Politician · policy

Kathy Hochul on Legislation

Active bill approver (strong)

TL;DR

Governor Hochul actively reviews, signs, amends, or vetoes numerous pieces of legislation passed by the state legislature each session.

Key Points

She signed legislation S.138/A.136, allowing medical aid in dying for terminally ill New Yorkers with less than six months to live, effective February 6, 2026.
The Governor vetoed a bill that would have required courts to liberally construe the New York Labor Law, stating it was a "vague and sweeping statutory mandate".
She advanced legislation proposals in January 2026 to require data brokers operating in the state to register and allow residents to request deletion of personal data.

Summary

Governor Kathy Hochul engages extensively with legislation passed by the New York State Legislature, a process that involves a high volume of bills requiring executive action near year-end deadlines. She has a record of signing hundreds of bills into law, often negotiating chapter amendments with lawmakers to adjust the final text based on her assessment of practicality or necessary safeguards. For example, she signed a prison reform omnibus bill and the Medical Aid in Dying Act, but only after securing changes to provisions within them.

Conversely, her office has also issued numerous vetoes on bills she deemed flawed or overly broad, such as one measure she characterized as "putting a thumb on the scale" in favor of employees in legal disputes, and another concerning the liberal construction of the Labor Law. This active engagement demonstrates a consistent practice of applying her judgment across a broad spectrum of policy areas, from labor and consumer protection to health care and criminal justice, often shaping the final policy outcome through her approval or rejection.

Key Quotes

“We are an AI supportive state,” she said. “We have a lot of ideas on how we want to manage this. It would be devastating if the federal government removed our ability as leaders of our states to protect our citizens.”

Statement regarding AI regulation December 11, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kathy Hochul's general approach to legislation passed by the Legislature?

Kathy Hochul generally reviews a large volume of legislation passed by the state Legislature, exercising her authority to sign bills into law, veto them, or negotiate chapter amendments for changes. This process is particularly concentrated near the end-of-year deadlines for executive action.

Has Kathy Hochul changed their stance on any high-profile legislation recently?

Yes, she has signaled changes or negotiated terms for significant bills, such as agreeing to a version of the Medical Aid in Dying Act with additional safeguards before signing it. Furthermore, she has proposed new legislation to address issues like data brokerage, building on prior actions.

What did Kathy Hochul say about bills she decided to veto?

When vetoing legislation, Kathy Hochul typically issues a memo stating her reasons, often citing concerns about the bill being too broad, creating unworkable mandates, or posing undue financial burdens on consumers or businesses. She explicitly rejected a bill seeking liberal construction of the Labor Law as unnecessary.