Long Island Coalition Against Bullying Founder and Executive Director Joseph A. Salamone said, “This legislation is an extraordinary victory for parents, teachers and young people across our state and sends a clear message that the days of technology companies prioritizing profits over the well being of children, is over. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for her historic efforts as we work together to build a better future for our children.”

NAMI NYS Executive Director Sharon Horton said, “Throughout this session, NAMI-NYS has stressed the need to address the needs of New York’s future, our youth. It is vitally important that New York addresses the multiple negative stressors contributing to the youth mental health crisis. NAMI-NYS is grateful that Governor Hochul and New York State leaders have taken tremendous steps to advance many crucial measures needed to support our youth and meet them where they are in their mental health journey. This includes leading the nation in working to address the role social media plays in eroding youth mental wellness. We applaud, Governor Hochul, Attorney General James and our legislative leaders for prioritizing our future by addressing the negative impacts of social media and protecting the privacy of our young people. Their leadership on these issues is paving the way toward achieving NAMI-NYS’s vision of a world where all those affected by mental illness, live healthy, fulfilling lives, supported by communities that care.”

Mental Health Association in New York State CEO Glenn Liebman said, “Among the many issues impacting the mental health of young people, addictive social media feeds have become an increasingly serious problem. By signing this landmark legislation, Governor Hochul is leading the way to address that problem by restricting addictive feeds and creating safer spaces for young people online. We greatly appreciate Governor Hochul’s unwavering commitment to protecting the mental health of young people across New York State. We also thank Attorney General James, State Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Rozic for their tireless work and leadership on this critical issue."

Pushing the National Discussion Forward
By signing this legislation, Governor Hochul established New York as the leader in creating a safer digital environment for young people. Legislation based on the principles of the SAFE For Kids Act is being considered in California, and advocates have called for other states to introduce similar proposals. Additionally, advocates and other stakeholders have called for greater action at the federal level. For example, in a recent op-ed, as part of a range of new ideas, the U.S. Surgeon General pushed for federal legislation that reflects some elements of the SAFE For Kids Act and New York Child Data Protection Act.

Safeguarding Teens from Online Exploitation
In addition to the legislation signed today, Governor Hochul has also taken other steps to protect young people online. As part of Governor Hochul’s FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor directed the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) to develop sextortion-focused training and technical assistance programs as well as a public facing informational website and to conduct a public awareness campaign. The training and technical assistance programs will assist both gender-based violence support organizations and law enforcement agencies seeking to support victims and investigate sextortion crimes. The public-facing website will provide educational materials for guardians and other audiences. The public awareness campaign will use social media platforms to publicize the warning signs of sextortion, technology-facilitated abuse and deepfakes.

Addressing the Youth Mental Health Crisis
As part of the Governor’s $1 billion investment in mental health statewide, Governor Hochul has also significantly expanded access to mental health care and resources for young people and their families. This focus on youth supports and services continued with additional investments secured by the Governor in the FY25 Enacted Budget.

Governor Hochul took steps in her Enacted Budget to expand mental health support for children across the state and ensure their voices are heard, making good on an agenda she unveiled in her State of the State address in January. The Governor announced $20 million in start-up funding for school-based mental health clinics and launched a rolling application, which will make it easier for interested schools to establish these satellites than through the state procurement process previously used. The announcement built on the $5.1 million awarded in November to support 137 new school-based clinics, including 82 at high needs schools, and bringing the total number of clinics to more than 1,200 statewide.

The Governor’s FY25 Enacted Budget also includes an investment of more than $19 million to provide critical care to young people outside of school environments, including increasing resources for youth receiving treatment in their community or, when necessary, in residential care. Key initiatives such as the Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams, which provide wraparound services and support to young people at risk of entering residential or inpatient psychiatric treatment, have been expanded with $9.6 million to continue serving them at home and within their community whenever possible. Additionally, the Governor secured an additional $4 million to support a loan forgiveness program specifically for licensed mental health clinicians serving children and families.