Legislative Bulletin: 2021 Executive Budget Proposes Two Options
January 22, 2021
Governor Cuomo Releases Executive Budget Proposal
Governor Cuomo presented his State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2021-2022 Executive Budget on Tuesday, calling it “Reimagine | Rebuild | Renew”. During their presentations, both the Governor and State Budget Director Robert Mujica reiterated that the State Budget will rely heavily on anticipated federal funding to come from President-Elect Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan”. The Executive Budget Proposal has been drafted assuming that the federal government will act on the next stimulus package before March 31st and that New York will receive, at a minimum, $6 billion in relief.
In the Governor’s presentation, he stressed that while he expects a minimum $6 billion to come from the federal government, he argues that a fair stimulus package would allocate $15 billion for New York. Should the State receive the requested $15 billion in relief, many measures in the Governor’s proposal as it is currently written, such as an increase in taxes and across-the-board cuts, would be avoided. Thus, the budget is constructed to allow flexibility dependent on federal relief.
Additionally, the Executive Budget Proposal includes the Governor’s revenue raising proposals of legalizing online sports betting (generating approx. $500 million) and legalizng adult-use cannabis (generating approx. $350 million).
On Tuesday afternoon, prior to the release of the finalized budget bills, LeadingAge NY issued an Initial Executive Budget Summary, highlighting specific measures that may impact long term care providers. Since the release of the budget bills late Tuesday evening, the policy team has been thoroughly reviewing the budget bills. We will distribute a comprehensive memo on the Executive Budget Proposal, covering all service lines, no later than Tuesday, Jan. 26th.
The Department of Budget’s (DOB) website with all Executive Budget Materials is linked here.
Two Weeks until 2021 Advocacy Days!
As has been previously reported, the Governor’s Executive Budget Proposal is constructed to allow for two different scenarios. Unfortunately, neither of the two paths forward recognizes the severe impacts of COVID-19 on long-term care or the consistent year-over-year underfunding of aging services.
While our team here at LeadingAge NY continues our budget analysis and begins pulling together advocacy materials and budget testimony, we ask that members work to schedule meetings and begin connecting directly with their lawmakers.
LeadingAge New York Advocacy Days are set for:
- Thursday, Feb. 4th
- Friday, Feb. 5th
- Thursday, Feb. 11th
- Friday, Feb. 12th
Our 2021 Virtual Advocacy Days website is now live. Please visit the website to find details about the days and how LeadingAge NY can support you in both the preparation and execution of your meetings. On the website, you will find our Virtual Meeting Scheduling Guide among other tools.
Importantly, once you have your meetings scheduled, please send the meeting details to Sarah Daly at sdaly@leadingageny.org so that we can track our joint efforts and advocacy impact. If you’d like the meeting to be over Zoom but you or your lawmaker do not have an account, please let Sarah know and we will assist in setting up a Zoom link for your meeting using our LeadingAge NY account.
LeadingAge NY members have dealt with unprecedented challenges over the last 10 months, and it is critical that we educate both old and new lawmakers on the importance of aging services in their communities. Thank you in advance for your advocacy.
Urge Lawmakers to Prioritize Senior Housing for COVID-19 Vaccine
Elderly New Yorkers living in senior housing are at high risk for COVID-19 and have not been appropriately prioritized by the State of New York or the Federal Government for COVID-19 vaccination. These seniors are often in their 80s, and many need assistance from outside caregivers with activities of daily living. An estimated 38% of all residents currently living in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program could be considered “frail” or “near-frail" putting them at risk of severe implications from coronavirus.
With the importance of these individuals being vaccinated in mind, senior housing providers should have the opportunity to work with the Department of Health and Regional Vaccination Networks to begin planning vaccination clinics that can occur on site.
Recording of Government and Virtual Advocacy Webinar Now Available
Thank you to all who were able to join us for this morning’s 2021 Government and Virtual Advocacy Webinar! We hope you found it valuable.
For those that were not available to join us, we have posted the webinar recording and a copy of our slides (which has links to all shared resources) on our website. The importance of making the most of virtual advocacy during this legislative session cannot be overstated. We hope that the presentation provides some clarity about the Budget/Legislative process, our virtual advocacy strategy, and how you can best get involved.
Don’t Miss the National LeadingAge 2021 Policy Action Forum
You have relied on LeadingAge throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for insight and advocacy around critical federal policy issues. Join LeadingAge National at a live virtual 2021 Policy Action Forum on January 27 at 2 p.m. Members will get an insider's view of what the changes in Washington, DC mean for aging services, and LeadingAge national leadership will talk about the path for advocacy and policy in the year ahead.
Topics being covered include:
- How will the next Administration influence the aging services field?
- What is the LeadingAge policy agenda in 2021 and beyond?
- What are the key issues driving federal policy work now?
Click here to register now for this free member-only event!
Health & Medicaid Budget Hearing Set for Feb. 3rd
Following the Governor’s budget presentation on Tuesday, Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger and Assembly Ways and Means Committee Chair Helene Weinstein announced the schedule for the Joint Legislative Budget Hearings. These hearings provide an opportunity for the Legislature to hear from state agency heads and the public about the impact of the Governor’s budget proposal. LeadingAge New York plans to testify virtually at the Health & Medicaid Budget Hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 3rd and provide testimony for the Housing Budget Hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 2nd.
LeadingAge & LeadingAge NY Coronavirus Resources
LeadingAge NY continues to closely follow all COVID-19 news and we are doing our best to keep members informed of updates, recommendations and guidelines from the Department of Health (DOH).
LeadingAge NY and LeadingAge National Member resources are linked below.
LeadingAge NY Coronavirus Resources
LeadingAge NY COVID-19 Weekly Update calls – Mondays at 11 a.m. Click here to join the call from your computer, android or apple device. Or you can join the call by dialing in: 877 853 5257 (Toll Free); Webinar ID: 852 964 255.
LeadingAge National Coronavirus Resources Page
LeadingAge National Pandemic Playbook
COVID-19 Group in the MyLeadingAge Member Community
Coronavirus Daily Member Update calls – Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Past call recordings are available here and you can register here for future calls.
Contact: Ami Schnauber; 518.867.8854; aschnauber@leadingageny.org
Sarah Daly; 518.867.8845; sdaly@leadingageny.org