All Roll Calls
Yes: 214 • No: 3
New YorkS 105202025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
Provides for emergency appropriation for the period April 1, 2026 through May 20, 2026
Sponsored By: José M. Serrano (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
RULESWAYS AND MEANS
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
25 provisions identified: 22 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Funding supports Essential Plan health coverage
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $1.15 billion for Essential Plan services under its federal health-law innovation waiver. Transfers among health department appropriations can increase or decrease this amount. Money can also be transferred to Health Research Incorporated. The funding does not itself change eligibility or set an individual subsidy amount.
More Medicaid care and transportation funding
Beginning April 1, 2026, managed-care funding rises from $2.354808 billion to $2.747276 billion; noninstitutional and other funding rises from $1.07883 billion to $1.258635 billion. Transportation funding rises from $95.292 million to $111.174 million, replacing duplicate 2026–27 funding in the 2025 appropriations law. Within available grant funds, the health department must support accessible primary care, integrated-care planning, and electronic health records. Noninstitutional funds can pay Medicaid bills from before or after the funding period. The comptroller can hold certified monthly local Medicaid shares in an interest-bearing account, based on health commissioner estimates, to support prompt provider payments.
More Medicaid funding for long-term care
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid nursing-home funding rises from $676.44 million to $789.18 million. Other long-term care funding rises from $1.929654 billion to $2.251263 billion. The money supports providers caring for Medicaid members but does not set an individual payment or coverage amount. The 2026–27 amounts replace duplicate funding for that year in the 2025 appropriations law.
More funding for public school aid
New York raises funding for remaining 2025–2026 and earlier school-year obligations from $2.283 billion to $8.20635 billion. The money supports school districts and other eligible recipients, including scheduled school-aid payments. It can pay costs already owed or future costs. Transfers to other agencies or moves between general school-aid accounts require the budget director's approval. This funding does not provide direct payments to families.
More funding for unemployment benefit payments
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York’s unemployment-benefit budget rises from $1.47 billion to $1.575 billion. Funds support state unemployment benefits and the listed federally funded unemployment programs. Recipients must qualify under the applicable state or federal program. The appropriation does not change the individual benefit formula.
Medicaid spending cap allows benefit cuts
For April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027, the law caps state-funded Medicaid spending at $36.0992 billion, subject to federal approval. Specified exclusions apply; adjustments can reflect federal matching rates, provider revenues, local payments, minimum wages, disasters, and Essential Plan costs. If projected spending exceeds the limit, officials must prepare savings; the health commissioner can reduce payment rates, methods, or benefits. Changes must follow federal law and the approved Medicaid plan, maximize federal funding where practical, and be uniform where practical. Material changes require online posting and 30 days’ notice to legislative budget chairs, except emergency actions may be expedited and retroactive when federally allowed.
More funding for state employee paychecks
For April 1–May 20, 2026, state payroll funding rises from about $2.054 billion to $2.361 billion, including sheltered-workshop employees. Judiciary payroll funding rises from $269 million to $352 million; judiciary benefit funding rises from $115.75 million to $122.25 million. The state benefit budget rises from $1.2957725 billion to $1.3296225 billion, including Social Security contributions increasing from $192.5 million to $226 million. Voluntary retirement-plan funding rises from $1.0635 million to $1.4135 million for eligible employees who choose to join and cannot use SUNY’s optional retirement program. These funds support paychecks and benefits but do not set individual raises or benefit amounts.
Funding supports children’s health insurance coverage
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $212.95 million from its health care resources fund for Child Health Plus. The money can pay aid owed from before or after the appropriation. Funds can also go to the state assistance agency to repay local enrollment costs for newly enrolled Medicaid children. Those administrative payments concern children with household income between 100% and 133% of the federal poverty level. These funding rules do not change household eligibility or benefit amounts.
More Medicaid hospital and dental funding
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid inpatient hospital funding rises from $455.31 million to $531.195 million. Outpatient and emergency-room funding rises from $81.144 million to $94.668 million; clinic funding rises from $131.382 million to $153.279 million. Dental funding rises from $11.016 million to $12.852 million. These funds support providers, not a set payment or added benefit for each member. The 2026–27 amounts replace duplicate funding for that year in the 2025 appropriations law.
More medical and residential disability funding
Beginning April 1, 2026, medical-assistance funding for people with developmental disabilities rises from $840.024 million to $980.028 million. This covers the state or local share of health department service costs. Residential-services funding rises from $45.919 million to $47.873 million. The appropriations support services but do not set individual payments or coverage amounts.
Medicaid funding can support affordable housing
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $673.078 million for Medicaid-related services, plus available federal matching funds. This money can support affordable housing services through transfers to eligible state health, disability, housing, and temporary assistance agencies. Eligible recipients also include the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation. Transfers require a funding adjustment submitted by the health commissioner and approved by the budget director. Spending must consider where grants go; the law does not create an individual housing payment or eligibility rule.
More bridge funding for state obligations
For April 1–May 20, 2026, routine state operating funding rises from $66 million to $88 million. Capital funding for contracts or grants approved before April 1 rises from $10 million to $25 million. Funding for those approved after April 1 rises from $20 million to $50 million. These operating and capital costs must serve purposes authorized during the 2025–26 fiscal year. Judiciary aid to localities also rises from $22 million to $32 million for obligations incurred during the same window.
Medicaid behavior therapy requires designated recommendations
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid managed-care funds can pay for applied behavior analysis only with a qualifying practitioner’s recommendation. The practitioner must be legally authorized and state-designated as an applied behavior analysis center of excellence provider. Without that recommendation, these funds cannot pay for the services.
More Medicaid drug funding with limits
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid pharmacy funding rises from $709.314 million to $827.533 million. The agency cannot use these funds for drugs not explicitly authorized by prior law or rules without budget director approval. This limits agency spending, not a new payment duty for Medicaid members.
More funding for qualifying injury claims
Funding for qualifying claims against New York or the State University Construction Fund rises from $178,000 to $358,000. Claims can involve property damage, bodily injury, or wrongful death caused by covered state services or specified state-assigned vehicle use. The appropriation does not set individual claim amounts or guarantee payment beyond applicable claim requirements.
Disability budgets can fund housing help
Beginning April 1, 2026, community-services money can fund housing subsidies, continuity-of-care services, and family-reimbursed respite for disability self-direction participants. Participants must be enrolled in the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities self-direction program. Costs must appear in a budget approved by that office. Family-reimbursed respite covers only costs other than personal services.
Funding addresses gaps in behavioral care
Beginning April 1, 2026, available appropriations can fund services needed after reductions in Medicaid inpatient mental health or substance-use care. The needs must arise from reductions at state-licensed mental health or addiction programs. Mental health or addiction officials develop the funding adjustment with the health commissioner. The budget director must approve it; no specific funding amount or individual benefit is set.
Funding supports Indian health program services
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $10.062 million from its General Fund for Indian health program assistance. Spending must follow a health commissioner plan approved by the budget director. This supports program services but does not set individual eligibility or benefit amounts.
Funding supports seniors’ prescription drug coverage
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $1.8 million for its Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage Program. The money supports program services and payments to participating pharmacies. It does not change eligibility or set an individual coverage amount.
More disability family and employment support
Beginning April 1, 2026, developmental-disability day-program funding rises from $11.28 million to $11.76 million; family support rises from $12.69 million to $13.23 million. Workshop, training, and employment funding rises from $7.332 million to $7.644 million. The allowed transfer through state vocational rehabilitation for FEDCAP’s LongTerm Sheltered Employment program rises from $108,100 to $112,700. Additional service funding rises from $1.88 million to $1.96 million for hepatitis B, care-at-home, epilepsy, Special Olympics, and voluntary fingerprinting. These budgets support services rather than setting individual payments.
More funding for food assistance services
Beginning April 1, 2026, funding for federal food and nutrition services rises from $50.29 million to $52.43 million. The money can pay financial assistance owed from before the funding period. The law does not change who qualifies or set a household benefit amount.
More housing funding for homeless veterans
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York raises funding for homeless veterans' housing services from $282,000 to $294,000. The money supports housing-related services, not a guaranteed individual payment or housing placement.
Funding supports public schools in 2026–27
The law provides $7 million for general public-school support during the 2026–27 state fiscal year. It also provides $4.834 million from the State Lottery Fund for the 2026–27 school year. Moving the $7 million among general school-aid accounts requires budget director approval. These provisions do not set district allocations or direct payments to families.
Court operating funding covers two more days
New York's $36 million court operating appropriation covers non-payroll costs incurred from April 1 through May 20, 2026. The law extends the covered period from May 18 to May 20 without increasing the appropriation. This money pays court operating costs, not direct household benefits.
Grants support qualifying agricultural fairs
New York provides $2.5 million to promote or run qualifying annual fairs and expositions. Up to $550,000 can be awarded without competition to eligible agricultural or horticultural groups and county extension services. Recipients must receive agricultural fair premium reimbursements; each allocation is capped at $50,000. The commissioner awards funds until exhausted for advertising, promotion, and education, not direct payments to households or farmers.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
José M. Serrano
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 5/18/2026
Assembly floor vote
Yes: 136 • No: 1
committee vote • 5/18/2026
Rules Committee Vote
Yes: 20 • No: 0
Senate vote • 5/18/2026
FLOOR Vote
Yes: 58 • No: 2
Actions Timeline
SIGNED CHAP.116
5/18/2026SenateDELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
5/18/2026SenateRETURNED TO SENATE
5/18/2026HousePASSED ASSEMBLY
5/18/2026HouseMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - 3 DAY MESSAGE
5/18/2026HouseMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - APPROPRIATION
5/18/2026HouseORDERED TO THIRD READING RULES CAL.136
5/18/2026HouseSUBSTITUTED FOR A11445
5/18/2026HouseREFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
5/18/2026HouseDELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
5/18/2026SenatePASSED SENATE
5/18/2026SenateMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - 3 DAY MESSAGE
5/18/2026SenateMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - APPROPRIATION
5/18/2026SenateORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1123
5/18/2026SenateREFERRED TO RULES
5/18/2026Senate
Bill Text
Original
5/18/2026
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