanded Workers’ Compensation Coverage for Mental Injury
S.6635 (Ramos) / A.5745 (Reyes)
This legislation prohibits the Workers’ Compensation Board from dismissing an employees’ claim of mental health injury caused by work-related stress solely because the injuries arose from “normal work” conditions. An employee may only currently access benefits if their otherwise legitimate mental health injuries are related to extraordinary conditions and stressors. For many CSEA-represented jobs, “normal work” conditions are extraordinarily stressful. This bill will ensure that all employees can access workers’ compensation for legitimate work-related mental health claims and receive the treatment and care that they require.
