Legislative Bulletin: 30-Day Budget Amendments Expected Next Week
February 12, 2021
Advocacy Engagement Form Now LIVE
LeadingAge NY wants to hear about your legislative meetings! If you have met with your elected officials over the last few weeks, for our virtual advocacy days or otherwise, please take a moment to fill out our new Advocacy Engagement Form! This form will now be available on our advocacy website year-round, and we encourage members to make a habit out of filling it out after interacting with their legislators.
This new tool will allow LeadingAge NY to best support members in their advocacy and enhance the overall impact by streamlining follow up and targeting legislators interested in specific issues. We hope you find it helpful. If you have any suggestions or questions, please contact Sarah Daly at sdaly@leadingageny.org.
30-Day Budget Amendments Expected Next Week
As has been previously reported, Governor Cuomo released his State Fiscal Year 2021-22 Executive Budget Proposal on Jan. 19th. The State Budget Process has many steps and stages, including two opportunities for the Governor to revise his proposal, first with 21-day amendments and then again with 30-day amendments. Given the timeline and lack of amendments thus far, it appears the Executive has opted to forego the 21-day amendments. However, 30-day amendments are expected to be released on Thursday, Feb 18th and we are hearing that there may be some substantial additions and changes to the FY 2021-22 Executive Budget. Specifically, LeadingAge NY is hearing that the Executive Chamber may decide to include an action on staffing in nursing homes in the 30-days.
We are in constant communication with the Executive, the Legislature, and the Department of Health on the issue of staffing and will be watching closely to see what action the 30-day amendments may take. As of now, there is no advocacy action for members on this, but we will have new budget advocacy letters for members to send next Friday after reviewing the amendments and their potential impact. Stay tuned and keep an eye out for next week’s bulletin.
Senate Advances Nursing Home Reform Bills
Earlier this week, several nursing home related bills advanced through the Senate Health Committee aimed at allowing for compassionate caregiving visitors, improving general pandemic response, and reforming how nursing home deaths are counted. Bill A.1052B (Bronson)/S.614B (May) in particular has drawn the special attention of both the Senate and the Assembly, as legislators are eager to address visitation and the social isolation of seniors.
Following the bill movement, Chair of the Senate Health Committee, Senator Gustavo Rivera, indicated that this is just the beginning and more legislation on nursing homes would be made a priority in the coming months. LeadingAge NY is following all bill movement, has requested amendments on some of the more concerning proposals and circulated our legislative bill memos to relevant committees.
DOH Responds to Legislature’s Questions on LTC and COVID-19
On Wednesday, the Department of Health (DOH) sent a letter to members of the Senate and Assembly addressing questions submitted following the Legislative Hearings on COVID-19 in long-term care settings and hospitals. Senate Committee leadership then responded to the letter with a press release expressing frustration about the delay in response and indicating that the Legislature will have more questions that will need to be addressed at the Health and Medicaid Budget Hearing now set for Feb. 25th.
Meanwhile, last night legislative leaders met with Cuomo Administration officials to discuss the State’s handling of nursing homes throughout the pandemic. Following that meeting, the NY Post reported that Governor Cuomo’s top aide Melissa DeRosa privately apologized to Democratic lawmakers for withholding the state’s nursing-home death toll from COVID-19 — telling them “we froze” out of fear the true numbers would “be used against us” by federal prosecutors.
Since the release of the Post article, Secretary to the Governor DeRosa released a statement providing further context to her comments, a timeline of recent events and a partial transcript of the remarks from the meeting. Additionally, both Senate and Assembly leaders were quick to weigh in on the admission.
All of this makes clear that the issue of COVID-19 in nursing homes is front-of-mind for elected officials. While there is a great deal of work to be done, the most immediate task at hand is advocating against additional cuts to the long-term care system and urging lawmakers to properly support aging services in the SFY 2021-22 Budget.
Lawmakers Take a Week Off for February Recess
After a busy week of legislative work and committee meetings, the Legislature is scheduled to take next week off for its February Recess. With no session days scheduled for next week, lawmakers will have more time to meet virtually with providers in the district and re-connect with constituents.
The Feb. 15th-19th break is the Legislatures only week-long recess before the finalization of the SFY 2021-2022 budget and therefore poses a great opportunity to connect with your lawmakers on the local level. You can engage with your lawmakers by setting up a virtual meeting or by simply giving them a call to let the office know about your key budget concerns. You can use our 2021 budget advocacy materials to help inform these conversations or simply share the issue briefs with legislative offices. Members can click here to find your lawmakers contact information. And of course, if you connect with lawmakers, please fill out this form afterward and let us know how it went!
Thank You for Participating in 2021 Advocacy Days!
This afternoon, LeadingAge NY concluded our official 2021 Virtual Advocacy Days! Members met with key legislators from across the state and helped to educate new and old lawmakers on the importance of long-term care and aging services, particularly in light of COVID-19 and the Executive Budget Proposal.
While our official advocacy days have concluded, our 2021 grassroots advocacy work is just getting started.
Our 2021 Virtual Advocacy Day website will remain active as it provides relevant information members can use to continue having successful meetings with lawmakers. Tools include our Virtual Meeting Scheduling Guide, budget issue briefs, as well as a recording of our Budget and Advocacy Day Briefing.
Additionally, Sarah Daly, Government Relations Analyst at LeadingAge NY, is available to help you make an advocacy plan for the weeks and months of critical advocacy still ahead. We are happy to help schedule meetings and consider what other lawmakers would be worthwhile for your organization to connect with. Sarah can be reached via email at sdaly@leadingageny.org.
Thank you, as always, for your participation in advocacy at this critical time.
Urge Lawmakers to Support Long-Term Care Providers Still Fighting COVID-19
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in March of 2020, aging services providers, including nursing homes, assisted living, home care, and senior housing, have faced numerous challenges in keeping the people they serve and their staff safe from COVID-19.
LeadingAge NY has drafted two advocacy letters, urging lawmakers to support long-term care providers that are still fighting COVID-19. The letters remind lawmakers what providers have endured for the last 11 months and implores them to ensure proper funding and resources for aging services.
Use the links below to contact your elected officials TODAY! After you send your letter, be sure to share the link with colleagues, board members, residents and families.
Family/Resident Letter - Urge Lawmakers to Support LTC Providers Still Fighting COVID-19
Provider Letter - Urge Lawmakers to Support LTC Providers Still Fighting COVID-19
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.
Urge Congress to Pass Expanded COVID Relief!
On Wednesday, LeadingAge members from across the country joined the 2021 Policy Action Forum and discussed the national advocacy plans ahead of us this year. Our collective call to action was loud and clear: it has never been more important for us to raise our voices in support of federal policies that support older adults and aging services providers.
The next 100 days will be critical for our national advocacy efforts. Members can engage in national advocacy TODAY and click here to send a message to Congress, urging them to act on a new relief bill that will help with a national vaccine distribution program, ensure access to testing and PPE, strengthen our aging services workforce, and increase provider relief funds to help control the staggering costs of providing care and services during the pandemic.
Raise your voice TODAY by asking your members of Congress to support a new COVID-19 relief bill that prioritizes older adults and those who care for them!
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.
*Please note that next week’s COVID-19 Update Call will be held on Tuesday, 2/16 at 11 a.m. due to the observation of President’s Day.
LeadingAge National Coronavirus Resources Page
LeadingAge National Pandemic Playbook
COVID-19 Group in the MyLeadingAge Member Community
Coronavirus Daily Member Update calls – Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 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