Dear Friends, 

The first few months of 2024 have been busy, with another budget season coming to a close. I am pleased to share that the Senate and Assembly have now passed, and the Governor has signed, the FY 2024-2025 New York State Budget. This e-newsletter will provide you with a summary of the adopted budget and I will be sending out another e-newsletter shortly.

The road to this year’s budget was challenging, but my colleagues and I were determined to fight for the best possible overall outcome for New Yorkers. As with all budgets, the FY 2024 - 2025 New York State Budget is the result of compromise. But I choose to celebrate what we did do, not what we could not.

This budget represents our commitment to the “big tent” approach I hold for our district — from our kids in the cities to the rural communities, from the suburban neighborhoods to urban centers. Our job is to expand the range of opportunities for every New Yorker and to zealously represent the communities we serve. I’ve tried to do just that. 

Since the Governor announced the Executive Budget Proposal in January – her proposal for how the state will spend its money – I have heard from so many of you about the Governor’s proposals, including proposed cuts to Foundation Aid for public school funding. In my advocacy, I shared many of your concerns, and I deeply appreciate everyone who took the time to express their thoughts and offer feedback. Please continue reading to learn more about the significant accomplishments in the budget as well as the areas I wish had seen greater improvement.

If there is anything my office can assist you with, please email me at smayer@nysenate.gov or call (914) 934-5250.

Warm regards,

Shelley B. Mayer

State Senator

37th District

Public School Funding Restored - No School District Funding Cuts

As Chair of the Senate Education Committee, funding for our public schools was my number one priority throughout budget negotiations. The Governor proposed devastating cuts to our schools in January. Her proposal for school aid fell far short of what our students, teachers, and school communities need and deserve. Over the past several months, I have stood with my colleagues, teachers, parents, students, administrators, and advocates to oppose these proposals. 

I am proud that my colleagues and I prevailed. Under the FY 2024-2025 budget, every district will receive at least as much money as last year. We also fought for, and won, a higher inflationary factor than the Governor proposed, delivering more aid to many districts. The budget increases school aid by $1.3 billion, or 3.8%, over the current school year and adds more than half a billion dollars to the Governor’s proposal.  

This win is a testament to the parents, teachers, school board members, superintendents, and advocates across the state who made their voices heard over the last four months. This budget reflects a necessary investment in the work our schools are doing to support students post-COVID, both for learning loss and mental health needs. 

New Study of Foundation Aid Formula Authorized

I am also pleased to share that we came to a compromise with the Governor to move forward on a study of the Foundation Aid Formula –– including at least three public hearings. This study will put us on a path to a revised formula that reflects the changing educational needs and costs, ensuring every school receives the support it needs from the state.

Science of Reading Curriculum Required for Grades Pre-k through 3rd Grade

The budget also includes an ambitious new initiative to transform the way reading is taught in New York Schools. Over the next year, the State Education Department will develop best practices for reading instruction that align with the science of reading. All schools will be required to review their own curriculum and instructional practices and certify that they comply with best practices. 

Other Education Investments for Our Schools

• $70 million Non-Public Safety Equipment Grants to help our non-public schools pay for security needs, particularly for our Jewish and Muslim schools after October 7.
• $30 million for capital projects for New York State Schools for the Blind and Deaf, including the New York School for the Deaf in Greenburgh. 
• $180 million to continue the historic investment in school meals. 
• Increased funding for afterschool and directive for the Office of Children and Family Services to study how New York can provide universal afterschool to all school-aged children.

For the first time since 2000, we increased the minimum award for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and expanded the eligibility requirements to make college more affordable for more families. For dependent students, we raised the household eligibility threshold to $125,000; for independent married students to $60,000; and for single independent students to $30,000. We also increased the minimum award to $1,000. 

We are supporting SUNY and CUNY by increasing general operating aid for SUNY by $60 million and increasing CUNY general operating aid by $40 million on top of last year’s increases. Additional operating aid will help schools with the day-to-day costs.

It has been clear that New York must take actionable measures to address retail theft and support our local businesses. I am proud that this budget includes practical measures that give police and prosecutors additional tools to keep New Yorkers safe, including my proposal to allow prosecutors to aggregate individual instances of retail theft, where those crimes are part of a single criminal intent, into a single charge. The budget also establishes the crime of fostering the sale of a stolen good and includes language to protect our retail workers by creating a new crime of assault against a retail worker. The budget also includes tax credits for small businesses with at least one retail location in New York to partially offset their security expenses within the last year. Together, these measures represent a thoughtful and responsible approach to deterring retail theft, protecting retail workers, and supporting our local economy.

I am pleased we also took action against the deeply concerning rise in hate crimes throughout New York State, by expanding the list of offenses categorized as hate crimes, including gang assault, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, falsely reporting an incident, and more. 

Last fall, I was proud to have served on the NYS Bar Association Task Force on Combating Anti-Semitism and Asian Hate, which endorsed a substantial increase in the list of crimes subject to enhanced penalties as hate crimes, and this Act adopts many of their recommendations. This new Hate Crime Modernization Act reinforces our commitment to protecting all New Yorkers and our belief that New York is home to everyone.

Additionally, we are cracking down on illegal cannabis shops by providing new tools for local governments to establish their own laws to shut down these stores, seize products, and impose civil penalties, including taking immediate action by padlocking locations that pose an imminent threat to public health and safety.

I am also proud that this budget affirms our commitment to making New York affordable for working and middle-class families. 

We invested $350 million in a  new supplemental tax credit that will provide direct support to working families who are eligible for the Empire State Child Tax Credit. Families will be eligible to receive additional support if they are married and file jointly with a household income of less than $110,000; if they are single and have a household income of less than $75,000; or are married but file separately with an income of $55,000. 

We invested $50 million for customers enrolled in the NYSERDA EmPower+ Program to help low and moderate-income households save energy and money when making energy improvements to their homes. 

Lastly, we provide a 2.84% cost of living adjustment for workers in human services, including a 1.7% targeted salary increase for specific support, direct care, clinical, and non-executive administrative staff. These people provide care for our most vulnerable, particularly those in group homes or group settings. This represents a notable increase over the Executive’s 1.5% COLA proposal.

The state budget also makes critical investments relating to healthcare. We are supporting struggling hospitals by increasing Medicaid reimbursement to help struggling hospitals and we included $150 million in capital funding for SUNY Hospitals. We invested $285 million in nursing homes and $15 million in assisted living programs. 

The budget includes provisions to allow children ages 0-6 to remain continuously enrolled in Medicaid or Child Health Plus without having to redetermine eligibility, to ensure children have stable and affordable health insurance for their early years. Additionally, we eliminated cost-sharing for insulin in commercial health insurance plans, to ensure it remains affordable and accessible.

I am deeply disappointed with the decision to eliminate multiple fiscal intermediaries and  transition to a single fiscal intermediary for CDPAP (Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program). While we were able to forestall the worst of the Governor’s proposed cuts to CDPAP and protect wage parity for Westchester workers, I know the transition to a single fiscal intermediary is a source of anxiety and concern for families who rely on CDPAP.  I remain committed to working with seniors and people with disabilities and home care workers employed through the program and pledge to monitor the program to ensure rights are protected and ensure continued access to services. I  will fight to ensure we maintain and support this program during this transition.

It is clear that New York State is facing a housing crisis. My colleagues and I have been working to find solutions that respond to local community input, reduce our environmental impact, and allow residents to live in the communities in which they work. I represent many low to middle-income tenants who are struggling to live in Westchester, despite working full time. It is important that New Yorkers are able to stay in the communities they love. 

I am pleased that this budget includes groundbreaking protections for rental tenants and the much-needed investments to encourage the development of new affordable housing. This includes new protections for renters from unreasonable rent increases or unjust evictions. Cities, towns, and villages outside of New York City may “opt-in” to these tenant protections by passing a local law and will have the flexibility to determine which units are covered.

Additionally, we invested $75 million to support public housing authorities outside of New York City, which we anticipate will benefit our public housing in Yonkers, New Rochelle, Tuckahoe, White Plains, and Port Chester.  

In addition, the final budget includes new incentives for developers to build affordable housing. This includes a new tax exemption, which communities can opt into, for the construction or conversion to mixed-income housing outside of New York City. Communities will also be able to adopt a local law to provide a tax exemption for homeowners who add accessory dwelling units to a primary residence. We invested $40 million to help support small landlords with fixing apartments and an additional $40 million to support filling vacant properties. 

We also modified the law to allow owners of rent-regulated buildings to recoup more money when they renovate or improve individual units, while including protections for tenants. 

These are modest changes, particularly in the suburbs, that provide local governments with significant control and incentives to build more affordable housing. I hope to see the communities I represent opt-in to the protections and opportunities in this bill and I will continue to fight on behalf of tenants and homeowners in my district and around the state. 

As many of you know, one solution proposed was the “faith-based affordable housing act” to allow existing religious institutions to more easily build a limited number of affordable units on their property. I believe this is a modest proposal worthy of consideration. However, this act was not included in the final budget housing plan and is unlikely to get further attention this legislative session.

I am pleased the budget included my proposal to require that all large-scale SUNY construction fund projects use project labor agreements. It also included important reform to Tier VI to change the final average salary calculation to an employee’s three highest years of pay, not five. For our police, fire, teachers, municipal service workers, and other critical public employees, these changes represent a true victory.

New York State has experienced increasingly severe storms, with Westchester being hit especially hard. From Hurricane Ida to the torrential rain storms that cause businesses to close and roads to flood, it is more important than ever that we take action to protect New Yorkers and the environment. In this budget, we restored $250 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Grant program and $400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund. We also included a sales tax exemption for homes that install residential energy storage systems for two years. I am committed to working with my colleagues to advance additional environmental priorities throughout the remainder of the legislative session.

With my colleague Assemblyman Steve Otis, we secured $10.58 million in the budget specifically designated to fully fund the State’s increased share of this long-standing project to address flooding in Mamaroneck. Because the cost of the project increased over time, the State had to increase its share to meet the requirements and move the project ahead. I’m very pleased that we could get this funding added, in addition to last year’s funding of $17.5 million.

While we could not get all I wanted, we did secure $60 million in additional funding through the State’s CHIPS programs, which fund local road improvements. I’m keenly aware that our region needs additional attention from the NYS DOT, and I intend to be a strong advocate for our roads and bridges.

Office of State Senator Shelley B. Mayer

235 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 400

White Plains, NY 10605

Phone: (914) 934-5250

Email: SMayer@nysenate.gov