Advocacy News

Urgent Action Needed: Support Early Intervention in the Final NYS Budget!

Thank you to everyone who has advocated on behalf of providers and families who depend on the NYS Early Intervention program. During our recent lobby day, NYSSLHA urged members of the NYS Senate and Assembly to make needed investments and policy changes to support babies and toddlers with disabilities and their rendering providers of Early Intervention services. 

This advocacy is making a difference! The Senate and Assembly recently released their One-House budget proposals which included the following investments to increase EI provider rates:

• The Assembly provided $18 million

• The Senate provided $13 million

Our work is not done! Final budget negotiations are taking place NOW between the Governor, Senate, and Assembly until the April 1 budget deadline. We must ensure these critical provisions remain in the final enacted budget.

Please contact your Senator, Assemblymember, and Governor Hochul and urge them to support these proposals in the final state budget.

Take Action Today: Call your Legislators and Governor Hochul

1. Call Governor Hochul’s office at 518-474-8390 and follow the prompts to speak with a representative or leave a voicemail.

 

2. Call your State Senator and Assemblymember: Find your Senator here and your Assemblymember here. Use the Senate and Assembly Switchboard phone numbers below to call your representatives. 

• Senate switchboard (518) 455-2800

• Assembly switchboard (518) 455-4100

 

Feel free to use this script and be sure to include why EI is important to you
"Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I am a constituent from [Your City/Town]. I am calling to urge [Senator/Assemblymember/Governor Hochul] to support an 8% rate increase for Early Intervention provider rates in the final budget, building on critical investments in the Senate and Assembly One House budgets. 

Please also support inclusion of language in the budget to require a review of EI rate adequacy, consistent with S1222, Rivera/ A283, Paulin, as well as an EI Loan repayment program to attract new providers to underserved areas of the state, consistent with A1974, Paulin/S8290, Ryan. These provisions are critical to ensuring babies and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities receive timely services. Please prioritize this in the final state budget. Thank you!"

Thank you for your advocacy and commitment! Your voice is crucial in ensuring that New York’s youngest children get the services they need.

RMS End of Week Update 3/06/2026

Budget Update 

Late last week the Governor, Senate, and Assembly reached a consensus on revenue estimates from all parties for FY 2026 and projections for FY 2027. There was  significant variance, but they reached consensus on a two-year revenue total range that is $700 million to $800 million above the Executive Budget estimate. To view the full Consensus Report please click here.

The next step is the release of the one house budgets. The Senate and Assembly Democrats are currently compiling their one-house budgets, which are their rebuttal spending plans to Governor Hochul’s executive budget proposal released in January. Press reports have noted at least one thing that lawmakers expect to include in their one-house budgets in both chambers, income tax hikes for high-income earners. Democrats in both chambers have included this type of proposal in their one-house budgets for the last several years. 

State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins confirmed Wednesday that their one-house budget proposal will include revenue raisers but didn’t say if that would extend beyond income tax hikes. “In general, we have always believed in this progressive tax structure,” she said. “We’ve always put forth ways that we can meet the needs of New Yorkers.”

We expect the one house budget proposals will be released and passed next week. After which the Senate and Assembly will meet for the General Budget Conference Committee meeting that is required by law. Leaders from both conferences in each chamber hold a public meeting in a hearing room in the Legislative Office Building to provide an update on where the state budget stands. Because negotiations haven’t really begun, there’s not much for them to say but it is typically held the Monday after the week the one house budgets are passed. 

We will keep you updated as to when the one house budgets are released and what is in them as the budget process continues. 

For more information please click here.

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Health/ Medicaid NYS Joint Budget Hearing

The state budget joint hearing on Health/Medicaid took place this week during which New York lawmakers spent nearly 10 hours listening to state health officials and advocates from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, The Community Pharmacy Association of NYS,  and many others lay out their fiscal requests as they shape their budget proposals set to be released next month.

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