New York mandates panic buttons for major retailers under new worker safety law

New York is on track to become the first state in the nation to require panic buttons for all large retailers. Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., signed the new legislation into law on Thursday, Sept. 5, despite push back from Walmart and other large retailers.

Walmart was joined by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Food Industry Alliance of New York in expressing concerns with the Retail Worker Safety Act. They argue installing the feature raises the risk of false alarms .

The new law comes amid an uptick in retail theft, and after recent high-profile shootings, like the one at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. , in 2022. Panic buttons were also reportedly used during a deadly high school shooting in Georgia on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Teachers used the system to alert authorities within minutes, though it's unclear if it directly influenced their response time. The use of panic buttons in schools has grown in popularly since the 2018 Parkland, Florida, high school shooting, but experts are still evaluating their effectiveness.

Major retailers will also be required to fully implement violence prevention programs in 180 days. They have until 2027 to install the newly required panic buttons.

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