Legislative Bulletin: Final Budget is Passed with One Week of Session Remaining
May 29, 2026
NYS Legislature Passes Final SFY Budget
After a prolonged state budget cycle and advocacy fight, the Governor and Legislature officially reached agreement on a final spending plan for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2026-27, and budget bills were printed late Tuesday night. The agreement comes approximately eight weeks after the statutory due date of April 1st and establishes the funding amounts and allocations for all aspects of State government spending for the period running from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027.
On Wednesday afternoon, LeadingAge New York issued a short summary of high-level takeaways from the Final Budget agreement for members only. LeadingAge New York is continuing its review and analysis of the nine pieces of legislation that comprise the Final Budget, and a comprehensive analysis covering all member service lines will be released to membership in approximately one week.
While it will take several days to comprehensively understand the final state spending plan and all measures relevant to our membership, LeadingAge New York is pleased to report that despite challenging fiscal out-year projections, we and our members secured meaningful investments in the State’s long-term care (LTC) sector. We approached this budget fearing we would have to fight to retain last year’s investments, but thanks to persistent advocacy over recent years, policymakers recognized the need in our sector.
We deeply appreciate all the advocacy our members have done this year to fight for the funding that providers need and the people you serve deserve. Your advocacy this year was robust, creative, and impressive all around. We also were able to hold more press events and garner more earned media coverage of our issues than ever before. These efforts were critical in securing new investments in our sector. THANK YOU!
Countdown to End of 2026 Legislative Session – Last Chance to Advocate on Bills!
There are approximately four session days remaining of the 2026 New York State Legislative Session. The last day of session is scheduled for Thursday, June 4th. While there are rumors that the Legislature may extend their legislative work into Friday or Saturday, the number of days remaining are few, and legislators will be motivated to return to their districts in advance of the June 23rd primary elections.
Although so much of our advocacy work has been focused on the State Budget, there are a number of bills that LeadingAge New York is advocating on, and we encourage members to lend their voices to these legislative efforts! There were many new bills introduced this year, and we are working diligently behind the scenes to support or oppose all priority bills. However, with only a few days remaining, it is most critical that we work together with our membership to guard against the passage of bills that could have negative impacts on your organization or operations.
A list of LeadingAge NY priority legislation is available below, along with LeadingAge NY position memos, and in some cases, we offer an option for members to send a digital letter to legislators in support or opposition to the bill. Please take a moment to review these bills, and if any are of utmost importance to you, we encourage you to send a personal email to your state legislators, simply listing the bills and memos that you oppose or support, and asking them to vote against bills that you oppose, and vocalize their support for bills you want to see passed.
LeadingAge NY Priority Oppose:
- Nursing Home Closure Plans & Public Hearings – Memo in Opposition
- Expansion of Nursing Home Admissions Package – Memo in Opposition
- Nursing Home & Hospice Contract Requirements – Memo in Opposition
- Written Consent for Antipsychotic Medications in NH – Memo in Opposition
- Pediatric Palliative Care Centers – Memo in Opposition
- Increase PHL Penalties – Memo in Opposition
- Electronic Monitoring in Nursing Homes and ALRs – Memo in Opposition
- ACF Safety Violations – Memo in Opposition
- Elimination of Partial-Cap MLTC – Memo in Opposition
- Resident Right to Legal Counsel – Memo in Opposition
- Web Portal for Electronic Record Requirement – Memo in Opposition
LeadingAge NY Priority Support:
- Physical Therapy Assistants in Home Care – Extension & Supervision
- Resident Assistance in Affordable Senior Housing – Memo in Support
- Authorize CMAs in Nursing Homes – Memo in Support
- Support Role of the Nurse in ACF – Memo in Support
- Support Additional Staff Titles in NH Staffing Mandate – Memo in Support
- NHTD Waitlists – Memo in Support
ACTION ALERT: Please Send Your State Legislators a Message of Gratitude
As we celebrate the end of another lengthy state budget advocacy fight, it is important we take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to our champions and allies in the New York State Legislature! Throughout the last two months of state budget work, we heard numerous reports of your state legislators standing up in closed-door Democratic and Republican Conference meetings to say, “we need to do more for nursing homes and long-term care”.
While we may not have gotten every dollar or budget action we had hoped for, it is important that we thank the many legislators who stood with us, and who stood up for us when we needed it most!
If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to contact your state legislators and thank them for fighting for the funding that your organization needs and your residents or patients deserve.
Members may refer to LeadingAge NY’s short final budget summary to refresh your mind on what was in – and what was left out – of the Final Budget. Using that information, and the actions most relevant to your organization, thank them for the funding that was included in the budget, and consider inviting them to visit your organization over the summer. If there were budget proposals that you wish were included in the final agreement, you could indicate that you look forward to continuing to work with them on those proposals next year.
Lastly, LeadingAge New York must once again thank YOU, our members, for displaying an incredible commitment to advocacy and for standing up for the people you care for. None of our advocacy success is possible without your voice. We hope you can celebrate the wins as we rest and prepare for next year’s state budget cycle.
LeadingAge New York Responds to Final Budget for SFY 2027
Following the release of the Final State Budget agreement for SFY 2027, LeadingAge New York issued a statement responding to the final budget actions most relevant to long-term care and aging services. The statement from President and CEO, Sebrina Barrett, struck a balanced tone, thanking Governor Hochul and the legislature for recognizing the importance of non-profit nursing homes and aging services while also voicing disappointment that the investments fall short of what a long-term care system in crisis requires.
The statement credited the budget with several gains, including $480 million for nursing homes (an estimated 6.4% increase in nursing home Medicaid reimbursement), $20 million for assisted living, and a partial restoration of previously enacted nursing home capital funding cuts. At the same time, Barrett noted that home care and hospice providers, who are facing their own Medicaid shortfalls, did not receive additional funding in the final agreement. She pointed to the broader strain on the system, citing the 11 nursing home closures since 2024 and the more than 72,000 nursing home beds currently in financial distress, and called for sustained state investment that matches the true cost of care.
LeadingAge New York's response was picked up by several news outlets covering the final budget, with the Democrat & Chronicle (a USA Today Network affiliate) and Crain's New York Business both incorporating Barrett's statements into their coverage of the roughly $1.5 billion in healthcare funding. Read the full statement from LeadingAge New York here.
SFY 2026-27 State Budget Advocacy Resources from LeadingAge NY
- Initial Summary of SFY 2026-27 Final Budget
- Summary of One-House Budget Proposals
- Comprehensive Executive Budget Summary
- Budget Issue Briefs
Contact: Sarah Daly; 518.867.8845; sdaly@leadingageny.org