A new City Council bill aims to plant an artificial intelligence watchdog inside the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, with a mandate to keep an eye on AI systems that can sway hiring, housing, credit and access to city services. Filed this month by Council Member Julie Won, the proposal is framed as basic consumer protection: one office where New Yorkers can complain if algorithms wrongly lock them out. Supporters say the move is an answer to gaps in enforcing the city’s first AI in hiring law.
What the bill would do
The legislation would create an Office of Artificial Intelligence Oversight within DCWP, headed by a director appointed by the commissioner and tasked with receiving, reviewing and responding to complaints about allegedly unlawful AI use. The office would run an online complaint portal, carry out public outreach and issue consumer advisories, and recommend enforcement actions or referrals to other city agencies. Those responsibilities appear in the bill text, according to New York City Council Legistar.
Why now
The measure dropped in the wake of a December 2, 2025 audit that took issue with how the city has enforced its AI in hiring rules. The Office of the New York State Comptroller found that DCWP received only two complaints involving automated employment decision tools during the review window and identified at least 17 potential cases of noncompliance among the companies it examined. The audit pressed the city for better complaint routing, stronger technical review and more proactive investigations to catch employers that do not self report, according to the Office of the New York State Comptroller.
Local Law 144 and the hiring rule
Under New York City’s Local Law 144, employers that use automated employment decision tools must obtain an independent bias audit within a year of using the tool, publish a summary of the results and notify job candidates that an AEDT will be used. DCWP set the implementing rules and began enforcing the law in July 2023. The department’s guidance explains how people can file complaints and what information employers have to disclose, according to DCWP.
Support on the Council
Public tracking tools show the bill already has multiple sponsors, with seven council members listed so far, signaling interest across the chamber as the measure heads toward committee review. The sponsor count appears on council tracking pages, according to intro.nyc.
Won’s pitch
“New Yorkers don’t get hustled easily, and we’re not about to get hustled by a computer or an AI system,” Won told the New York Post. She represents a western Queens council district that includes Sunnyside and Astoria, according to the New York City Council.
Next steps and legal implications
The bill has been sent to the Council’s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection for hearings and markups before any citywide vote, according to the council calendar. If it passes, the new office would recommend enforcement actions and rulemaking to DCWP or Corporation Counsel rather than levy penalties itself, a structure auditors said could help shift the city from passive complaint intake to more proactive compliance work. Auditors specifically urged DCWP to tap the city’s Office of Technology and Innovation for technical review, broaden outreach and build processes to detect noncompliance beyond individual complaints, according to the Office of the New York State Comptroller and the bill text on New York City Council Legistar.
