Register Today for 2026 Advocacy Day!
(Jan. 16, 2025) LeadingAge NY is gearing up for the upcoming NYS budget and legislative session! The Executive Budget Proposal is expected to be announced on Jan. 20th, and state budget negotiations will take place from then until April 1st. After roughly 10 weeks of deliberations, the process will conclude with three-way negotiations and passage of the State Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget.
Please join us for our 2026 Advocacy Day in Albany!
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 Jan. 23rd.
- If you are scheduling your own meetings, please be sure to share your meeting schedule and details (date, time, and legislator) 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.
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. All advocacy day registrants will receive a meeting link to join this call.
Please note that we recommend members schedule their own legislative meetings, when possible. Scheduling meetings with legislators helps build your relationships with offices, makes a clear district connection, and is more likely to result in the legislator themselves joining the meeting despite their busy schedules. However, if you do not have the time to schedule meetings or would prefer assistance in setting up meetings, please indicate that preference on the registration form above, and LeadingAge NY will be in touch with you. As an additional resource for individuals new to advocacy, we have developed this Legislative Scheduling Guide to assist members in setting up meetings. Members can easily find out who their lawmakers are, along with relevant contact information, by using our Find My Legislators tool.
What to Expect at Advocacy Day
During our Advocacy Day, LeadingAge NY members and advocates will participate in legislative meetings alongside providers and consumers from across the state. Our policy team will prepare meeting materials and talking points, attend meetings, help answer legislator questions, facilitate follow-up, and assist with all aspects of the day. In addition, we can assist members in scheduling meetings with your state legislators, or we can help you connect with other members from your region of the state.
LeadingAge NY staff will be available all day in a private meeting room for LeadingAge NY members to congregate between meetings. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Legislative materials and “handouts” for legislators will be provided in person and posted on this website in draft form by Fri., Jan. 30th. These handouts will serve as member talking points and should be shared with legislative offices during and after meetings.
We hope that you will join us in our 2026 budget advocacy activities! Advocacy Days are an incredibly impactful way to bring many voices together at a specific time to enhance the relevance and weight of our message to lawmakers. Last year, LeadingAge NY and nearly 100 member advocates came together to attend over 90 meetings with state legislators in just one day. This year, we aim to exceed last year’s level of advocacy in order to secure meaningful funding reforms and stabilize the state’s long-term care system.
Thank you in advance for your participation in advocacy during this critical time.
Contact: Sarah Daly, sdaly@leadingageny.org