Throughout December, Governor Hochul was tasked with signing or vetoing hundreds of pieces of legislation. Your efforts throughout the year made it possible to get some of these bills signed into law! Below is a list of the legislation CCC was focused on that was signed or vetoed. While some needed legislation was unfortunately vetoed, CCC and partners will continue to fight for families across the State to get the care, services, and programs they both need and deserve. 

Signatures 

Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Safe Landings Act into law, a groundbreaking step forward in supporting young people aging out of New York’s foster care system. The Safe Landings Act would change this by authorizing the Family Court to enforce orders issued before the youth left foster care, ensuring that agencies are meeting their obligations to young people who depend on them for this critical support. Most importantly, this measure would aid in preventing homelessness among youth who age out of foster care. 

This legislation aims to bridge the gap for those who might otherwise face homelessness or economic instability, empowering them to build successful futures. By investing in these young lives, New York sets an inspiring example of how states can prioritize the well-being and potential of every individual. 

Governor Hochul signed an amended version of Statewide Presumptive Eligibility, expanding access to childcare in New York State. The original version of this bill would have given families quick access to childcare assistance while their eligibility was still being determined, allowing parents and caregivers to not lose out on potential job opportunities. However, the version signed by the Governor gives counties the option to implement presumptive eligibility, instead of making it a requirement.  

Vetoes 

Governor Hochul vetoed two other childcare bills that would have expanded eligibility and access to affordable childcare, tying childcare assistance to a parents or caregiver’s exact hours of work and eliminating the minimum earnings requirement. Under the current Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), families can only use childcare assistance during the exact hours that parents or caregivers work. The Decoupling Bill would end this rule of tying child care assistance to exact hours of work, making it easier for working parents or caregivers, especially those in the gig economy and sectors like retail with fluctuating schedules to access childcare.  

Many parents and caregivers are ineligible for childcare assistance under CCAP because they earn too little and those earnings do not average out to the minimum wage, leaving many families unable to access childcare. Eliminating this minimum earnings requirement would benefit some of the lowest-income, hardest working families.  Along with partners, we are discussing next steps in light of these vetoes to ensure child care is affordable and accessible to families in need. 

Governor Hochul also vetoed an Early Intervention (EI) Reform Bill, which would have directed the Department of Health do a comprehensive assessment of the methodology used to assess rate reimbursements for Early Intervention screenings, evaluations, services and service coordination. The bill also requires recommendations be made on improving the reimbursement methodology, as well as needs under a program that is still operating under a program model developed over 30 years ago. We continue to fight for increased reimbursement rates for the EI workforce to foster better access for families.