The past year has been a challenging one for our state, to say the least. COVID-19 ravaged our communities, changed our way of life, further exposed deep inequities in our society, and left many unemployed and barely hanging on financially. With the pace of vaccinations rapidly increasing, and the federal American Rescue Plan bringing much-needed temporary help to our state, there are brighter days ahead. The 2021-22 state budget will accelerate our progress as New York makes its comeback from the pandemic.

It is hard to overstate how vital the American Rescue Plan’s emergency funding is to our state this year. With a budget gap caused by the pandemic, a lack of federal help would have led to brutal layoffs, higher taxes on working families, and reduced services.

It ensures the millionaires and ultra-millionaires pay their fair share, drives record funding to education, offers robust rent and mortgage relief, and helps small businesses rebound. Instead of needlessly cutting, which would have brought further economic pain to New Yorkers, we ramped up our commitments to the policies and programs that make a difference in people’s lives.

While there is always more to do, I do believe we worked to craft a 2021-22 state budget that puts families first. Below is a summary by topic area that I hope you find of interest. Warning….this is a full review so pour yourself a large cup of coffee!

Supporting non-MTA transit systems and local road and bridge infrastructure programs

  • The final budget provides an additional $350 million for the second year of the $12.7 billion, two-year Department of Transportation (DOT) Capital Plan. This funding:
  • Increases funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs) by $100 million, for a total of $538.1 million in state aid
  • Provides an additional $50 million for PAVE NY, which is used to rehabilitate and repave local roads and bridges, improving safety for drivers
  • Provides $100 million for the Extreme Winter Recovery program, which was cut in the executive budget proposal
  • Continues the $39.7 million in funding – the same amount as last year – for the Marchiselli Program, which helps municipalities complete local road and bridge construction and improvement projects
  • Provides $100 million to establish a new capital program to reimburse cities, villages and towns for capital project costs on local roads and bridges, allocated based on New York- or U.S.-signed touring route miles for which these municipalities have capital maintenance responsibility. This is a program that will bring significant funds to communities I represent such as Albany ($4.3 million), Troy ($3.7 million), Cohoes ($1.1 million), Rensselaer ($373K) and Watervliet ($870K).  This has a program that I have worked for years to help local governments out with these main connecting roads that carry large volumes of traffic yet are the sole maintenance of the local government
  • Provides $3.6 billion for the core Road and Bridge capital program
  • To help continue combating climate change, the final budget provides $20 million for electric buses as part of a five-year initiative to help five transit systems electrify 25% of their bus fleets by 2025
  • Includes a new $1 million for e-vehicle charging stations
  • Provides $5 million for upstate transit systems

Protecting AIM and other sources of funding for local governments

  • Restores $39 million for cities, towns and villages in Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) program funding, bringing AIM back to the 2020-21 full amount of $656 million
  • This includes $647.1 million for cities, $5.2 million for towns and $3.3 million for villages, along with AIM-related payments
  • Rejects the executive’s proposal to cut Video Lottery Terminal aid for municipalities that host such gaming facilities, restoring a total of $10.27 million
  • Proposes a new $25 million State and Local Boards of Election Capital Program, to be administered by the State Board of Elections

 Veterans Services and Supports

  • Restores $4.505 million and includes an additional $495,000 for the Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project, for a total of $5 million
    • This is a peer-to-peer program for veterans who have returned home and are facing the challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other mental and behavioral health issues
  • Reestablishes the state Division of Veterans’ Services existing call-in line to connect veterans directly to Veterans Benefit Advisors
  • Extends tuition benefits for eligible members of New York State’s military forces to attend college in New York State for five years
  • Includes $4.2 million for programs that serve veterans statewide
  • Extends the Hire-a-Vet tax credit, which offers a tax credit for employers who hire veterans, for two additional years

Relief and assistance for small businesses

  • Expands the Historic Rehabilitation Credit by increasing the eligible reimbursement from 20% to 30% for projects under $2.5 million
    • Owners of historic income-producing property, historic owner-occupied homes, and barns are eligible for this credit
  • Creates new state tax credits to support industries and fields that were hit hard by the pandemic through the Pandemic Recovery and Restart Program
  • Extends the Farm Workforce Retention Credit for another three years, which is a refundable tax credit for farm employers and owners of farm employers

Supporting New York families

  • Continues the middle-class income tax cuts
    • The tax cuts began in 2018 and are set to fully phase in by 2025
  • Saves middle-class homeowners $400 million through a new property tax circuit breaker
  • Gives an income tax credit to taxpayers with incomes under $250,000 that have property tax burdens that exceed 6% of their income
  • These benefits would be provided on a sliding scale, which would be based on a taxpayer’s income, and would be capped at a maximum of $350 per year
  • Expands the Excelsior Investment Tax to businesses in the Excelsior Jobs program, along with any prospective businesses, for tax credits for implementing child care programs for their employees
  • Provides $40 million to extend the low-income housing tax credit for five years
  • Clarifies that breast pump replacement supplies, in addition to the breast pumps themselves, are excluded from sales tax

Ensuring the wealthy pay their fair share

  • Increases the existing top tax rate from 8.82% to 9.65% for those with incomes between $1 million ($2 million for joint filers) and $5 million, to 10.3% for those with incomes between $5 million and $25 million and to 10.9% for those with incomes over $25 million
  • Increases the corporate tax rate from 6.5% to 7.25% for corporate franchise taxpayers with incomes over $5 million
  • The business tax proposals are expected to generate $1.1 billion annually, while maintaining a smaller rate for smaller businesses
  • Overall, the new tax structure is estimated to generate $3.5 billion in fiscal year 2021-2022 and $4.3 billion in 2022-23
  • Rejects the executive proposal to establish a $1 convenience fee at the state Department of Motor Vehicles for certain online transactions, including registration and re-registration of a motor vehicle, historic motorcycle, snowmobile or vessel, and the issuance or renewal of a driver’s license, learner permit or non-driver identification card
  • Extends alternative fuels tax exemptions for another five years

Raising revenue with mobile sports wagering

  • The final budget allows for mobile sports betting and sets up a competitive bidding process, overseen by the state Gaming Commission, to elicit proposals from potential mobile sports wagering platform providers
  • This is expected to raise $99 million in the first year, increasing to $493 million in fiscal year 2024-25
  • Requires a one-time $25 million license fee per platform provider, and establishes a minimum tax rate of 12%
  • Provides that mobile sports wagering revenue will be deposited into the state lottery fund for education aid
  • For FY 2021-22:
    • 1% of mobile sports wagering revenue will be deposited into the Commercial Gaming Fund for problem gambling education and treatment purposes; and
    • 1% of mobile sports wagering revenue will be deposited into the General Fund, which will then be appropriated for a statewide underserved youth sports activities and education grant program
  • For every fiscal year thereafter, $6 million will be directed to problem gambling education and treatment, and $5 million will be directed to youth sports funding

 

Environmental conservation

  • Includes a $3 billion “Restore Mother Nature” environmental bond act, which will be on the ballot for voter approval in 2022, that invests in resilient infrastructure, open space conservation, water infrastructure, shoreline protection, and climate change mitigation projects.
  • Includes a $500 million appropriation for clean water infrastructure, a program we started over 5 years ago and now totals over $3 billion
  • Provides $300 million for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), which includes the following:
    • $18 million for Farmland Protection, a restoration of $1 million
    • $16 million for Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquaria (ZBGA), a restoration of $3 million
    • $1.55 million to address overuse in the Adirondack and Catskill Park
    • $1 million for Municipal Electric Vehicle Fast Chargers
  • Continues to fully fund the state’s Superfund Program, which cleans up hazardous waste sites, with a $100 million appropriation, including funding for the Environmental Restoration Program
  • Provides $110 million in New York Works funding for state parks in SFY 2021-22 as part of a $440 million commitment over four years

Agriculture and Markets

  • Provides $35.78 million for Agricultural Aid to Localities, $8.37 million more than the executive proposal and $3.8 million more than the 2020-21 budget.
  • Provides $5 million for capital improvements for animal shelters, pounds, and humane societies
  • Allocates $50 million for the Nourish NY program to tackle food insecurity, a program that has truly proven it’s importance at this most difficult time
  • Includes $200 million for Pandemic Emergency Assistance which will provide federal funds to local social services districts for flexible emergency services, as well as funding for services for survivors of domestic violence, food assistance for older New Yorkers, and support for families in need to purchase diapers for children under 3
  • Extends the Farm Workforce Retention Credit for three years

Overall education

  • Allocates $8.2 billion of the Federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund (ESSER) as part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and $3.8 billion from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and requires school districts to spend the funding over multiple years and develop a plan as to how they are going to use the funding to help with reopening schools and mitigate learning loss, among other things
  • Appropriates $3.1 billion more in state funding for the 2021-22 school year over last year by instituting the following:
    • Increasing Foundation Aid by $1.4 billion for a total of $19.8 billion
    • This would be a full one-third of what will be provided to schools statewide over the next three years as a part of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity obligation, for a total of $4.2 billion
    • This funding commitment will fully phase in Foundation Aid over the course of three years, with school districts receiving at least 60% of their Foundation Aid funding for the 2021-22 school year
    • Rejecting the executive proposal to cut $693 million through the consolidation of 11 expense-based aid categories into Services Aid, protecting funding for textbook, computer, and transportation aid, among others
  • Rejecting the executive proposal to institute a $1.35 billion local district funding adjustment for SY 2021-22 to make sure that federal dollars do not serve as a substitute for the state’s obligation to fully fund schools
  • Expands the executive proposal to make transportation costs related to delivering food, educational materials, and internet connectivity reimbursable during the COVID-19 pandemic to also make district transportation standby costs reimbursable through May 7, 2020
  • Provides a $105 million increase for Universal Prekindergarten to expand the number of pre-k slots statewide, for a total of $924 million
    • $90 million of this funding will be allocated to low- and medium-wealth school districts with a low number of state-funded prekindergarten slots
    • $15 million will be dispersed and pay $10,000 per prekindergarten slot

The budget restores funding to the following programs:

  • $25 million for the Teachers of Tomorrow program
  • $14.26 million for Teacher Resource Centers
  • $2 million for the Teacher-Mentor Intern program
  • $1.5 million for adult literacy education
  • $1.5 million in restorations for the Consortium for Worker Education (CWE) to provide career training and job placement services
  • $500,000 for the Teacher Diversity Pipeline Pilot
  • $475,000 for the Executive Leadership Institute
  • $385,000 for the Bilingual Teacher Institute
  • $184,000 for the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards

Standing up for our most vulnerable students

  • The 2021-22 state budget provides $15 million for a new digital inclusion program that would address the statewide digital equity gap
    • Grants would be provided to local governments, school districts, boards of cooperative educational services, not-for profits, libraries and other community-focused entities
    • This program would help allow marginalized individuals access to critical internet service as well as digital literacy education and technical support
  • Invests $18 million in the program My Brother’s Keeper to increase opportunities and eliminate barriers for young men of color
  • Includes $2 million in increased funding and $30 million total to provide capital needs for 4201 schools, which serve blind and deaf students
  • Furthermore, the budget adds $250,000 for dyslexia screenings
  • The final budget also includes a $500,000 increase for Independent Living Centers, for a total of $14.4 million

Funding for nonpublic schools

  • Restores $3.9 million to Nonpublic School Aid payments provided through Mandated Services Aid and the Comprehensive Attendance Program
  • Restores $600,000 to Nonpublic Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers and adds $10 million, for a total of $40 million
  • Restores $18,000 to Academic Intervention Services for nonpublic schools
  • Rejects the executive proposal to cap the state’s liability to nonpublic schools to annually appropriated funding levels

Strengthening our local libraries

  • Restores $4.5 million in aid to public libraries and increases funding by $2.5 million, for a total of $94.2 million
  • Provides an additional $20 million for library construction grants, for a total of $34 million
  • Restores $700,000 for Public Broadcasting for a total of $14 million, $250,000 for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and $75,000 for the Langston Hughes Community Library

Higher education funding

  • Provides $100 million to SUNY for expansion projects
  • Rejects the executive proposal to reduce funding by $46.4 million for SUNY and $26.2 million for CUNY
  • Includes $20 million in federal funds for each of the next two years for scholarships to cover non-tuition expenses such as housing, meal plans, and books and help close the affordability gap

Tackling the TAP gap

  • Allocates $88 million to increase the maximum Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award by $500 for a maximum award total of $5,665. This is the first increase in several years and is long overdue
  • Commits to pay off the TAP gap at SUNY and CUNY by the 2024-25 academic year which is the difference between TAP funding for students and actual tuition costs
  • Since 2011, New York’s public colleges have had to cover this difference for students who qualify for the maximum TAP award, forcing them to dip into their operating budgets

Supporting critical public college programs and services

  • The final budget rejects proposed tuition increases at SUNY
  • Provides $24 million to increase community college base aid by $50 per full-time equivalent student and to re-establish the 98% guaranteed funding base level for community colleges statewide
    • For the 2021-22 academic year, the final budget provides an additional $19 million for SUNY community colleges
  • Provides $10 million to support Educational Opportunity Centers Capital at SUNY
  • Provides $10 million to support CUNY green power and wind power training programs
  • Restores funding for a host of higher education programs:
    • $1.1 million to SUNY for community college child care centers
    • $579,000 to SUNY for rental aid, which provides rent reimbursement for spaces leased by SUNY community colleges
  • Bolsters SUNY and CUNY schools by restoring:
    • $1.5 million for the School of Labor and Urban Studies, for a total of $3.7 million
    • $1 million for telehealth mental health services at SUNY
    • $700,000 for Small Business Development Centers, which offer business counseling and entrepreneurial training, for a total of $2.7 million
    • $600,000 for Graduate Diversity Fellowships, for a total of $6.6 million
    • $200,000 for the SUNY Institute for Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion
    • $150,000 for the Hispanic Leadership Institute, for a total of $350,000
  • Increases funding to Educational Opportunity Centers by $4 million for a total of $66 million.
  • Adds $2 million in funding to provide services for resident students with disabilities at institutions of higher education in New York

Expanding college opportunity programs

  • Provides a $30 million – or 20% – increase over last year’s final budget in college opportunity program funding
    • $42.6 million for the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), an increase of $7.1 million
    • $38.6 million for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), an increase of $6.4 million
    • $33.7 million for Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK), an increase of $5.6 million
    • $22 million for Liberty Partnerships, an increase of $3.7 million
    • $19 million for the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP), an increase of $3.2 million
    • $14.4 million for the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP), an increase of $2.4 million
    • $7.2 million for the Foster Youth Initiative – which supports foster students on their path to higher education – an increase of $1.2 million

Addressing COVID-related challenges

  • Restores $35 million in Unrestricted Aid to Independent Colleges and Universities, or Bundy Aid, which provides unrestricted financial support to private higher education institutes
  • In addition, the final budget extends:
    • Tuition benefits for five years for eligible New York military service members to attend college in state
    • Financial aid eligibility for any 2019-20 or 2020-21 academic years award recipient who wasn’t able to complete a quarter, semester or term due to COVID-19

Medicaid Restorations

The devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important it is that we ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the vital healthcare services they need. The approved budget would restore $542 million in Medicaid cuts, including $204.4 million for hospitals and $51.75 million for the Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) Quality Pool. The plan also includes $94 million to restore one percent across-the-board Medicaid claims cuts.

The spending plan would also restore $15.4 million in pharmacy reductions, including $6.7 million for prescriber prevails provisions, and $8.7 million to maintain coverage for over-the-counter drugs.

The budget would also save $11.3 million in Medicaid MLTC spending by providing $8 million for the Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program. Additionally, the spending plan includes $22.5 million for workforce recruitment and retention, and $32 million to support staffing for nursing homes including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants.

In addition, this budget provides $1.63 billion in federal funding from enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (eFMAP) for Home and Community Based Services to support increased home care wages and personal protective equipment (PPE). These funds could also be sub-allocated to support the operations of the Office of Mental Health, Office of People with Developmental Disabilities, Office of Children and Family Services, and Office of Addiction Services and Supports based on approved Medicaid claims.

Public Health Restorations

The budget also ensures funding to critical public health programs that many New Yorkers rely on for quality healthcare, including:

  • $50 million in federal support for Nourish New York;
  • $20 million for general public health works;
  • $11.9 million for Early Intervention (EI) service providers throughout the state;
  • $3.82 million to restore funding for School Based Health Centers;
  • $3.17 million to restore funding to the Rural Health Network Development and Health Care Access Program; and
  • $1 million to restore funding for the Nurse-Family Partnership program.

COVID-19

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York has faced unimaginable losses. The pandemic has shined a light on inequities in our healthcare system and disparities in treatment and access to quality, affordable healthcare.

The approved budget makes critical investments in hard-hit communities throughout the state including $15 million in federal funding to support public education, communication efforts, and outreach to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and those with vaccine hesitancy. The budget also provides $10 million to support crisis intervention programs and providers disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

CDPAP

The approved budget would award additional contracts to fiscal intermediaries in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) that would serve communities with disabilities and minority populations, as well as ensure appropriate geographic disbursement in counties that meet certain population thresholds. CDPAP is a Medicaid program that provides services to chronically ill or physically disabled individuals who have medical needs for help with activities of daily living (ADLs) or skilled nursing services, including a personal care aide, home health aide, or nurse.

Supporting small businesses and fueling economic recovery

  • Establishes the COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program which is a $1 billion program of grants and tax credits to help small business recover from the pandemic.
  • The Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) would administer the program, providing grants and technical assistance to small businesses and microbusinesses of less than 10 employees that experienced economic hardship during the pandemic
  • The grant program would also give priority to socially and economically disadvantaged business owners including, but not limited to, minority and women-owned business enterprises, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, and veteran-owned businesses, or businesses located in communities that were economically distressed prior to March 1, 2020, as determined by the most recent census data
  • Grants could be used to cover various business costs, including payroll, rent, mortgage, property and school taxes, insurance, utilities, and pandemic-related expenditures that were necessary to protect the health and safety of workers and consumers
  • Requires ESDC to issue quarterly reports to the Legislature detailing the program’s progress and activities beginning Sept. 31, 2021
  • Authorizes ESDC to provide multi-lingual technical assistance and outreach to all applicants regardless of approval status
  • Provides $1 billion for a business relief package which includes:
    • $800 million in flexible aid for small-business grants (The COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program)
    • $100 million for a musical and theatrical production credit
    • An additional $40 million for the Arts Recovery Grant Program for not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations
    • $25 million for the NY Restaurant Resiliency Grant Program (World Central Kitchen-model)
    • $35 million in tax credits for restaurants in areas impacted by enhanced COVID restrictions

Bolstering economic development and investing in communities

  • Provides $12.02 million to support Centers of Excellence (COE) and $13.56 million to support Centers of Advanced Technology (CAT), which include:
    • $1 million for the COE in Precision Response to Bioterrorism and Disaster at the New York Medical College
    • $800,000 for the Albany COE in Atmospheric and Environmental Prediction and Innovation (first increase in over 9 years)
    • $375,000 for the COE in Healthy Water Solutions at Clarkson – SUNY ESF
  • Provides $100 million for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, an important program to help small city and town downtowns build transformative housing and spur economic recovery and development, transportation and community projects
  • Restores $745 million in funding for various Life Science Initiatives, including support for the Capital Region’s Wadsworth Lab which was left out of the original budget this year
  • Provides $15 million in funding to a new digital literacy and inclusion program that would address the statewide digital equity gap by providing grants to not-for-profits, libraries and other community-based entities to help marginalized individuals and households
  • Provides $1 million for the Public Service Commission to conduct a study of the availability, cost and reliability of high-speed internet and broadband services in New York State, and to publish a detailed internet access map of the state
  • Requires service providers to offer a $15 per month broadband internet plan to low-income New Yorkers, exempting certain small providers
  • Provides $40 million for the Arts Recovery Grant Program to support not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations
  • Provides $20 million in capital support for the Arts and Cultural Facilities Improvement Program to assist arts and cultural organizations in improving their venues, including the conversion of outdoor performance spaces
  • Provides $2.5 million in additional support for New York State Council on the Arts’ (NYCSA) operating budget
  • Provides $1 million for arts stabilization grants
  • In addition, $300,000 would be provided to allow NYCSA to spend funds received by private donations and a personal income check-off box, which appears on NYS personal income tax forms

Providing for workforce recovery

  • Includes $600 million to pay the general salary increases that were deferred for state employees
  • Restores $51 million for the direct care cost of living adjustment
  • Authorizes $50 million of the COVID-19 Recovery Workforce Initiative to be directed toward those who have been the hardest-hit during the pandemic, including women, minorities, and those who have been receiving unemployment benefits for an extended period
  • Increases various labor initiatives to $13.6 million
  • Adds an additional $1.9 million to the Entertainment Workers Demonstration Program, which assists eligible entertainment industry employees in maintaining health insurance during episodic employment, for a total of $2 million
  • Restores $1.62 million for the Displaced Homemaker Program, which offers a range of services to those who have been displaced from their careers as unpaid homemakers, including child care, transportation, housing, basic necessities, and employment, as well as emotional, medical and legal support
  • Provides $500,000 in funding for the Cornell ILR School Labor Leading Climate Initiative
  • Requires a prevailing wage for employees working on renewable energy projects

Protecting access to affordable health care

  • Provides an All Funds appropriation for the state Department of Health of $96 billion, an increase of $3 billion, or 3.2% over the executive proposal
  • Includes $1.63 billion in federal funding from the Enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (eFMAP) for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) to support increased home care wages and personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Restores $542 million to the Medicaid program
  • Provides $32 million to support nursing home resident-facing staffing services provided by registered nurses and certified nursing assistants
  • Restores $10.5 million for the fee-for-service Medicaid rate for OPWDD programs
  • Provides an additional $8 million in funding for the Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) for a total amount of $72 million, saving $11.3 million in Managed Long Term Care
  • Provides $1.5 million for the Holocaust Survivors Initiative
  • Maintains an additional four years of Medicaid services for those suffering from a traumatic brain injury or qualifying for nursing home diversion and transition services under the Medicaid fee-for-service program
  • Provides $950,000 to expand the postpartum coverage period for certain populations for a year from the end of a pregnancy
  • Rejects executive proposals to eliminate Medicaid coverage for certain over-the-counter medications and prescriber prevails protections
  • Rejects the elimination of the indigent care pool funding for major public general hospitals

Defending public health programs

  • Allocates $215 million to eliminate premiums and cost-sharing for vision and dental services under the Essential Plan
  • Restores $58.25 million in public health cuts, including:
  • $20 million for General Public Health Works
  • $11.9 million for the Early Intervention Program
  • $5 million for the AIDs Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
  • $3.45 million for the Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program (ECRIP)
  • $3.27 million for the Enhancing the Quality of Adult Living (EQUAL) Program
  • $3.17 million for the Rural Health Care Access and Network Development Program
  • Restores $51.05 million for Physician’s Excess Medical Malpractice funding
  • Provides $50 million to Nourish NY to fight food insecurity
  • Maintains $16.4 million in funding for the Healthy NY Program, which provides more affordable health insurance to small employers, uninsured working individuals and sole proprietors
  • Maintains $14.6 million for the Lead Poisoning Prevention and Assistance Program
  • Maintains $7.5 million for the administration of the Immunization Program
  • Restores $7.12 million for other public health additions
  • Restores $3.82 million for school-based health centers
  • Restores $2.2 million for Area Health Education Centers (AHEC)
  • Restores $1 million for the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which pairs nurses with first-time expectant mothers to provide support during pregnancy and after
  • Establishes a medical respite pilot program to provide temporary room and board to homeless individuals with certain health conditions that require treatment or care, but do not require a hospital-level of care
  • Protections were added to ensure services provided under this program do not interfere with the eligibility for other public benefits.

 Prioritizing New Yorkers’ mental health and responses to mental health and substance use crises

  • Restores the 5% withhold for non-residential programs within OMH, totaling $17.15 million
  • Restores $4.505 million and includes an additional $495,000 for the Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project, for a total of $5 million
  • This is a peer-to-peer program for veterans who have returned home and are facing the challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other mental and behavioral health issues
  • Restores $4 million to preserve 100 residential beds in state-operated residential facilities and 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions
  • Restores $51 million for the direct care cost-of-living adjustment
  • Provides $3.2 million for various mental health initiatives, including $1 million for crisis intervention teams
  • Provides $1 million to create a new suicide prevention program for high-risk populations, including Latina adolescents, Black youth, members of the LGBTQ community and rural communities
  • Includes $600,000 for FarmNet, which offers free consulting services to New York farms going through a period of transition or challenge

 Fighting discrimination and helping communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic

  • Provides $15 million in federal funds to support public education, communication efforts and outreach for communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and communities hesitant to be vaccinated
  • Includes $10 million to support programs and initiatives to address recent incidents of bias perpetuated upon Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic

Investing in programs and services to help New Yorkers struggling with addiction

  • Allocates $32 million to support treatment and prevention of opioid use disorder, including Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
  • Funding would be sourced from the opioid settlement with McKinsey and Company Inc.
  • The consulting firm agreed to pay nearly $600 million to 47 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories for its role in the opioid crisis
  • Provides $5 million in funding to support Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for local jails
  • Restores $3.2 million for HIV Early Intervention Services, which provides free HIV testing, counseling and referrals to treatment for consumers with a history or current substance use disorder
  • Provides $2.5 million for various addiction services and prevention initiatives
  • Restores $1.875 million for the Jail-based Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Transition Services Program
  • Restores $1.219 million for the College Coalition Intervention Program, which supports substance abuse prevention services on 20 SUNY and CUNY campuses across New York State
  • Restores $903,000 for Regional Addiction Resource Centers
  • Restores $826,000 for outpatient rehabilitation services

Expanding support resources

  • Includes an increase of $500 million for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and $80 million for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to reflect additional federal funding
  • Includes $100 million to support ending homelessness by establishing a statewide program that would provide supplements of no less than 85% of the Fair Market Rent (FMR) to individuals and families who are homeless or at imminent risk of losing of housing
  • Provides $200 million for Pandemic Emergency Assistance, which will provide federal funds to local social services districts for flexible emergency services
  • Includes funding for services for survivors of domestic violence, food assistance for older New Yorkers, and support for families in need to purchase diapers for children under 3 years old
  • Allocates $120 million for the Water Assistance Program, supported by federal funds
  • The program will help low-income people pay drinking and wastewater arrears and other related expenses
  • Provides Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding for legislative initiatives that were eliminated in the executive budget, including:
  • $8.5 million for Facilitated Enrollment
  • $5 million in additional funding for the Advantage After School Program, which provides structured activities for kids to help them succeed academically
  • $4 million for Advanced Technology Training and Information Networking (ATTAIN), which provides access to education and workforce development
  • $1.43 million for Career Pathways, which helps train low-income young adults for jobs in high-growth sectors
  • $800,000 for ACCESS, which provides low-income parents with college education career coaching and support services to ensure academic success
  • $785,000 for preventive services
  • $475,000 for the Wage Subsidy Program, which helps develop job opportunities for recipients of public assistance and low-income individuals
  • $343,000 for SUNY and CUNY child care
  • Provides $3.2 million for non-residential domestic violence services
  • Provides $200,000 in additional funding for Non-Residential Domestic Violence
  • Allocates $3 million for refugee resettlement

Supporting access to affordable child care and at-risk youth

  • Allocates $2.4 billion in federal child care aid that would:
  • Increase eligibility for subsidies to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level statewide and expand slots
  • Provide $1.3 billion in stabilization grants to providers
  • Cap copays to 10% of a family’s income over the federal poverty level
  • Ensure 12-month eligibility for families in receipt of subsidies
  • Provide added funding for facilitated enrollment
  • Invest in child care deserts
  • Restores $69.4 million in local assistance for multiple programs, including child care programs, family and children’s programs and youth programs
  • Makes funding for the Youth Development Program permanent
  • Rejects the consolidation of the Community Optional Preventive Services (COPS) and the Supervision and Treatment Services for Juveniles Program (STSJP)
  • Restores $1.6 million for STSJP, which helps prevent youth from being placed in detention or residential care
  • Restores $1.2 million for COPS, which helps reduce the risk of a child being placed in foster care
  • Includes support and services for youth suffering from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and updates training for mandated reporters to recognize signs of ACEs as well as signs of abuse and neglect while interacting with families virtually and ensures they are utilizing protocols to reduce implicit bias

  Supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

  • Accepts the executive proposal providing $53.4 million to support the creation of new service slots, including expanding certified housing supports, community habilitation, respite services, housing subsidies, self-direction services, day programs and employment options
  • Restores $20.82 million for Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs) rates
  • Restores $12 million for local assistance payments for non-Medicaid payments under OPWDD
  • Restores $5.25 million for the fee-for-service Medicaid rate for OPWDD programs
  • Provides $1.2 million for various initiatives for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities
  • Restores $1 million to prevent the consolidation of the Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR) with the NYS Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI)

Getting resources for aging New Yorkers

  • Invests an additional $1 million for naturally occurring retirement communities (NORC) and neighborhood naturally occurring retirement communities (NNORC) nursing services

Providing much-needed financial relief to tenants and landlords

  • Combined federal and state efforts provide $2.3 billion for rental assistance as well as $100 million in state aid to provide for hardship cases for landlords and renters that are outside of federal eligibility
  • Under the 2021-22 state budget guidelines for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program:
  • Initially, renters earning under 50% of AMI will be prioritized for eligibility to the program for the first 30 days
  • Additional priority will be granted to households that:
  • Have at least one member who has been unemployed for at least 90 days or more
  • Are from vulnerable populations, such as victims of domestic violence, survivors of human trafficking or veterans
  • Have a pending eviction case
  • Reside in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19
  • Live in a building owned by a small landlord (20 units or less)
  • Have accrued arrears on the land underneath their manufactured home
  • Applications received within the first 30 days will be processed in the following order of priority:
  1. Applicants earning under 50% of AMI with an additional priority
  2. All applicants earning under 50% of AMI
  3. Applicants earning up to 80% of AMI with an additional priority
  4. All applicants earning up to 80% of AMI
  • After the first 30 days, applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis
  • Eligible benefits include up to 12 months of rent arrears accrued on or after March 13, 2020, up to 12 months of utility arrears, and up to three months of prospective rent assistance for those who are rent-burdened (or paying 30% or more of their income toward rent) if needed to ensure housing stability
  • Renters would be eligible for the program regardless of immigration status
  • Attestation, including self-attestation, will be an acceptable form of documentation; the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) will be required to be flexible in the types of documentation that can be accepted
  • For landlords to receive this assistance, they must agree not to evict an individual due to an expired lease or holdover tenancy for a year, to waive late fees for arrears paid by the program, and to not raise rent for a year from the monthly amount when the application is filed
  • There is $100 million in state funds earmarked for landlords who may have tenants that refuse to apply for relief or tenants who do not otherwise qualify under federal rules but are experiencing a hardship
  • To ensure the program is accessible to all New Yorkers, community-based organizations (CBOs) will be utilized to assist with the outreach program and provide assistance and support in multiple languages
  • The application will be available in several languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Yiddish, Haitian (French Creole), Bengali, Korean, and other commonly used languages
  • Continues funding to support the enforcement and administration of rent laws by the Office of Rent Administration (ORA), including $5.5 million for the Tenant Protection Unit (TPU)

Helping homeowners and improving our neighborhoods

  • Includes $575 million in federal funding for mortgage assistance, including residential mortgage relief for low- and moderate-income individuals
  • The Federal Mortgage Relief Program provides assistance to owners of one-to-four-unit properties secured by a mortgage and requires at least 60% of funds to be used to assist homeowners with incomes less than the AMI
  • These federal funds can be used for:
  • Mortgage payment assistance
  • Principal reduction
  • Assistance for utilities, internet service, insurance or association fees
  • Provides $20 million annually for three years – for a total of $60 million – to fund the Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP). This program helps homeowners avoid foreclosure by connecting them to free, qualified mortgage assistance relief services
  • Provides $18.2 million for the Neighborhood Preservation Program and the Rural Preservation Program – the same amount as last year – to support these institutions which will be vital in assisting landlords, tenants, and homeowners in accessing emergency funds
  • Extends the covered period for mortgage forbearance to either Dec. 31, 2021, or until current rules that closed or restricted businesses due to COVID-19 are no longer in effect, whichever is later

Expanding affordable housing and investing in anti-homelessness programs

  • Continues funding the state’s five-year, $2.2 billion affordable housing plan
  • Provides $325 million in capital funds to housing authorities statewide, and $125 million for other housing authorities
  • Provides $250 million in funding for supportive housing to continue the state’s commitment of creating 20,000 units of supportive housing over 15 years
  • Allocates $25 million for land banks to renovate vacant and blighted homes to create affordable housing for first-time homebuyers
  • Continues the $128 million in funding for the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP), which includes $5 million for supportive housing for homeless veterans
  • Provides $45.2 million for the New York State Supportive Housing Program, Solutions to End Homelessness Program, and Operational Support for AIDS Housing, which is an increase of $2.5 million over last year’s budget

Creating a fair criminal justice system

  • Provides $40 million to support prosecution and adjudication expenses related to the implementation of reforms to the process of discovery in criminal cases
  • Creates a mandatory state certification process regarding the eligibility and training for all New York state police agencies
  • Allows the state Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to permanently invalidate the certification of any police officer removed from a police agency for cause
  • Empowers the DCJS to withhold or revoke the certification of any police agency that fails to adhere to mandatory statewide hiring and reporting practices

Improving access to justice in our courts

  • Provides $200 million for the fourth year of the Statewide Hurrell-Harring Initiative, a multi-year program designed to improve the quality of public defense services across New York State
  • Provides additional funding of over $30 million to support criminal justice programs, including alternatives to incarceration programs, re-entry programs, civil legal services programs, and other crime control and prevention programs
  • Restores $4.2 million for the Legal Services Assistance Fund (LSAF) for civil and criminal legal services grants, domestic violence and veterans’ legal services programs, and the Indigent Parolee Program
  • Gives $1.06 million in additional funding to the New York State Defenders Association and its Public Defense Backup Center for a total of $2.1 million
  • Provides an additional $1.35 million for Prisoners’ Legal Services, in addition to maintaining the $2.2 million included in the executive budget
  • Provides $609,000 to domestic violence-related civil and criminal legal services
  • Provides $600,000 for certain specialized immigrant legal services
  • Gives an additional $147,000 to rape crisis centers for a total of $6.5 million