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NYS Senate and Assembly Pass One-House Budget Resolutions
This past week, the New York State Senate and Assembly adopted their one-house budget resolutions in response to the 2024-2025 Executive Budget. The Senate’s one-house resolution details amendments to appropriations made in the Governor's budget in plain language. The Assembly budget proposal summary details their amendments in the same manner. You can read the Senate press release and visit the Assembly news page for more information on various sections of their budget.
Overall, we were pleased to see that both the Senate and Assembly included an additional 1.7% increase to the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) in their respective one-house budgets. Along with the governor’s proposed 1.5% COLA, this 3.2% increase would satisfy a portion of our budget request.
Additionally, the Senate included the Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE), which was omitted in both the Assembly’s one-house bill and the Executive Budget. We need both the COLA and the DSWE if we are going to stabilize our workforce and sustain quality services and supports for New Yorkers with I/DD.
Unfortunately, the language in both one-house bills directs that all COLA funds must be allocated for direct care and clinical staff wages. Direct Support Professionals are the backbone of our system of services, and investment in our skilled workforce is absolutely essential. While the majority of COLA funds always go to staff, limiting the COLA exclusively to workforce ignores the other critical facets of our service system, including transportation, technology, facilities maintenance, and even food for the people we support.
To fully meet the complex needs of New Yorkers with I/DD and reverse more than a decade of disinvestment, state leaders must include the Direct Support Wage Enhancement and a true 3.2% COLA investment in the final budget.
The General Budget Conference Committee, also known as “The Mothership,” will hold their initial meeting on Monday, March 18. This begins the process of reconciling each House’s budget proposal. You can find the Senate and Assembly appointments and schedule here. Mental Hygiene, which includes the majority of our budget requests, will be included as part of Cycle A on Monday, March 18 at 5:00 p.m. in Hearing Room B of the Legislative Office Building (LOB).
The budget is due by April 1, but will likely be delayed due to state and federal holidays. In the next 3-4 weeks, we are engaging with Senators, Assemblymembers, the Executive Office, Division of Budget, Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means. We need you to do the same and call the people you know within all parts of government who have an internal voice with budget. We need legislators to stand up for us with their own conference, not just at our rallies and tours!
You can read New York Disability Advocates' (NYDA) one-house budget statement here.
Call to Action: Tell Legislators and Governor to Negotiate for 3.2% COLA and DSWE in Enacted Budget
Now we must tell our legislators, the Governor, and leaders of the Senate and Assembly to come to the negotiating table and include our full bull budget request in the Enacted Budget:
- A 3.2% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) with language that does not overly restrict how funds must be allocated
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A Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE) (S4127-A/A5268-A)
As we pivot and take action over the next several weeks to make sure our voices are heard loud and clear to the legislature and Governor Hochul, we have created some tools and resources for you to get started including an updated one-click letter campaign, an updated template letter to the editor, and another opportunity to rally with us!
As always, please visit our budget advocacy toolkit for important resources as you speak to your lawmakers.
One-Click Campaign
With just a few clicks you can directly send your Senators, Assemblymembers, Governor Hochul, Assembly Speaker Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins a message through this online form.
All five letters will send with a single action, and each is tailored for its target audience. After you enter your name and address, click “Send Email.” All of the email messages will display for you to review and edit as you wish. Previous budget advocacy links will be forwarded to the new campaign.
To date we've sent nearly 20,000 letters to state leaders. We need to raise our voices together again to make it clear that the needs of New Yorkers with I/DD cannot be negotiated!
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