Legislative Bulletin: Governor of New York Delivers State of the State Address
January 16, 2026
Governor's State of the State Supports Families, But Not Older Adults
Governor Hochul delivered her annual State of the State Address on Tuesday, Jan. 13th, emphasizing her commitment to affordability for families, public safety, public health, and investment in infrastructure and economic development. Calling for an economy that “works for all” and a “government that is a force of good,” her address was accompanied by a lengthy policy agenda for the coming year. Once again, the address and policy agenda lacked significant proposals on long-term care and aging services; however, they did include a commitment to introduce legislation authorizing medication aides in nursing homes and investments in affordable housing, including senior housing.
A summary of the provisions affecting LeadingAge NY members and the people they serve is available here. In addition, a press release issued by LeadingAge NY in response to the state of the state is available here.
It is anticipated that many of the proposals mentioned in the State of the State will be reflected in greater detail in the Executive Budget, due to be released on Jan. 20th. Immediately after the release of the Executive Budget, our grassroots advocacy work will begin in earnest – we urge LeadingAge NY members, staff, board members and advocates to join us in the below advocacy activities urging for improved funding for long-term care in New York State.
2026 Advocacy Day is Just Two Weeks Away – Please Register Today!
With the New York State Legislature back in session, and the anticipated release of the 2026-27 Executive Budget Proposal on Jan. 20th, it is critical that we have as many members as possible join us in Albany for our 2026 Advocacy Day on Feb. 3rd! During our advocacy day in Albany, we will be urging State legislators to support and appropriately fund the entire continuum of long-term care/aging services providers; including nursing homes, assisted living/adult care facilities, home care agencies, senior housing, adult day health care, managed long-term care and more!
Please join us for our LeadingAge NY Advocacy Day to lend your voice to these issues!
When: Feb. 3, 2026
Where: The Empire State Plaza Convention Center (279 Madison Ave., Albany, NY 12242)
Why: February is a critical time to meet with state legislators and advocate for the state funding actions that are necessary to help stabilize NY’s long-term care system and workforce and ensure access to quality care for older adults and individuals living with complex medical conditions. Legislators need to hear real-life stories directly from providers, staff, and consumers to understand the urgent need for more adequate funding.
How: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for LeadingAge NY's 2026 Advocacy Day.
- If you would like LeadingAge NY assistance in scheduling meetings, please complete your registration by Friday, Jan. 23rd.
- If you are scheduling your own meetings, please be sure to share your meeting schedule and details with Sarah Daly at sdaly@leadingageny.org and Mari-Carmen Grimm at mgrimm@leadingageny.org . This is critical to enhancing our organization, collaboration, and overall advocacy impact. Please share your schedule of meetings by Jan. 30th, if possible.
During our Advocacy Day, LeadingAge NY will:
- Provide breakfast & lunch;
- join you in your legislative meetings;
- provide legislative materials and “handouts” for legislators – available Jan. 30th;
- assist in any necessary follow-up from meetings;
- provide a meeting room, directions, parking information, logistical support and more!
Finally, to ensure that members are familiar with what is in the SFY 2026-27 Executive Budget Proposal (once released) and all details of our 2026 Advocacy Day, LeadingAge NY will be hosting a Budget and Advocacy Day Prep Call on Fri., Jan. 30th at 11 a.m.
More information on our Advocacy Day plans can be found here. Please reach out to Sarah Daly (sdaly@leadingageny.org) with any questions.
ACTION ALERT: Amplify Social Media Messages, Calling for LTC Funding!
Last week, LeadingAge New York CEO, Sebrina Barrett, and the President and CEO of Community Wellness Partners, Jeremy Rutter, were featured in a 30-minute segment with the Capitol Pressroom’s David Lombardo. The broadcast, titled “Long-term care facilities struggle to stay open in New York”, shed light on the challenges facing LTC providers and related impacts on the older adults and individuals who depend on these services.
Now, LeadingAge New York is using social media to keep this reality front-of-mind for state policy makers. Please join us in amplifying our unified message on social media in advance of the Executive Budget Proposal announcement!
TODAY, please take a moment to LIKE & SHARE the below social media content:
Please SHARE the video on at least one platform, or more. It is highly recommended to TAG the Governor on Facebook and other platforms when you share it, so she sees our message. If you are sharing on your personal profiles, we encourage you to make the post “public”. If you’d like, you could also tag the social media accounts of your State legislators. When you tag the Governor and legislators, be sure that the tag lights up in blue so that the elected officials will see your message.
Social Media Links:
- Facebook – Please LIKE & SHARE ( Gov. Tag @Governor Kathy Hochul)
- Twitter/X – Please LIKE & SHARE ( Gov. Tag @GovKathyHochul)
- Instagram - Please LIKE & SHARE ( Gov. Tag @govkathyhochul)
- LinkedIn – Please LIKE & SHARE
Thank you for joining us in advocacy as we rapidly approach the release of the Executive Budget Proposal next week!
ACTION ALERT: Urge Governor to Prioritize Older Adults in Executive Budget
LeadingAge NY is calling on Governor Hochul to prioritize the care and quality of life of older adults and individuals living with complex medical conditions by adequately funding high-quality long-term care.
In the SFY 2026-27 budget, LeadingAge New York is urging the State to:
- Renew the SFY 2025-26 investments of $445 million (all funds) in nursing home Medicaid rates and $15 million (all funds) in Assisted Living Program Medicaid funding, and further increase those investments to support staffing costs, mitigate the case mix freeze, and ensure access to quality care,
- Resume rate adjustments for nursing home resident acuity without further delay,
- Restore the nursing home capital reimbursement cuts enacted since 2020 ($43.4 million state share) to enable homes to make existing debt service payments and make improvements that support quality of life and safety,
- Support a Medicaid increase for Adult Day Health Care programs at 65% of the nursing home rate,
- Support investment in CHHAs, Hospices, and LHCSAs to address the workforce crisis and preserve access, and
- Establish and fund the Resident Assistance in Affordable Senior Housing Program.
Advocacy at this time of the year is vital to the success of our budget initiatives – and LeadingAge New York has been leveraging grassroots advocacy tools to attract the attention of Governor Hochul as she crafts the Executive Budget Proposal.
Take action by using these “click-to-send” digital advocacy letters today!
- Nursing Homes: Send this digital advocacy letter, written from a provider leadership perspective (CEO, COO, CFO, Administrator). Members are strongly encouraged to customize this letter with any details you would like. You can do so by simply editing the content available in the text box.
- LeadingAge NY has created a suite of digital letters for nursing home stakeholders. These letters should be shared with board members, staff, volunteers, and families.
- Affordable Senior Housing: Send this digital letter to the Governor, asking her to create and fund a Resident Assistant program for affordable senior housing. Share the link with your colleagues!
Thank you for joining us in advocacy at this critical time! If you have questions or challenges in implementing these resources, please do not hesitate to reach out to Sarah Daly at sdaly@leadingageny.org.
Contact: Sarah Daly; 518.867.8845; sdaly@leadingageny.org