All Roll Calls
Yes: 220 • No: 1
New YorkS 100602025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
Provides for emergency appropriation for the period April 1, 2026 through April 30, 2026
Sponsored By: José M. Serrano (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
RULESWAYS AND MEANS
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
30 provisions identified: 23 benefits, 2 costs, 5 mixed.
April funding keeps state payroll running
For April 1–30, 2026, New York increases executive and legislative payroll funding from about $1.229 billion to $1.491 billion. This covers scheduled payrolls, covered state employment programs, and certain earlier liabilities; it does not change individual pay rates. The law also provides $44 million for nonpayroll operating costs incurred during April. Those costs must arise from ordinary business and serve purposes approved for the 2025–26 budget year.
More Medicaid funding for long-term care
For April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, New York increases Medicaid nursing home and other long-term care funding. Nursing home funding rises from $142.74 million to $178.425 million; a separate federal line rises from $338.22 million to $450.96 million. Other long-term care funding rises from $679.944 million to $849.93 million. Its separate federal line rises from $964.827 million to $1.286436 billion. These increases support providers and services, but do not set individual benefits or guarantee care changes.
More Medicaid managed care funding
For the budget year starting April 1, 2026, managed care funding rises from $622.84 million to $778.55 million. A separate federal managed care line rises from $1.177404 billion to $1.569872 billion. These funds also support accessible primary care, integrated care planning, and electronic health records. Health Home service and grant funding rises from $15.08 million to $18.85 million. Grants must stay within available funding; these increases do not themselves set an enrollee’s benefit amount.
More Medicaid funding with spending limits
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York raises this Medicaid appropriation from $6.489781 billion to $8.449731 billion. A separate $36.0992 billion state-spending cap covers April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, subject to federal approval. The cap excludes specified state mental health, developmental disability, and addiction facility payments, plus payments outside the Health Department. The budget director can adjust it for listed federal funding, provider revenue, local payment, minimum wage, and disaster-cost changes. To stay within the cap, the Health Department can change provider payments or benefits, subject to federal law. It must post changes online, normally give legislative finance committees 30 days’ notice, and report quarterly; defined public health emergencies allow shorter notice or retroactive action.
More housing and respite disability support
Beginning April 1, 2026, developmental disability self-direction funds can cover continuity-of-care services, qualifying family-reimbursed respite, and direct housing subsidies. Participants must be enrolled, and each funded cost must appear in a self-direction budget approved by the disability services agency. Family-reimbursed respite excludes personal services. Certified family care homes can receive funding for general services, including respite providers, for up to 14 days. The commissioner sets residents’ personal-needs amounts and respite rates; the budget director must approve those rates.
More community funding for disability services
Beginning April 1, 2026, community service funding for people with developmental disabilities rises from $465.453 million to $608.823 million. It supports payments and advances to localities and nonprofit providers under an agency plan approved by the budget director. Advances can cover the three months beginning January 1, 2027. A separate state or local Medicaid share rises from $420.012 million to $560.016 million. These increases do not guarantee particular services or household payment amounts.
More Medicaid funding for community bills
For the budget year starting April 1, 2026, Medicaid noninstitutional and related funding rises from $82.416 million to $103.02 million. A separate federal line rises from $539.415 million to $719.22 million. Funds can pay bills already owed. The first line can also cover added county or public school district claims for school supportive health services. These appropriations do not establish direct household payments.
More Medicaid funding for state facilities
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid funding for specified state-operated facilities rises from $384.616 million to $480.77 million. The 2026–27 funding supports mental health, developmental disability, and addiction services at those facilities. It does not guarantee a particular change in any resident’s care.
More Medicaid hospital and clinic funding
For April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, New York increases separate Medicaid hospital and clinic funding lines. Inpatient funding rises from $96.952 million to $121.19 million; its federal line rises from $227.655 million to $303.54 million. Outpatient and emergency funding rises from $28.996 million to $36.245 million; its federal line rises from $40.572 million to $54.096 million. Clinic funding rises from $56.792 million to $70.99 million; its federal line rises from $65.691 million to $87.588 million. Safety-net hospital awards require the health commissioner’s severe-financial-distress criteria; this funding does not guarantee individual coverage changes or patient payments.
More funding for affordable housing services
For April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027, affordable-housing-related service funding increases from $288.462 million to $384.616 million. The health commissioner must make a funding adjustment, and the budget director must approve transfers to designated agencies and housing entities. Available federal matching funds can also be transferred. Spending must consider where grants are located. This funding does not create direct household eligibility or a set housing payment.
More funding for unemployed workers’ benefits
For April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027, unemployment benefit funding increases from $810 million to $990 million. Funds can pay benefits under New York’s unemployment insurance law or the federally authorized programs named in the appropriation. The law does not change who qualifies or how much each worker receives.
Tighter Medicaid rules for behavioral therapy
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid funding for applied behavior analysis requires a recommendation from an authorized health or mental health practitioner. The health commissioner must also designate that practitioner as an applied behavior analysis center of excellence provider. This limits which recommendations qualify for funding, not generally which provider patients must use.
Disability providers faced limited rate increases
For April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026, the law limited reimbursement increases for developmental disability service providers. The commissioner could not add inflation, cost-of-living, or trend increases beyond the previously authorized targeted 2.6% increase. Adjustments from updating base-year costs remained allowed. This restriction period ended March 31, 2026, and did not directly set household benefits.
More Medicaid drug funding with limits
For the budget year starting April 1, 2026, Medicaid pharmacy funding rises from $287.704 million to $359.63 million. A separate federal pharmacy line rises from $354.657 million to $472.876 million. These funds cannot pay for drugs lacking explicit authorization in law, rule, or regulation without budget director approval. The increases do not promise coverage of a specific drug or lower patient costs.
Veterans’ housing help and annuities funded
For April 1–30, 2026, housing-service funding for homeless veterans increases from $162,000 to $174,000. That money supports services and organizations, not direct payments or individual housing awards. The law also provides $385,000 for annuities to blind veterans and eligible surviving spouses. It does not state each annuity recipient’s payment amount.
Personal needs and disability residence support
Beginning April 1, 2026, qualifying residents can receive up to $250 yearly for personal needs, based on financial need. They must live in a voluntarily operated community residence or an eligible community residential alternative under the home-and-community-based-services waiver. The commissioner sets when and how payments are made. Funds can also pay family care home operators for property damage caused by clients. Damage payments must follow commissioner standards approved by the budget director; the law sets no payment amount or new resident duty.
April funding grows for disability services
For April 1–30, 2026, developmental disability residential funding rises from $26.379 million to $28.333 million. Day-program funding rises from $6.48 million to $6.96 million; family-support funding rises from $7.29 million to $7.83 million. Related service funding rises from $1.08 million to $1.16 million. It covers hepatitis B services, the care-at-home waiver, epilepsy services, Special Olympics New York, and voluntary fingerprinting. State aid can also cover up to 100% of day-training and family-support programs’ net deficits; these funds support providers, not direct household payments.
Disability support staff can do more
Beginning April 1, 2026, direct support staff can perform tasks set by New York’s developmental disability services agency. This applies in certified or approved programs, including applicable home and community-based waiver programs. A registered nurse must train and supervise staff and conduct periodic inspections. The tasks must follow care ordered by an authorized practitioner.
Development aid for supportive disability housing
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York’s developmental disability agency can provide aid, loans, or grants for supportive housing development. Units must be set aside for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The agency’s commissioner sets funding terms. The agency receives a property lien equal to the loan or grant for up to 30 years. Another regulatory agency can require a longer lien term; no funding amount or individual housing payment is specified.
More job-service funding for disabled people
For April 1–30, 2026, workshop, day-training, and employment service funding for people with developmental disabilities rises. The appropriation increases from $4.212 million to $4.524 million. The allowed transfer to the Education Department’s vocational rehabilitation program for FEDCAP’s LongTerm Sheltered Employment program rises from $62,100 to $66,700. These funds support services and providers, not a set individual payment.
Funding for New York’s Indian health program
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $7 million for its Indian health program. Funds cover program services and financial assistance already owed or arising later. The health commissioner must prepare a spending plan, and the budget director must approve it. The appropriation does not set individual payment amounts.
Medicaid funds can support wage costs
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid funds can help organizations cover direct salary costs and related employee benefits. The costs must come from a minimum wage increase taking effect during the funding period. The commissioner can require written certification of how organizations use the money and additional reports. This authority does not set wages or guarantee workers a payment.
Medicaid funds help replace inpatient services
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid funds are available to address needs caused by reduced inpatient behavioral health services. The mental health or addiction services commissioner develops the funding adjustment in consultation with the health commissioner. The budget director must approve it. The law specifies no funding amount or direct household payment.
More funding for food assistance
Beginning April 1, 2026, federally funded food and nutrition service funding rises from $28.89 million to $31.03 million. The money can pay assistance owed before this appropriation. The law does not change who qualifies or set higher household benefit amounts.
More funding for Medicaid dental care
For the budget year starting April 1, 2026, Medicaid dental funding rises from $316,000 to $395,000. A separate federal dental line rises from $5.508 million to $7.344 million. These funds support dental services, but do not change covered procedures, individual eligibility, or patient costs.
More funding for Medicaid transportation
For the budget year starting April 1, 2026, Medicaid transportation funding rises from $41.328 million to $51.66 million. A separate federal transportation line rises from $47.646 million to $63.528 million. The money supports transportation services, but does not change individual eligibility, trip allowances, or payment amounts.
Prescription help stays funded for seniors
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $1.8 million for the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage Program. The money supports program services, accrued financial assistance, and payments to participating pharmacies. This funding does not set an individual enrollee’s payment amount.
Residents’ managed money can cover care
Beginning April 1, 2026, facility directors can continue using residents’ managed money for those residents’ care and treatment. The director must be a federally appointed representative payee managing the resident’s funds. This applies to facilities licensed, but not operated, by the developmental disability services agency. The use must follow federal law and regulations.
School service funding for disabled adults
Beginning April 1, 2026, private residential schools can receive funding for developmental disability services for adults over age 21. This covers residential and day-program support at schools inside or outside New York. Residential service and maintenance payments must subtract any Supplemental Security Income benefit for which the adult is eligible. Day-service payments cannot exceed comparable approved providers’ maximum reimbursement unless the budget director approves an exception.
Medicaid dispute payments and spending limits
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York can use appropriated funds for settlements or judgments in rate disputes and lawsuits. The Department of Health must be a party to the case. Medicaid expenses not explicitly authorized by law require the budget director’s approval. These rules set no dispute payment amount and create no direct household payment or new recipient payment duty.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
José M. Serrano
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/27/2026
Assembly floor vote
Yes: 141 • No: 0
committee vote • 4/27/2026
Rules Committee Vote
Yes: 20 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/27/2026
FLOOR Vote
Yes: 59 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
SIGNED CHAP.106
4/27/2026SenateDELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
4/27/2026SenateRETURNED TO SENATE
4/27/2026HousePASSED ASSEMBLY
4/27/2026HouseMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - 3 DAY MESSAGE
4/27/2026HouseMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - APPROPRIATION
4/27/2026HouseORDERED TO THIRD READING RULES CAL.103
4/27/2026HouseSUBSTITUTED FOR A11150
4/27/2026HouseREFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
4/27/2026HouseDELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
4/27/2026SenatePASSED SENATE
4/27/2026SenateMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - 3 DAY MESSAGE
4/27/2026SenateMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - APPROPRIATION
4/27/2026SenateORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.823
4/27/2026SenateREFERRED TO RULES
4/27/2026Senate
Bill Text
Original
4/27/2026
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