Winter Break Ends – FY 2022 30 Day Amendments Released

The legislature was not in this week, observing a scheduled winter break that included the annual Presidents Day observance. That being said, there remained a modicum of activity ranging from the ongoing fallout surrounding the reporting of nursing home deaths, to challenges related to expanded vaccine eligibility, to the release of 30-day amendments to the Governor’s budget proposal. And yes, the February snow assault continued to plague New York City and other areas of the state.

Nursing Homes – After a number of  media reports surfaced regarding conversations related to reporting of COVID related nursing home deaths and a virtual briefing with members of the State Legislature, the Governor released a full transcript of a February 10 briefing.

Thirty-day Amendments – The Governor released 30-day amendments to his FY 2022 budget proposal Thursday night. The complete amendments can be accessed here.

Along with the expected amendments to the Governor’s Adult-Use Cannabis proposal (Part H, S2509/A3009 – see the From NYS Governor Cuomo section for more information), the amendments include a new part GG in the Health and Mental Hygiene bill (S2507/A3007), which includes among others provisions to increase fines for public health law violations; nursing home reforms related to receivership, expenditures for staff and management, and amendments to the current Department of Health temporary operator authorization for hospitals, adult care facilities and clinics. See the related Governor’s press release here.

The amendments also include a new part BB in the Education, Labor, and Family Assistance bill (ELFA, S2506/A3006), creating an “emergency rental assistance local
government allocation” program within the State Finance Law. The fund will consist of federal money allocated to local governments specifically for residents with rental issues, and go to those same local governments, pursuant to a plan from the Budget Director. This fund will be used without appropriation.

Vaccinating higher risk populations in other states – As New York State expanded vaccine eligibility this week to individuals with comorbidities, the Kaiser Family Foundation published a review of states’ vaccine prioritization on February 16. Unsurprisingly, the report showed a broad variation between states regarding conditions that are eligible and other factors. The report “The Next Phase of Vaccine Distribution: High-Risk Medical Conditions” can be found here.

Tax revenues lower than last year but higher than expected – Comptroller DiNapoli shared the monthly State Cash Report on Thursday, which showed taxed receipts almost $2 billion lower than last year but $1.7 billion higher than anticipated by the state Division of Budget. The Report can be accessed here.