Invest $200 million to reform rates for Article 31 and Article 32-822 clinic services, Children’s Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), and Child and Family Treatment and Support Services (CFTSS) to attract and retain an adequate workforce and create urgently-needed service capacity for outpatient care.

• While the Assembly One House bill included $20 million to enhance children’s outpatient rates, the Enacted Budget DOES NOT include new investments for outpatient services for children, youth, and families. The Budget does include 2.7% targeted inflationary increase for human service providers, which will help behavioral health organizations adjust to inflation and continue to serve their communities.

Carve OMH and OASAS behavioral health services out of Medicaid managed care to enhance access to care and save the state $400 million that could be reinvested into services.

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include language to carve behavioral health services out of Medicaid managed care.

Provide affordable coverage options for 450,000 New Yorkers losing coverage as the State transitions from the Essential Plan back to the Basic Health Program.

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include funding to prevent Essential Plan coverage loss.

Create a State-only funded premium assistance program for lawfully present immigrants losing eligibility for financial assistance for a Qualified Health Plan.

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include funding to support those losing financial assistance for a Qualified Health Plan.

Invest in community-based consumer assistance and streamline administrative processes to reduce coverage disruption due to new work reporting requirements, six-month recertifications, and other burdensome federal requirements.

• The Enacted Budget includes flat funding for the Community Health Advocate program and $32 million for Health Navigators.

Implement the 5% EI rate increase promised in the FY2025 State budget and approve an additional 8% rate increase for all EI services.

• In April, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the 5% rate increase promised in FY25 Budget, and both One House bills included additional investments for Early Intervention. However, the Enacted Budget DOES NOT include an additional 8% increase to EI rates.

Reimagine Early Intervention (EI) by completing a comprehensive assessment of the EI system to determine how to make the program more accessible, equitable, and impactful (A283A Paulin/S1222A Rivera).

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include funding for a comprehensive assessment of the EI system.

Strengthen the EI workforce with a loan forgiveness program for graduates who plan to become EI professionals (A1974 Paulin/S8290 Ryan).

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include a loan forgiveness program for graduates who plan to become EI professionals.

Invest $244 million to create a state-funded food benefit program for income-eligible New Yorkers currently excluded from SNAP based on their immigration status, including:
•41,000 lawfully present immigrants no longer eligible for SNAP due to immigration status exclusions under HR1
•65,000 households with children who are currently ineligible for SNAP due to their immigration status.

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include funding for the creation of a state-funded food benefit program for income-eligible New Yorkers currently excluded from SNAP based on their immigration status.

Invest in chip technology for EBT benefit cards to prevent SNAP theft and create a fund to replace stolen SNAP benefits retroactively from December 2024 and until EBT upgrade is complete.

• The Enacted Budget includes funding to convert EBT cards to chip technology. However, the Enacted Budget DOES NOT include funding to replace stolen SNAP benefits.

Fund Nourish NY at $75 million and Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) at $75 million to help New York’s emergency food systems meet increasing food supports demand.

• The Enacted Budget includes $55 million for Nourish NY and $72.8 million for HPNAP.

Fully fund the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program at $8.5 million to ensure families continue to get benefits assistance and education.

• The Enacted Budget fully funds NOEP at $8.7 million.

Increase the SNAP minimum benefit to $100 per month.

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include a SNAP minimum benefit increase.

Invest $30 million in WIC to support anticipated program participation increases.

• The Senate One House included $15 million in additional funding for WIC. However, the Enacted Budget keeps WIC funding flat at $26.4 million, with no additional funding included.

Build on the Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP) pilot in last year’s budget by investing $250 million to create a permanent, statewide program to support low-income New Yorkers at risk of homelessness or eviction.

• The Enacted Budget includes $50 million for the Housing Access Voucher Program pilot.

Invest $22.1 million for the Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Program to increase the number of beds available for youth and the rates providers are paid, support mental health services, and increase programming for LGBTQIA+ young people.

• The Enacted Budget partially funds the Runaway and Homeless Youth program at $8.4 million but DOES NOT include the full $22.1 million.

Adopt the Governor’s proposed $1.2 billion recurring investment in New York’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), and add funding as needed to ensure no eligible families are turned away or placed on waitlists.

• The Enacted Budget adopts the Governor’s proposed $1.2 billion in recurring investments in New York’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). In total, the budget appropriates over $3 billion for CCAP; $475 million will go to New York City and $155 million to the rest of state in supplemental CCAP funding. However, the Enacted Budget DOES NOT add additional funding to fully address voucher waitlists.

Invest $1.2 billion to create a permanent state fund to increase child care worker compensation sufficient to offer all members of the child care workforce a significant boost in income (S5533/A492).

• The Senate One House included $500 million for a Child Care Worker Retention Grant Program. However, the Enacted Budget DOES NOT include the creation of a permanent statewide child care worker compensation fund.

Adopt the Governor’s proposal to invest $60 million to support Community Care models in three communities, and add more funding if necessary to ensure they are truly universal and are treated, not as one-time pilots, but as a bridge to statewide universal child care.

• The Enacted Budget includes $66 million to support the Community Cares model. These pilot programs will be funded for three years at $22 million per program per year.

Establish an annual rate-setting mechanism for Preschool Special Education evaluations and services that ensures rates increase at the same rate as public school funding preventing program closures and maintaining access to timely services.

• The Senate One House included a rate increase tied to the consumer price index while the State established its tuition rate methodology study. However, the Enacted Budget DOES NOT include the establishment of an annual rate-setting mechanism for Preschool Special Education evaluation and services.

Add a per-pupil weight for students who are homeless or in foster care and update the formula’s Regional Cost Index to better reflect the higher costs in New York City (S.8125/A.9049 and S.8139/A.9048).

• The Enacted Budget includes the first-ever Foundation Aid weight for students who are homeless or in foster care (0.12) and an increase in the weight for English Language Learners (ELLs) (from 0.53 to 0.6)

Enhance access to Community Schools by dedicating $100 million to support the creation and expansion of 500+ Community Schools statewide.

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include funding to expand access to Community Schools

Invest $50 million to create a Youth Justice Innovation Fund to expedite funding to community-based organizations working directly with young people under the age of 26 in supporting prevention, alternatives to incarceration/detention, and reentry care.

• The Senate One House Bill included the Youth Justice Innovation Fund at $50 million, while the Assembly One House included $20 million. However, the Enacted Budget DOES NOT include funding for the Youth Justice Innovation Fund.

Expedite the distribution of Raise the Age funds to counties – prioritizing programs supporting prevention, rehabilitation, and supports for youth – and ensure NYC can access RTA funds.

• The Enacted Budget preserves the Raise the Age law and appropriates $250 million for Raise the Age.

• The Enacted Budget includes $300 million for services and expenses related to youth diversion, prevention, and other youth justice or support services.

• However, the Enacted Budget DOES NOT expedite the distribution of Raise the Age funding.

Invest $30 million for the Child and Family Wellbeing Fund, designed to fund community-led projects that support families, reduce their risk of child welfare involvement, and prioritize family preservation, reunification, and healing.

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include funding for the Child and Family Wellbeing Fund.

Invest $10 million for the Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) to support young people with foster care experience who are navigating college.

• The Enacted Budget partially funds the Foster Youth College Success Initiative at $8.5 million but DOES NOT include the full $10 million.

Indexing the ESCC to inflation, allowing families to receive the full value of the credit over time and increasing the credit amount to $1,500 per child per year for children 0-18, as recommended by the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC).

• The Enacted Budget DOES NOT include any additional investments in the Empire State Child Credit.

Pass New York for All (A3506/S2235) to prohibit the use of state and local resources to advance the federal administration’s deportation agenda.

• NYS passed protections including banning law enforcement from wearing masks and other face coverings, denying access to “sensitive locations” (such as hospitals, churches and schools) and prohibiting local law enforcement from entering into formal agreements with federal immigration agents. However, these changes fall short of the goal of New York for All, which would explicitly forbid all cooperation between federal officials and local law enforcement (formal or informal).

Invest $175 million in the New York State budget for immigration legal services and infrastructure, including funding to strengthen and sustain current legal services, develop new emergency deportation defense resources, and build capacity.

• The Enacted Budget includes $82.4 million for immigrant legal services.