Kristen Gonzalez: Legislative Record
Committee Leadership
Gonzalez serves as Chair of both the Senate Committee on Internet and Technology and the Senate Committee on Elections . She is also a member of the committees on Children and Families, Consumer Protection, Energy and Telecommunications, Health, and Rules . Her dual chairmanship has positioned her as a central figure in technology regulation and election security legislation in the state legislature .
Artificial Intelligence and Technology Legislation
Gonzalez has built a legislative portfolio focused on artificial intelligence oversight that spans her entire tenure. She sponsors the New York AI Act (S1169A), which would establish standards for transparency, risk assessment, and accountability when AI systems are deployed in high-stakes contexts such as employment, housing, and healthcare . The LOADinG Act, which she passed in successive sessions, requires government agencies to be transparent about their use of automated decision-making systems and sets labor protections against AI-driven job displacement . In the 2025-2026 session, she advanced a sweeping AI legislative package comprising seven bills addressing workforce protections, chatbot accountability, and comprehensive development guardrails .
She passed legislation in 2026 regulating AI chatbot features harmful to minors, specifically prohibiting companies from providing companion chatbots to minors that suggest the chatbot is human, engage in sycophancy, or promote self-harm . She sponsored legislation preventing AI chatbots from impersonating licensed professionals, including mental healthcare workers . She also introduced a bill requiring licensed AI professionals in certain contexts .
Data Center Regulation
Gonzalez introduced and passed the Responsible Data Center Development Act (S10642) through both legislative chambers in June 2026 . The bill establishes a one-year moratorium on new permits for hyperscale data centers exceeding 20 megawatts of peak load, requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to conduct environmental impact reports, creates new electric and water rate classes for data centers, sets renewable energy benchmarks, and establishes prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements for construction . The bill incorporates elements from several earlier Gonzalez bills, including the New York Sustainable Data Centers Act (S6394A) and the Accountability of Costs for Data Centers Act (S8540) . The bill awaits the governor's signature as of mid-2026. On July 14, 2026, Governor Hochul signed a separate executive order establishing a first-in-the-nation statewide moratorium on data centers, though at a higher threshold of 50 megawatts rather than the bill's 20 megawatts . Gonzalez acknowledged during Senate debate that she expected the legislative process to include future chapter amendments .
Cybersecurity
Gonzalez passed legislation requiring governmental entities to implement multifactor authentication for local and remote network access, responding to incidents such as the 2022 cyberattack that disabled Suffolk County government systems for weeks . The bill also mandates that public websites encrypt all data exchanges and comply with privacy standards .
Climate and Energy
Gonzalez was an early champion of the Build Public Renewables Act (S4134), which authorized the New York Power Authority to build and own new renewable energy projects for the first time, required NYPA to serve as the sole electricity provider for state and municipal buildings, and mandated 100 percent renewable energy for those facilities by 2030 . The legislation also authorized NYPA to sell energy to low-income New Yorkers at a price 50 percent below private utility rates .
Health Data Privacy and Reproductive Rights
Gonzalez passed legislation protecting private health data in the wake of the Supreme Court's reversal of federal abortion protections, seeking to prevent reproductive health records from being accessed by law enforcement in states that have criminalized abortion . This legislation was part of her broader advocacy for safeguarding New Yorkers' privacy in the digital age .
Election Security
Gonzalez passed legislation protecting elections from deceptive AI-generated media, addressing the growing threat of deepfake technology to electoral integrity . As Elections Committee Chair, she has advanced measures aimed at strengthening voter access and ensuring the integrity of the democratic process .
Healthcare Access
Gonzalez introduced S2633, a bill requiring the Department of Health to release a report on statewide hospital data, identify areas at risk of future closures, and use the findings to prioritize funding and resources for underserved communities . The bill passed the Senate shortly after the dismissal of the lawsuit that had temporarily prevented the closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital .
Housing and Tenant Protections
Gonzalez sponsored S2283, which would increase the surcharge for willful late filing of rent registration statements from $500 to $1,000, aimed at disincentivizing landlords from delaying registration of rent-regulated units . She has supported Good Cause Eviction legislation and other tenant protection measures throughout her tenure .
Legislative Volume
In the 2025 session alone, Gonzalez introduced 49 bills, co-sponsored 209 bills, and passed 19 bills through the legislature . Her office reported closing more than 700 constituent cases addressing issues including SNAP benefits, legal aid referrals, housing assistance, and immigration matters .