New York Senate Bill S09518

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/19/26
• Refer: 3/19/26

Caption

Establishes a small business content creator matching pilot program; provides that the division of small business shall establish a pilot program to match small businesses that are looking for support with marketing and advertisement with content creators who can use their social media platforms to bring attention to the small businesses they are matched with.

Summary

This bill would amend the Economic Development Law to create a Small Business Content Creator Matching Pilot Program within the Division of Small Business. The program is designed to connect eligible small businesses with content creators who use social media platforms, so the creators can provide marketing and advertising support and help draw attention to participating businesses. The bill defines a small business as a retail establishment with less than $5 million in annual gross revenue and 25 or fewer employees, with affiliated entities’ revenues aggregated for eligibility purposes. The Division would be required to conduct outreach, create enrollment applications for both small businesses and content creators, determine the enrollment period, and match participants based on whether a creator could provide the marketing support a business seeks. The bill also requires the Division to notify applicants of selection or rejection, facilitate connections between matched parties, and later report to the Governor and legislative leaders on program costs, participation levels, revenue effects, creator characteristics associated with increased revenue, and implementation challenges. The pilot would begin no later than 180 days after enactment, run for one year, and then expire three years after the effective date.

Impact

The bill would add a new section 139-a to the Economic Development Law and give the Division of Small Business a new pilot-program role in facilitating marketing partnerships between small businesses and social media content creators. It would not create a direct subsidy or tax change, but it would establish a state-run matching and referral framework, require collection of business and creator information, and authorize rulemaking to implement the program. The measure also includes liability disclaimers stating the state does not guarantee the accuracy or fitness of creator-generated content or any particular business outcome.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded debate or roll-call evidence of support or opposition in the materials supplied. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears generally pro-small-business and innovation-oriented, with an emphasis on low-cost marketing assistance and measuring whether social media promotion can increase revenue for small retailers.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are likely to be the state’s role in matching private businesses with private content creators, the administrative burden on the Division of Small Business, and privacy or data-sharing concerns arising from the required applications and eligibility review. Another possible concern is whether the program would produce measurable economic benefits sufficient to justify its costs, especially since the bill expressly disclaims any guarantee of results. Supporters would likely focus on helping small retailers access modern marketing channels, while skeptics may question effectiveness, fairness in selection, and the use of public resources for a limited pilot.