Legislative Bulletin: Final Budget Countdown
Just Hours Before Deadline, Governor and Legislature Still Finalizing Budget Agreement
The clock is ticking as Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders work to reach a final budget agreement ahead of the April 1st deadline. According to Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, lawmakers have been told that they should prepare to be in Albany for "as long as they can be productive," with a Saturday session not out of the question. Sticking points in the negotiations reportedly include the proposals to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18, provide free tuition for middle-class students at SUNY and CUNY schools, and allow ride-hailing services outside of New York City. In the health arena, the Governor and leaders announced on Tuesday an agreement to provide $55 million in wage increases for direct care workers in the developmental disabilities field.
LeadingAge NY will keep members posted on any important developments and will be issuing a comprehensive final budget analysis next week.
Governor Endorses Medicaid Counterproposal from New York Congressional Democrats
On Thursday, Governor Cuomo endorsed legislation put forth by several New York congressional Democrats that would deliver property tax relief to New Yorkers through increased federal Medicaid support. Titled the Empire State Equity Act, the bill counters the Collins-Faso amendment to the failed American Health Care Act (AHCA), which would have shifted county Medicaid costs to the state. Per the Governor’s statement, this legislation would "help level the playing field and provide New York with an additional $2.3 billion in Medicaid funds, which the state would use to eliminate the local share of Medicaid for any county that agrees to lower local property taxes by an equal amount."
Federal Advocacy Alert: Ask Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to Sign On to 202 and 811 Program Funding Letter
Your advocacy is needed to support funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 202 and 811 programs! U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has issued a sign-on letter requesting $514 million for the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program and $155 million for the Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. As the letter states, "federal investments in affordable housing for the nation’s most vulnerable holds promise for significantly reducing Medicaid and Medicare costs while also providing low-income elderly the opportunity to age in place and persons with disabilities the opportunity to live in the most integrated setting possible."
We encourage you to reach out to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and ask them to join the letter. To sign on, the senators should contact Rebecca Schatz in Senator Menendez’s office (Rebecca_Schatz@menendez.senate.gov) by Mon., April 3rd. Thank you for taking action!
Connect with Your Legislators During April Recess!
Lastly, once the budget is finalized, lawmakers will be back in their districts on recess from April 6th to 21st. This is a perfect opportunity to connect with them. We encourage you to reach out to your legislators and invite them to visit your organization, or bring your group to their office. Thank them for their advocacy during the budget process and educate them on some of our key issues:
- CCRC Revitalization Act: Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) provide a full range of services, including independent housing, Adult Care Facility (ACF)/assisted living, and nursing home care to residents in a campus setting as their needs change. While the number of CCRCs has grown considerably across the nation, only 12 CCRCs are currently operating in New York. Comprehensive statutory and regulatory reforms are needed in order to modernize the state's CCRC laws and eliminate barriers to their development, expansion, and efficient operation. A.6450 (Schimminger)/S.5172 (Hannon), the CCRC Revitalization Act, would ensure that this important long term care model is available to seniors in New York. The bill is currently in the Assembly and Senate Health Committees. Click here to access LeadingAge NY’s memo of support and here to contact your lawmakers, urging them to support this important legislation.
- Role of the Nurse in an ACF: A.2736 (Gottfried)/S.4398 (Hannon), currently in the Assembly and Senate Health Committees, would allow all ACFs and assisted living providers that employ nurses the option to provide nursing services directly. This is vital to prevent unnecessary spending for your facility. LeadingAge NY’s memo of support is available here, and you can send a pre-written letter to your legislators here.
- Integration of Individuals with TBI: A.1425 (Jenne)/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. The bill is currently in the Assembly Health and Senate Finance Committees. Click here for LeadingAge NY’s memo of support and here to reach out to your lawmakers.
- Nurse Staffing Ratios: A.1532 (Gunther)/S.3330 (Hannon), known as the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act, would create specific staffing ratios for nurses and other direct care staff in hospitals and nursing homes at a cost of approximately $1.06B to nursing homes statewide. LeadingAge NY is strongly opposed to this legislation and has developed this cost template to assist you in determining its financial impact on your facility. This will be powerful information to share with your lawmakers about the true impact of mandated staffing ratios. The bill is currently in the Assembly Codes and Senate Health Committees. LeadingAge NY’s memo of opposition is available here, and you can contact your legislators by clicking here.
Contacts:
Ami Schnauber, aschnauber@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8854
Jeff Diamond, jdiamond@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8821