Legislative Bulletin: 2016 Session Kicked Off This Week and Don't Forget to Register for Advocacy Day!
Welcome to the 2016 Legislative Session!
The Senate and Assembly kicked off the 2016 Legislative Session on Wednesday, January 6. Leader Flanagan and Heastie began by announcing leadership appointments and committee assignments.
There are big changes in the Senate! Of note is the new chair of the Senate Housing Committee – Sen. Betty Little of Queensbury and the new chair of the Senate Finance Committee – Sen. Cathy Young of Olean. In addition, Sen. John DeFrancisco was appointed Deputy Majority Leader last summer. All three Senators have been long-time supporters of LeadingAge New York and its members and we are very pleased they have been promoted to these important positions. Sen. Kemp Hannon of Long Island remains the chairman of the Senate Health Committee, and Sen. Sue Serino of Hyde Park remains the chairman of the Senate Aging Committee. Click here for a complete list of committee assignments.
Assembly Committees are largely unchanged with Assemblyman Gottfried retaining Health; Assemblyman Wright retaining Housing; and Assemblyman Cymbrowitz retaining Aging.
Leader Priorities: The leaders also laid out their plans for the year ahead. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said that the Assembly will push for a middle-class income tax cut, higher taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, increasing the state’s minimum wage and approving a paid family leave program. You can read Speaker Heastie’s entire statement here.
Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan’s priorities include increasing state aid to public schools, funding infrastructure improvements and expanding efforts to address the state’s opiate and heroin drug addiction crisis.
The Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) presented their priorities through a proposal called New York 2020 which includes zero interest loans for college students; creating a state prepaid tuition plan; instituting a paid family leave program; and increasing state funding for childcare programs. You can read the IDC’s full 2016 legislative agenda here.
Health Chair Priorities: The chair of the Senate Health committee, Senator Hannon, hopes to address the heroin epidemic and in particular, how rehabilitation facilities treat addiction and how the disease will be covered through insurance plans.
The chair of the Assembly Health Committee, Assemblyman Gottfried, wants to reform the New York State’s medical marijuana law. He is also working on a single-payer health bill, the New York Health Act. The bill is looking to create a universal, publically funded, and totally comprehensive health plan for the whole state. In regards to minimum wage, he believes that health aides and human service providers deserve $15 per hour; considering fast food workers and state university employees’ wages have been increased. The Assemblyman is also looking to create legislation to regulate “retail clinics” where people can be diagnosed, treated, prescribed and pick up medication all in a one-stop shop location.
Executive Budget Release on Wed. Jan. 13.
The Governor will offer his State of the State Message and Executive Budget Address on Wed., Jan. 13 at 12:30 p.m. at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. The Governor’s message will be televised and can be viewed from the Governor’s web site. LeadingAge NY will provide members with an analysis of key budget issues following the release of the budget documents.
Below, LeadingAge New York’s legislative and legal counsel, Hinman Straub, has provided a good summary of the key announcements that the governor has made this week that preview his upcoming State of the State/Budget Address. They include:
- A phased-in minimum wage increase to $15 per hour in New York City in 2019, and in the rest of the state in 2022
- transportation infrastructure improvements on Long Island
- a $300 million allocation for the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (up from $177 million in 2015-16);
- small business tax relief ($298 million);
- funding for water infrastructure projects ($250 million over 2 years for local governments to support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects)
- a $100 million downtown revitalization program ($10 million to 1 downtown community in each REDC region)
- a 6th round of the REDC initiative ($950 million);
- freezing Thruway tolls until 2020, eliminating tolls for all agricultural traffic, and giving frequent commercial and commuter Thruway travelers a toll tax credit;
- redeveloping Penn Station and Farley Post Office into a new train hall called the Empire Station Complex at a cost of $3 billion;
- Improving 30 subway stations in New York City; and
- a $1 billion expansion of the Javitz Convention Center.
Minimum Wage Update
Governor Cuomo and 1199 SEIU held a rally on Monday, Jan. 4 to kick off a campaign for a $15 statewide minimum wage for all workers. At the same time, Governor Cuomo has now increased the minimum wage for State University of New York employees. The Daily News has a good article reporting on the rally.
Mayor de Blasio has followed suit by guaranteeing a $15 minimum wage for City government employees and purchase of service employees. You can read more about the Mayor’s plan here. - Senators Flanagan and DeFrancisco have expressed concern related to a $15 increase but have left room for a potential smaller increase. The article can be found here.
We have received numerous member concerns related to a potential minimum wage increase as a result of recent actions by the State. LeadingAge NY has been working with other state-wide health care organization to estimate the fiscal impact any minimum wage increase will have on health care providers. In the meantime, we encourage you to get this issue on your representatives’ radar screens. Let them know that with Medicaid the predominant payer and staffing representing more than 70 percent of your budget, you cannot sustain a wage mandate without additional Medicaid funding. Please take a moment to text “minimum wage” to 52886 or visit LeadingAge New York’s minimum wage campaign page.
Advocacy Efforts Underway
In advance of the governor’s budget proposal, LeadingAge New York’s President, James Clyne Jr., Executive Vice President, Daniel Heim and Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, Ami Schnauber, have been meeting with key legislative and executive staff to discuss major issues that we would like to see addressed in the budget and in the upcoming session. LeadingAge NY has an aggressive advocacy campaign and we look forward to getting everyone involved! Now is the perfect time to contact your legislators about the issues most important to you. Below are links to our advocacy resources to get you started.
Staffing Ratios: The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) continues to raise nursing home staffing ratios as their number one advocacy priority. LeadingAge NY is once again working with HANYS, the hospital association, to voice our strong opposition to legislation imposing nurse staffing ratios without accompanying funding, S.782 (Hannon)/A.1548 (Gottfried). LeadingAge New York opposes this legislation and we encourage all members to text “RATIOS” to 52886 to take action on this issue or get LeadingAge New York’s letter here: Oppose Nurse Staffing Ratios.
SSI Increase: LeadingAge NY has been advocating throughout the year for an increase in the State portion of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Congregate Care Level 3 benefit. We have been urging the Governor’s office as well as members of the Legislature to include an increase in the 2016-17 state budget. This increase will help ensure that New York’s poorest seniors have additional options other than a nursing home, when they are unable to stay in their own home. We encourage all ACF members to take action today by texting “SSI INCREASE” to 52886 or visit LeadingAge New York’s SSI increase advocacy campaign page.
Funding for Independent Senior Housing: LeadingAge NY has joined forces with other housing advocacy groups to form a state-wide coalition focused on funding for senior housing with support services. Our partners, including Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., LiveOn NY, the New York Housing Conference, and the New York State Association for Affordable Housing have advanced a new statewide senior affordable housing program that would, among other things, fund creation of affordable housing for seniors, a rental assistance program, and a resident advisor program. We encourage members to join the effort by taking action today by texting “HOUSING” to 52886 or visit LeadingAge New York’s Housing advocacy campaign page to send an email, Tweet your lawmaker or post on their Facebook page.
Advocacy Day is Tues., Feb. 9!
While we won’t know the magnitude of the impact that this year’s budget will have on aging service providers, we need to prepare now for our budget advocacy. Please begin scheduling your meetings now to ensure you get meaningful – and more likely, face-to-face meetings with your legislators on Feb. 9. Inform the staff person assisting you that you would like to meet with your representative to discuss the future of aging services and the impact that potential cuts will have on your organization and those you serve. Avoid scheduling meetings during noon and 1:00 when we will be hosting a luncheon and inviting legislators to speak. Please let Dylan Wrixon know if you would like assistance scheduling your meetings.
You can register for Advocacy Day now, by visiting our web-site. Advocacy Day materials, including issue briefs and talking points will be developed after our budget analysis and will be available in advance of advocacy day.
Advocacy Calendar and Agenda: To assist you on the advocacy front, we have once again issued our Advocacy Action Calendar, which lists important legislative dates, as well as our 2016 Advocacy Agenda that lists the association’s priorities for the upcoming year.
Contact: Dylan Wrixon, dwrixon@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8844