Legislative Bulletin: Advocates Prepare for Another Late State Budget
March 27, 2026
State Budget Negotiations Expected to Extend Past April 1 Deadline
New York State’s Fiscal Year runs from April 1 to March 31, making April 1 the deadline for an “on-time budget”. As March winds to a close and the deadline for the 2026-27 state budget agreement nears, it is becoming clear that the budget negotiations between the Legislature and the Governor will extend into the first week of April.
At the time of this writing, a final budget by April 1 is unlikely. This year, budget discussions are being delayed by negotiations over policy issues including climate emission standards, immigrant protections, auto insurance reform and tax reform. Insiders are anticipating a budget extension bill will be passed by the Legislature early next week, allowing state budget work to continue through the first week of April, with a short legislative recess for the observation of religious holidays.
LeadingAge New York is continuing to speak with legislators, staff and the executive regarding our budget priorities. We attended approximately 20 meetings in Albany on Wednesday, March 26, and scheduled several virtual meetings for the following days. We will continue to keep members updated on state budget developments and advocacy needed. With budget work ongoing, we ask you to please continue to use your voice to keep the pressure on policymakers! Below, members will find several opportunities to engage in budget advocacy. Thank you in advance for continuing to use your voice and advocate with us.
ACTION ALERT: Bring Your Advocacy to Social Media for Final Budget Fight!
At this stage of the state budget process, much of the decision-making is with Governor Hochul and the leadership of the Senate and Assembly. A key strategy to capture the attention of policymakers during this final stretch of state budget advocacy is to leverage the power of social media. Please join us in a social media campaign, urging the State to “Stop the Crisis and Fully Fund Long-Term Care!”
To participate in this social media campaign, please follow the simple steps outlined on our website here. LeadingAge New York members are strongly encouraged to include residents and families in advocacy, and post your photos along with our suggested captions on social media over the coming days and weeks. We encourage members to post on Facebook, LinkedIn, and any other social media platforms.
Social media advocacy in action! Please share or re-post these examples:
ACTION ALERT: Continue to Send Budget Letters and Engage Others in Advocacy
With New York State budget work expected to continue past the April 1st deadline, we now have some extra time to advocate for LeadingAge NY’s top budget priorities to be included in the final budget for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2026-27. It is crucial that we maintain the urgency and frequency of our message to ensure that these priorities do not fall off the negotiating table.
Please continue to push for the investments and restorations that long-term care providers need, and the funding that the people you serve deserve; use the tools below to continue to advocate with your state legislators and the governor now!
Please use the links below to send emails to elected officials TODAY!
- Resident Assistant in Affordable Senior Housing Budget Letter
- Adult Care Facility/Assisted Living Budget Letter
- Home and Community-Based Services Budget Letter
- Adult Day Health Care Budget Letter
- Nursing Home Budget Letters:
- Provider Leadership (Executives, Administrators, Directors, etc.)
- Board Members
- Staff
- Family Members
- Volunteers/Constituents
- Resident letter available upon request
After you send your letters, please share these links with colleagues, board members and volunteers. This is a simple and easy way to strengthen our unified message at this critical time.
In addition, nursing home members can share this Advocacy Flyer with family members to help expand our advocacy reach and remind legislators of the families and residents who are impacted by inadequate Medicaid funding. Affordable senior housing members can share this Advocacy Flyer with residents, volunteers and other providers to help advocate for the Senate one-house budget proposal which would fund and establish the Resident Assistance in Affordable Senior Housing.
Thank you for your budget advocacy and for staying engaged with us throughout this process!
LeadingAge New York in the News
LeadingAge New York continued its strong press and media presence this week, keeping the nursing home funding crisis front and center for lawmakers.
Gothamist Article: On Tuesday, the Gothamist published an article covering the press conference held by LeadingAge NY and state legislators last week. The piece highlights the statements made by Karen Bogucki, whose brother lives at Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center. Karen spoke about how critical access to quality nursing home care is, and how it directly affects her family. While Gov. Hochul has proposed $1.5 billion in additional Medicaid funding to be divided between hospitals and nursing homes, long‑term care leaders warn that without a significant share, more facilities will close and access to needed care will diminish.
Long Island Business News, Member Op-Ed: Stuart Almer, CEO of Gurwin Healthcare System, placed a letter to the editor this week with Long Island Business News. The opinion piece points out that nursing homes in New York State are in crisis due to chronic, systemic underfunding that has pushed providers to a breaking point. On Long Island, nursing homes serve more than 60,000 individuals per year, with 95% of the admissions coming from hospitals, but inadequate Medicaid funding is putting this critical care at risk.
Rochester Business Journal, Op-Ed: In this letter to the editor, President and CEO of St. Ann’s Community, Michael E. McRae, urges New York State to authorize Certified Medication Aides (CMAs) in nursing homes. Authorizing trained medication technicians to help administer non‑invasive, routine medications—under nurse supervision—would free nurses to focus on higher‑level clinical tasks and improve residents’ timely access to care. With healthcare workforce shortages worsening and demand for long‑term care growing, McRae says this regulatory change is a necessary, safe, and responsible modernization to preserve quality care.
Nursing home members are strongly encouraged to share any of these news articles in your social media or advocacy work. Amplifying news stories on personal and professional social media platforms, tagging state legislators and sharing news articles directly with your legislative contacts can be a meaningful way to bring our message to the right audience.
Join us in D.C. for LeadingAge National Lobby Effort!
LeadingAge NY members are strongly encouraged to join us in Washington D.C. from April 20 – 22 for LeadingAge National’s 2026 Leadership Summit and Lobby Day!
The Summit convenes thought leaders from across the aging services sector for mission-critical conversations. The event provides valuable networking and educational opportunities, but most importantly, the final day of the summit (April 22) will offer attendees the chance to join a coordinated lobbying effort on Capitol Hill.
During the National Lobby Day, LeadingAge members will meet face-to-face with members of Congress to advocate for federal funding and policies that support long-term care and aging services for older adults. Members of LeadingAge New York’s policy staff will be attending the summit and lobby day, joining NY member advocates in their congressional meetings and helping to navigate your way around Capitol Hill. This is an important opportunity to bring member advocacy directly to the halls of power in the Nation’s capital. Click here to register for the Leadership Summit and/or Lobby Day!
ACTION ALERT: Urge Congress to Fully Fund Housing Programs
Congress is gearing up to determine funding for affordable housing programs for the next fiscal year. LeadingAge New York members are strongly encouraged to contact your representatives and senators, urging them to support full and robust funding for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs that provide affordable housing and service coordination for older adults with very low incomes.
Please click here to contact Congress today! You can personalize your messages to Congress with stories of how HUD funding directly supports residents and affordable housing communities.
SFY 2026-27 State Budget Advocacy Resources from LeadingAge New York
- Comprehensive Executive Budget Summary
- Budget Issue Briefs — please continue to share these with legislative offices.
- Budget & Advocacy Day Prep Call
- Digital Advocacy Letters
- Summary of One-House Budget Proposals
Contact: Sarah Daly; 518.867.8845; sdaly@leadingageny.org