Legislative Bulletin: Welcome to the 2017 Legislative Session!
Welcome to the 2017 Legislative Session!
In the aftermath of failed negotiations over a potential special session, the 2017 Legislative Session kicked off on Wed., Jan. 4th. A total of 18 new Assemblymembers were sworn in:
- Anthony D’Urso (D-16th A.D.)
- Melissa Miller (R-20th A.D.)
- Stacey C. Pheffer Amato (D-23rd A.D.)
- Brian Barnwell (D-30th A.D.)
- Clyde Vanel (D-33rd A.D.)
- Robert C. Carroll (D-44th A.D.)
- Tremaine Wright (D-56th A.D.)
- Yuh-Line Niou (D-65th A.D.)
- Inez Dickens (D-70th A.D.)
- Carmen N. De La Rosa (D-72nd A.D.)
- Kevin M. Byrne (R-94th A.D.)
- Brian D. Miller (R-101st A.D.)
- Mary Beth Walsh (R-112th A.D.)
- Billy Jones (D-115th A.D.)
- Joseph A. Errigo (R-133rd A.D.)
- Monica P. Wallace (D-143rd A.D.)
- Michael J. Norris (R-144th A.D.)
- Angelo J. Morinello (R-145th A.D.)
Seven new senators were sworn in as well:
- Elaine Phillips (R-7th S.D.)
- John E. Brooks (D-8th S.D.)
- Marisol Alcantara (D-31st S.D.)
- Jamaal Bailey (D-36th S.D.)
- James Tedisco (R-49th S.D.)
- Pamela Helming (R-54th S.D.)
- Chris Jacobs (R-60th S.D.)
As announced earlier this week, the seven-member Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) will once again partner with Republicans in the Senate. Republicans hold only 31 seats, but Democrat Simcha Felder will continue to conference with them, giving them the 32 votes needed for a majority.
In his opening remarks, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie laid out the chamber’s priorities for the new year, including strengthening the state’s schools, making college more affordable, protecting women's rights, implementing a progressive tax structure, and advancing criminal justice reforms, particularly raising the age to keep youthful offenders out of adult prisons. Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan, in his remarks, vowed to stand up for the "primacy and independence" of the Senate.
Assembly Announces Leadership and Committee Chair Appointments
Asm. Donna Lupardo has been appointed Chair of the Aging Committee, and Asm. Steven Cymbrowitz will chair the Housing Committee. Asm. Richard Gottfried will remain Chair of the Health Committee. LeadingAge NY has strong relationships with all of these legislators and looks forward to working with them in the year ahead. To access the complete list of Assembly leadership positions and committee chairs, please click here.
Senate committee chair appointments have not yet been announced.
2017 Legislative Session Calendar
For your reference, the 2017 Legislative Session Calendar is available here. Lawmakers will be in their districts on recess from Feb. 20th to 27th and again from Apr. 6th to 21st. They are also typically in their district offices on Thursdays and Fridays throughout the year. These are great opportunities to connect with them. We encourage you to invite your legislators to your organization, or bring your group to their office, and speak with them about our key advocacy issues. You can get started by utilizing our Advocacy Action Plan.
State of the State and Budget News
In a break from tradition, Governor Cuomo has announced that instead of giving his annual State of the State address in Albany, he will deliver a series of regional addresses across the state. The speeches will take place in six different locations over the course of three days:
- Mon., Jan. 9th
- 11 a.m.: One World Trade Center in Manhattan
- 3 p.m.: University at Buffalo Center for the Arts
- Tues., Jan. 10th
- 10:30 a.m.: SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center
- 1 p.m.: Farmingdale State College on Long Island
- Wed., Jan. 11th
- 11 a.m.: Carrier Theater in Syracuse
- 2 p.m.: University at Albany Performing Arts Center
Registration for the States of the State is now open.
Additionally, there is no word yet on a release date for the Governor’s Executive Budget Proposal, which is due before Tues., Jan. 17th. Early indications are that there will be a significant budget gap, upwards of perhaps $700 million, due to lower-than-expected tax revenues.
This week, the Governor unveiled the first proposals of his 2017 agenda, including:
- Free tuition for New Yorkers making up to $125,000 per year at all SUNY and CUNY two- and four-year colleges. The “Excelsior Scholarship” program would be phased in over three years, beginning for New Yorkers making up to $100,000 annually in the fall of 2017, increasing to $110,000 in 2018, and reaching $125,000 in 2019.
- A $10 billion plan to transform JFK International Airport into a “world-class” facility with interconnected terminals, redesigned roadways, and state-of-the-art amenities.
- A new Enhanced Middle Class Child Care Tax Credit to make child care more affordable for middle class families. Under the Governor's proposal, 200,000 families earning between $50,000 and $150,000 would see their average benefit double, on average, from $169 to $376. The total program cost would be $42 million.
- A comprehensive package to better protect New Yorkers, as well as government entities, from the threat of cyber-attacks. The package includes the strengthening and modernization of cybercrime and identity theft laws, as well as the creation of a new Cyber Incident Response Team to provide cybersecurity support to state entities, local governments, critical infrastructure, and schools.
LeadingAge NY will keep members posted on budget developments over the next few weeks.
Bill Introductions
LeadingAge NY is continuing to work through the over 500 bills introduced thus far, including two of our priority bills that have been reintroduced.
- Independent Senior Housing Resident Freedom of Choice Act: The Independent Senior Housing Resident Freedom of Choice Act (S.535 (Young)) would clarify that individuals living in senior housing have the right to access and obtain the same services that they would if they were an individual residing in the community, from the provider of their choosing. These services include personal care, home care, case management, technologies, and other community services that support them to live independently in the community. Click here to access LeadingAge NY’s memo of support and here to send a pre-written letter directly to your lawmakers.
- Integration of Individuals with TBI: S.517 (Young) would allow the integration of individuals with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), sustained after the age of 21, into programs within the developmental disabilities service sector. It would ensure that individuals with a TBI living in urban, underserved, or rural areas, where caregiver shortages and a lack of TBI community resources often lead to placement into nursing homes, receive the support and services they need. LeadingAge NY’s memo of support is available here, and you can send a letter to your lawmakers here.
Advocacy Day Set for Tues., Feb. 7th
As we begin preparing for our budget advocacy, we invite you to participate in the 2017 LeadingAge NY/Adult Day Health Care Council Annual Advocacy Day on Tues., Feb. 7th in Albany. Click here to register. To ensure meaningful, even face-to-face interactions with your legislators, we recommend that you start scheduling your meetings now. Meetings will begin at 9 a.m., following registration and breakfast, and end at 4 p.m. Please avoid the noon-1 p.m. hour, however, as we will be hosting a luncheon and inviting legislators to speak during this time.
Advocacy Day materials, including issue briefs, talking points, and other information, will be distributed prior to the event. You may use these resources to educate your representatives about the challenges you face and build support for our policy agenda. If you need assistance with scheduling your meetings or have any other questions about Advocacy Day, please contact Jeff Diamond.
2017 LeadingAge NY Public Policy Agenda
LeadingAge NY’s 2017 Public Policy Agenda, which will guide our legislative, regulatory, and policy work this year, is now available. The agenda is based on at-large member input received last fall, outstanding agenda items from prior years, and recommendations from the LeadingAge NY Cabinets and Board of Directors. For more information about the legislation we will be following during the 2017 session, please contact Jeff Diamond or Ami Schnauber at 518-867-8383.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact:
Ami Schnauber, V.P., Advocacy & Public Policy, aschnauber@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8854
Jeff Diamond, Government Relations Analyst, jdiamond@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8821