All Roll Calls
Yes: 203 • No: 0
New YorkS 98832025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
Provides for emergency appropriation for the period April 1, 2026 through April 16, 2026
Sponsored By: Michael Gianaris (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
RULESWAYS AND MEANS
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
26 provisions identified: 21 benefits, 2 costs, 3 mixed.
More funding supports Medicaid services
Beginning April 1, 2026, one Medicaid appropriation rises from $2.569881 billion to $4.529831 billion for budget year 2026–27. It supports provider payments, minimum-wage salary and benefit costs, and health care grants and awards. Some payments need federal approval; safety-net hospital awards require severe financial distress under the health commissioner's criteria. Organizations may need to certify that wage funding covers minimum-wage costs. A separate appropriation for noninstitutional and other Medicaid spending rises from $179.805 million to $359.610 million. That money can cover liabilities from before or after the appropriation; these funding increases do not set individual benefit amounts.
Medicaid spending cap can limit benefits
The law caps specified state-funded Medicaid spending at $36.0992 billion from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027. The cap excludes specified state-facility medical payments and payments funded outside the health department. The budget director can adjust it for federal matching changes, provider revenue, minimum wages, disaster costs, and other listed factors. When projected spending exceeds the cap, officials must make savings adjustments that can change or suspend payment methods, rates, or benefits. Changes must follow federal law and the state Medicaid plan, preserve federal funding where practical, and apply uniformly where practical. Proposed changes require notice, public posting, and stakeholder input, but expedited public-health emergency action can waive notice and input.
Funding supports state employee benefits
Beginning April 1, 2026, state employee benefit funding rises from $57.685 million to $620.0435 million. It includes $514.422 million for health and retiree health, $55 million for Social Security, and $40.5 million for employee benefit programs. Dental receives $7.415 million; vision receives $17,000. Another $2.335 million pays commuter mobility tax for state employees working in the metropolitan commuter transportation district. The voluntary retirement plan receives $354,500 for eligible employees who elect it and cannot join SUNY's optional retirement program. Separately, $62.25 million covers judiciary benefit liabilities incurred April 1–16, including retirement, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation.
Funding supports subsidies for adoptive families
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $20.34 million for adoption subsidies and reimburses districts for 62% of eligible costs. This appropriation covers eligible January–December 2026 costs, with claims generally due March 1, 2027. General district claim rules also set a 24-month deadline after the spending fiscal year ends. The commissioner can waive that general deadline for good cause with budget director approval. The law does not set each adoptive family's subsidy amount.
More flexible care for disabled people
Direct support staff in covered disability programs can perform tasks specified by New York's developmental disabilities office. A registered nurse must train, supervise, and periodically inspect staff; tasks must follow care ordered by an authorized practitioner. Self-direction funds can cover continuity-of-care services, family-reimbursed respite, nonpersonal service costs, and direct housing subsidies. Participants must be enrolled in self-direction, with those costs included in an office-approved budget.
Funding keeps New York court payrolls running
New York provides $85 million for court officers and employees on payrolls scheduled April 1–16, 2026. The funding also covers amounts owed from before April 1.
Funding keeps state worker pay flowing
New York raises emergency payroll funding from $545.352 million to $835.756 million. It covers executive and legislative payrolls scheduled April 1–16, 2026, plus liabilities incurred before April 1. It also funds payments to qualifying participants in state-run special employment, work-for-pay, and sheltered-workshop programs.
More funding for developmental disability services
Beginning April 1, 2026, developmental disability community funding rises from $161.883 million to $305.253 million. State and local medical assistance funding rises from $140.004 million to $280.008 million. Community reimbursements cover local fiscal periods starting January 1, April 1, or July 1, 2026, plus January–March 2027 advances. Residential services rise from $12.701 million to $14.655 million; day programs rise from $3.12 million to $3.6 million. Support services rise from $3.51 million to $4.05 million; workshops, training, and employment services rise from $2.028 million to $2.34 million. Up to $34,500 can transfer to the education department's vocational rehabilitation program for FEDCAP's LongTerm Sheltered Employment program. Additional services rise from $520,000 to $600,000, covering care-at-home, epilepsy, hepatitis B, Special Olympics New York, and voluntary fingerprinting costs. Support, employment, and additional-service appropriations end upon the comptroller's transfers under section 15; funding does not set per-person benefits.
More funding for Medicaid managed care
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid managed care funding rises from $392.468 million to $784.936 million for 2026–27. The money also supports primary-care grants, technical help, and electronic health records. Applied behavior analysis funding requires a recommendation from an authorized practitioner designated as a center-of-excellence provider by the health commissioner.
More Medicaid funding for long-term care
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid nursing home funding rises from $112.74 million to $225.48 million. Funding for other Medicaid long-term care rises from $321.609 million to $643.218 million. Both increases cover budget year 2026–27. They do not change individual eligibility or set a payment for each resident.
More Medicaid hospital and clinic funding
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid inpatient hospital funding rises from $75.885 million to $151.77 million. Hospital outpatient and emergency room funding rises from $13.524 million to $27.048 million. Clinic funding rises from $21.897 million to $43.794 million. These 2026–27 appropriations fund services, not separate payments to patients or new eligibility rules.
More funding supports affordable housing
Beginning April 1, 2026, affordable housing funding rises from $96.154 million to $192.308 million for 2026–27. Funds and available federal matching money can move to designated housing and health agencies. Transfers require budget director approval and an allocation change by the health commissioner. Spending must consider where grants go; the law does not set household payments or change individual eligibility.
More funding supports unemployment benefit checks
Beginning April 1, 2026, unemployment benefit funding rises from $360 million to $540 million for budget year 2026–27. It supports state unemployment benefits and applicable federally authorized programs, including emergency and disaster programs. Recipients must qualify under the state unemployment law or the applicable federal program. The appropriation does not change individual eligibility or benefit amounts.
Family emergency funding has housing limits
New York provides $125 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds for eligible family and emergency assistance. Costs must fall in January–December 2026, be reimbursable on or after April 1, and be claimed by March 1, 2027. Reimbursement generally needs no state or local contribution; districts with at least five million people receive 85% reimbursement. Optional shelter supplements require approved district plans and rent ceilings based on January 1, 2021 levels with annual fair-market-rent adjustments. Later rent-index decreases cannot lower prior-year ceilings; districts over five million can claim only the family homelessness and eviction prevention supplement. HIV shelter, transportation, or nutrition help requires a medical diagnosis, homelessness or its risk, and no viable cheaper housing alternative. Those costs cannot qualify for Medicaid or another program's reimbursement.
More Medicaid drug funding with limits
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid pharmacy funding rises from $118.219 million to $236.438 million for 2026–27. The money cannot cover drugs not already authorized by law, rule, or regulation unless the budget director approves. The appropriation does not set individual prescription savings.
Safety-net housing funding comes with limits
New York provides $262.533 million for employment and income support, generally reimbursing districts for 29% of eligible safety-net costs. Covered shelter supplements can serve households that include people released from prison and are excluded from the standard of need. Rent ceilings use January 1, 2021 levels, adjusted annually for fair-market-rent changes; later decreases cannot lower prior-year ceilings. HIV-related housing help requires a medical diagnosis, homelessness or its risk, and no viable cheaper housing alternative. Districts over five million people generally receive 29% reimbursement; smaller districts can offer approved local-option help approaching full fair-market rent. Additional HIV rental help can limit the recipient's contribution to 30% of income; higher local-option payments require approved plans. Specified costs can receive up to 100% reimbursement when the budget director confirms required Medicaid savings; unrealized savings can trigger managed care payment adjustments. Eligible costs run January 1–December 31, 2026, must be reimbursable on or after April 1, and claimed by March 1, 2027. This funding constitutes total state reimbursement for the covered activities in budget year 2026–27.
Funding supports blind and homeless veterans
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $385,000 for annuities to blind veterans and eligible surviving spouses. Up to $15,000 can cover program administration. Homeless veterans' housing service funding rises from $78,000 to $90,000. Both appropriations end when the comptroller transfers covered spending and payments under section 15. The law does not set an individual annuity or housing payment.
Funding supports alternatives to inpatient care
New York makes appropriated funding available for mental health or substance use services responding to reduced Medicaid inpatient behavioral health services. The mental health or addiction commissioner develops allocation changes with the health commissioner. The budget director must approve them, and funding depends on appropriations for this purpose. No funding amount or direct household payment is specified.
More funding for state agency bills
New York increases funding for state agency operating bills, other than employee pay, from $22 million to $32 million. It covers routine bills incurred April 1–16, 2026. Spending must serve purposes the Legislature authorized during the 2025–2026 state fiscal year.
Temporary funding pays authorized construction costs
New York provides up to $10 million for April 1–16, 2026 capital-project liabilities under contracts or grants approved before April 1. Another allowance of up to $20 million covers that period's liabilities under contracts or grants approved after April 1. Spending must serve purposes authorized by the Legislature during budget year 2025–26. These funds pay covered project costs, not direct household benefits.
Temporary funding pays court operating costs
New York provides $13 million for judiciary nonpersonal operating liabilities incurred April 1–16, 2026, including vendor costs. Another $11 million pays judiciary aid-to-localities liabilities incurred during the same period. These appropriations fund court operating and locality payments, not individual household checks.
Funding supports prescription coverage for seniors
Beginning April 1, 2026, New York provides $1.2 million for the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage Program. The money covers program services and expenses, including payments to participating pharmacies. It does not change who qualifies or set an individual benefit amount.
More funding for food assistance services
Beginning April 1, 2026, funding for federal food and nutrition services rises from $13.91 million to $16.05 million. The $2.14 million increase supports services through the state account. It does not establish a household payment amount or change individual eligibility.
More Medicaid transportation and dental funding
Beginning April 1, 2026, Medicaid transportation funding rises from $15.882 million to $31.764 million. Medicaid dental funding rises from $1.836 million to $3.672 million. The increases cover budget year 2026–27. They do not change who qualifies or establish direct household payments.
Development funding for disability supportive housing
New York’s disability services office can provide aid, loans, or grants to cover part of supportive housing development costs. Units must be set aside for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The commissioner sets the funding terms. The office receives a property lien equal to its assistance for up to 30 years, or longer if another regulator requires.
District housing funding requires annual reports
Beginning April 1, 2026, districts seeking temporary housing reimbursement must report services and spending each year. The state can withhold or deny payment for missing approved homeless-services plans, required services, outreach, or outcome reports. The temporary assistance office sets the required information and can require electronic reports where feasible.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Michael Gianaris
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/13/2026
FLOOR Vote
Yes: 52 • No: 0
House vote • 4/13/2026
Assembly floor vote
Yes: 132 • No: 0
committee vote • 4/13/2026
Rules Committee Vote
Yes: 19 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
SIGNED CHAP.102
4/13/2026SenateDELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
4/13/2026SenateRETURNED TO SENATE
4/13/2026HousePASSED ASSEMBLY
4/13/2026HouseMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - 3 DAY MESSAGE
4/13/2026HouseMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - APPROPRIATION
4/13/2026HouseORDERED TO THIRD READING RULES CAL.93
4/13/2026HouseSUBSTITUTED FOR A10935
4/13/2026HouseREFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
4/13/2026HouseDELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
4/13/2026SenatePASSED SENATE
4/13/2026SenateMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - 3 DAY MESSAGE
4/13/2026SenateMESSAGE OF NECESSITY - APPROPRIATION
4/13/2026SenateORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.695
4/13/2026SenateREFERRED TO RULES
4/13/2026Senate
Bill Text
Original
4/13/2026
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