All Roll Calls
Yes: 206 • No: 0
New YorkS 98182025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
Provides for emergency appropriation for the period April 1, 2026 through April 14, 2026
Sponsored By: Michael Gianaris (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
RULESWAYS AND MEANS
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
27 provisions identified: 22 benefits, 4 costs, 1 mixed.
Funding addresses inpatient behavioral-health service cuts
Beginning April 1, 2026, agencies must make appropriated money available to address needs caused by reduced Medicaid inpatient behavioral-health services. Funding adjustments support mental-health or substance-use services within available appropriations. Mental-health or addiction agency leaders develop the adjustments with the health commissioner, and the budget director must approve them. Programs may be licensed or certified under the specified mental-health or public-health laws. No individual payment amount is set.
More funding for disability residential care
Beginning April 1, 2026, developmental-disability residential-service funding rises from $5.862 million to $12.701 million. The law also provides $140.004 million for state or local shares of medical-assistance costs for people with developmental disabilities. These funds support service payments, without changing individual eligibility or setting household payment amounts.
More Medicaid funding for community services
The law raises a Medicaid noninstitutional and other-spending appropriation from $20.604 million to $41.208 million. It can pay past or current bills, including added county or public school district claims for school health services. Its 2026–27 portion replaces duplicate funding. Beginning April 1, 2026, another $179.805 million 2026–27 line can pay Medicaid bills accrued before or after the appropriation. These funding provisions do not change individual eligibility or set household payment amounts.
More Medicaid funding for long-term care
The law raises a Medicaid nursing-home appropriation from $35.685 million to $71.37 million. It raises an appropriation for long-term care outside nursing homes from $169.986 million to $339.972 million. Beginning April 1, 2026, it also provides 2026–27 lines of $112.74 million for nursing-home services and $321.609 million for other long-term care. The increased appropriations' 2026–27 portions replace duplicate funding. These appropriations support care without changing individual eligibility or setting residents' costs or benefits.
More Medicaid hospital and clinic funding
The law raises one Medicaid inpatient-care appropriation from $24.238 million to $48.476 million and provides a $75.885 million 2026–27 line beginning April 1, 2026. It raises an outpatient and emergency-care appropriation from $7.249 million to $14.498 million and provides a $13.524 million 2026–27 line. It raises a clinic appropriation from $14.198 million to $28.396 million and provides a $21.897 million 2026–27 line. Safety-net hospitals funded through the increased inpatient appropriation must meet criteria set by the commissioner. The increased appropriations' 2026–27 portions replace duplicate funding; these service appropriations do not change individual Medicaid eligibility or set benefit amounts.
More Medicaid managed-care and coordination funding
The law raises a Medicaid managed-care appropriation from $155.71 million to $311.42 million and health-home funding from $3.77 million to $7.54 million. Their 2026–27 portions replace duplicate appropriations. Beginning April 1, 2026, it also provides a $392.468 million managed-care line, including Finger Lakes regional planning and statewide best-practice work. Within funds reserved for grants, the Health Department must support primary care, integrated-care business planning, and electronic health records. The funding supports providers and care coordination without promising a specific change in any patient's coverage.
State funding supports affordable housing programs
Beginning April 1, 2026, the law provides $96.154 million, plus available federal matching funds, for affordable housing services and expenses. Transfers to specified state agencies and housing entities require a health commissioner allocation adjustment and budget director approval. Spending must consider where grants are located. This funds housing programs but does not create a direct household payment or set individual eligibility.
More funding for unemployment benefit payments
Beginning April 1, 2026, unemployment benefit funding rises from $135 million to $360 million for the state budget year. The money pays benefits under state law or specified federal unemployment programs. Claimants must qualify under the applicable program. The law does not change individual benefit amounts or eligibility rules.
Medicaid behavior therapy needs qualified recommendations
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid funds can pay for applied behavior analysis only with a qualifying practitioner's recommendation. The recommending health-care or mental-health practitioner must be authorized under title eight of New York's Education Law. The health commissioner must also designate that practitioner as an applied behavior analysis center of excellence provider.
More Medicaid pharmacy money, drug limits
The law raises a Medicaid pharmacy appropriation from $71.926 million to $143.852 million. Its 2026–27 portion replaces duplicate funding. Beginning April 1, 2026, the law also provides a $118.219 million pharmacy-services appropriation. These funds cannot pay for drugs not explicitly authorized by enacted law, rule, or regulation unless the budget director approves. The provisions do not set individual prescription payments or require recipients to pay for those drugs.
Care support for people with developmental disabilities
Beginning April 1, 2026, community funds can pay for certified family-care home services, residents' personal needs, and respite up to 14 days. The commissioner sets rates, with budget director approval, considering location and the number of clients in the home. Direct-support staff in covered disability programs, including covered home- and community-based waiver programs, can perform state-approved tasks. A registered nurse must supervise, train, and periodically inspect their work. Tasks must follow care ordered by an authorized practitioner.
Housing help for people with developmental disabilities
Beginning April 1, 2026, community funds can support day programs and residential services for people with developmental disabilities. Uses include direct housing subsidies, home changes, adaptive technology, and family-care provider startup costs. Funds can also cover appraisals, property options, feasibility studies, and costs before services open. The law sets no individual award amount and does not guarantee assistance.
Funding covers state employee benefit costs
The law raises general state employee benefit funding from $22.525 million to $57.685 million. This includes $55 million for the state's Social Security contribution and $2.335 million for commuter transportation tax payments. Those tax payments cover state employees working in the metropolitan commuter transportation district. Another $62.25 million covers judiciary employee benefit costs incurred April 1–14, 2026, including health, retirement, Social Security, dental, vision, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation. The law funds employer obligations without setting an individual employee's benefit amount.
Funding keeps state employee paychecks flowing
The law funds state employee paychecks scheduled April 1–14, 2026. Executive and legislative payroll funding rises from $247.904 million to $545.352 million. Judiciary payroll gets another $85 million. Both amounts cover qualifying payroll debts from before April 1. The law does not set individual paycheck amounts.
Funding supports New York Indian health
The law provides $7 million from the General Fund for New York's Indian health program. It supports services and financial assistance already owed or becoming due. The health commissioner must prepare the spending plan, and the budget director must approve it. The provision does not state individual eligibility or payment amounts.
More funding for disability support programs
Beginning April 1, 2026, developmental-disability day-program funding rises from $1.44 million to $3.12 million. Family support funding rises from $1.62 million to $3.51 million. Work and training funding rises from $936,000 to $2.028 million; up to $29,900 can move through the state's vocational rehabilitation program to FEDCAP's sheltered employment program. Funding for hepatitis B services, care-at-home waiver services, epilepsy services, Special Olympics New York, and voluntary fingerprinting rises from $240,000 to $520,000. These funds support providers rather than create direct payments to participants.
More funding for food assistance
The law raises funding for federal food and nutrition services from $6.42 million to $13.91 million. The money can pay assistance that accrued before this appropriation. It does not change who qualifies or set household payment amounts.
More payment support for disability providers
Beginning April 1, 2026, localities and nonprofit providers can get advances or reimbursements for eligible spending in fiscal periods starting January 1, April 1, or July 1, 2026. Advances can also cover January–March 2027; payments under the listed mental-health laws require an agency plan approved by the budget director. State aid can cover up to 100% of net deficits for day-training and family support programs. The state can pay voluntary community-service agencies' expenses from Dormitory Authority bond-funded loans, as their contracts allow. Certified family-care home operators can also receive payments for client-caused property damage under commissioner standards approved by the budget director.
More housing funding for homeless veterans
Beginning April 1, 2026, funding for homeless veterans' housing services rises from $36,000 to $78,000. That adds $42,000 from the Homeless Veterans Assistance Account. The money must support services and expenses related to homeless veterans' housing. The law does not set an individual veteran's payment.
Operating funds for New York transit riders
Beginning April 1, 2026, the law provides $7.26 million for Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North operating costs. It also provides $41.065 million for New York City transit operating costs. Spending requires the budget director's approval, with copies filed with the comptroller and legislative budget committee chairs. Transportation officials and the budget director can set funding timing and conditions. The law does not set fares or promise service changes.
Short-term funding for state and court operations
For April 1–14, 2026, state agency and legislative operating funding rises from $10 million to $22 million. Those costs must be for purposes approved in the 2025–2026 budget year, and existing spending rules still apply. Courts also get $13 million for operating costs and $11 million for aid-to-localities costs incurred during that period. This money pays government obligations, not households directly.
Medicaid funds support timely provider payments
Beginning April 1, 2026, the comptroller can hold Medicaid provider-payment funds in an interest-bearing account to support prompt payments. The account can include local district shares certified as due by the health or temporary-assistance commissioner. Medicaid funds can also pay provider rate disputes resolved through a settlement or judgment when the Health Department is a party. These rules manage provider payments rather than create household checks or new Medicaid eligibility.
More Medicaid transportation and dental funding
The law raises a Medicaid transportation appropriation from $10.332 million to $20.664 million and a dental appropriation from $79,000 to $158,000. Their 2026–27 portions replace duplicate funding. Beginning April 1, 2026, it also provides 2026–27 lines of $15.882 million for transportation and $1.836 million for dental services. These appropriations support services without changing individual eligibility, setting household payments, or guaranteeing a particular service.
Medicaid funds can cover provider wage increases
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid funds can cover recipient organizations' salary and related benefit costs tied to minimum-wage increases. The wage increase must take effect during the funding period under state minimum-wage law. The commissioner can require written certifications and reports on how organizations use the money. Organizations can also receive advances. This authority does not set an individual worker's wage.
Residents' managed money can cover disability care
Beginning April 1, 2026, qualifying directors at state-licensed, non-state-run developmental disability facilities can continue using residents' money for their care. The director must be the resident's federally appointed representative payee and manage those funds. Spending must follow federal law and regulations. The law does not set a new personal payment amount.
Disability provider inflation increases were limited
For April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026, the law barred specified inflation-based increases in covered developmental-disability provider rates. The restriction did not block a separate 2.6% increase authorized in 2025. Earlier adjustments from resetting base-year costs also remained allowed. This restriction period ended March 31, 2026.
Agencies face limits on Medicaid spending
Beginning April 1, 2026, agencies cannot use Medicaid funds for expenses not expressly allowed by law without budget director approval. This limits agency spending, not recipients' use of benefits. Medicaid recipients do not have to make a payment or file a report under this rule.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Michael Gianaris
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
committee vote • 4/7/2026
Rules Committee Vote
Yes: 17 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/7/2026
FLOOR Vote
Yes: 54 • No: 0
House vote • 4/7/2026
Assembly floor vote
Yes: 135 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
SIGNED CHAP.100
4/7/2026SenateDELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
4/7/2026SenateRETURNED TO SENATE
4/7/2026HousePASSED ASSEMBLY
4/7/2026HouseMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - 3 DAY MESSAGE
4/7/2026HouseMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - APPROPRIATION
4/7/2026HouseORDERED TO THIRD READING RULES CAL.92
4/7/2026HouseSUBSTITUTED FOR A10850
4/7/2026HouseREFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
4/7/2026HouseDELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
4/7/2026SenatePASSED SENATE
4/7/2026SenateMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - 3 DAY MESSAGE
4/7/2026SenateMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - APPROPRIATION
4/7/2026SenateORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.694
4/7/2026SenateREFERRED TO RULES
4/6/2026Senate
Bill Text
Original
4/6/2026
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