Legislative Bulletin: Lawmakers Set to Begin Post-Budget Legislative Work
Legislature Prepares for its Return to Session
Lawmakers in the Assembly and Senate are set to return from their extended recess on Monday to kick off their post-budget legislative work. The Legislature is hitting the ground running with a full schedule of committee meetings and new bills on the calendar. On Tuesday afternoon, the Assembly Health Committee will meet and debate the “Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act”, a bill that LeadingAge New York opposes as it would create specific staffing ratios for nurses and other direct-care staff in hospitals and nursing homes. The bill in committee is a bit surprising, but not entirely alarming considering the final budget requires DOH to conduct a study, commencing May 1, 2019, to examine how nurse staffing enhancements and other initiatives could improve patient safety and quality.
In addition to protecting membership from staffing ratios and prevailing wage legislation, LeadingAge New York will be working over the next two months to ensure that priority bills, such as the CCRC Revitalization bill, move forward. As always, we will need your advocacy to highlight the importance of these initiatives. Please continue to engage your lawmakers with tools from our Advocacy Page and the links below:
- Oppose Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act
- Oppose Prevailing Wage
- Enact the CCRC Revitalization Act
- Role of the Nurse in ACF
- Affordable Independent Senior Housing Assistance Program
- Increase to SSI
LeadingAge New York Brings its Work to Your District
While the last two weeks were relatively quiet in Albany, LeadingAge New York set out for several in-district meetings with lawmakers across the state. The meetings were open to all LeadingAge member providers in those districts and the intimate, substantive meetings have proven worthwhile. Meeting in the district allows lawmakers to more clearly understand who our member providers are and what their important role is in the community and district at large. The April recess meetings were held with Congressman Joe Morelle, Assembly Member Didi Barrett, Assembly Member Harry Bronson, and Assembly Member Jamie Romeo.
Over the next several weeks, advocates from LeadingAge New York will be attending the second leg of in-district meetings, with lawmakers in New York City and its surrounding districts. Keep an eye-out for an email from Sarah Daly (sdaly@leadingageny.org) who may be organizing a meeting in your district soon. If you are working on getting a meeting or site visit with your legislator and would like assistance or participation from LeadingAge, contact Sarah and she will help coordinate your meeting.
Assembly Housing Hearing Schedule
The Assembly Housing Committee has scheduled a series of hearings to examine the current status of rental housing across the State and changes needed to safeguard housing stock and protect New York tenants. LeadingAge New York anticipates that limits on security deposits, as we saw in the budget, will be a prominent topic at these hearings. It’s possible that topics related to rights of seniors and people with developmental disabilities will be heard as well.
The hearings will be held in New York City, Albany and Rochester and are open to the public:
- New York City – Thursday, May 2nd at 11 AM - 250 Broadway, 19th Floor, Rm. 1923, New York City
- Albany – Thursday, May 9th at 9:30 AM - Hearing Rm. B, 2nd Floor, LOB, Albany
- Rochester – Friday, May 10th at 11 AM - 39 W. Main St., County Offices, Rochester
Countdown to LeadingAge NY’s Annual Conference!
We are less than one month away from our most anticipated event of the year – LeadingAge New York’s Annual Conference & Exposition in Saratoga! The 3-day conference is packed with informative sessions and opportunities to network with like-minded organizations. The conference is built to serve members of all service lines and will inspire fresh ideas, winning strategies and innovative improvements you can quickly implement in your organization.
Among the wide selection of sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to attend a full-day pre-conference intensive on Workforce and ask questions at the Legislative and Budget Update delivered by Dan Heim and Ami Schnauber of LeadingAge New York.
The early bird special has been extended to Tuesday, April 30th – register today to receive this special discounted rate! We hope to see you and your colleagues there!
Ami Schnauber, aschnauber@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8854
Sarah Daly, sdaly@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8845