Senate Budget Resolution
Senate Budget Resolution
Senate Budget Resolution
672
WHEREAS, Article VII of the New York State Constitution provides the
framework under which the New York State Budget is submitted, amended
and enacted. The New York State Courts have limited the Legislature in
how it may change the appropriations bills submitted by the Governor.
The Legislature can delete or reduce items of appropriation contained in
the several appropriation bills submitted by the Governor in conjunction
with the Executive Budget, and it can add additional items of
appropriation to those bills provided that such additions are stated
separately and distinctly from the original items of the bill and refer
each to a single object or purpose; and
The Senate denies with prejudice the following new language contained
within the body of various appropriations:
- Language included in S.1503-A (Aid to Localities)
authorizing the Budget Director to uniformly reduce certain
Local Assistance appropriations and disbursements by up to 3
percent to maintain a balanced budget if projected tax
receipts for SFY 2019-20 are reduced by more than $500
million from the Executive Budget projection.
- Numerous State Operations appropriations (S.1500-A) that
provide the Executive broad authority to shift resources
among departments, agencies or public authorities. While
existing State Finance Law authorizes some transfer,
interchange and suballocation authority, the new proposal
would significantly expand such flexibility to restructure
the Budget after enactment, potentially moving resources
from one area to completely different programs or purposes.
Any transfer of funds from State agencies to public
authorities could reduce oversight and control of such
resources.
- Language that would link State Operations and Aid to
Localities budgets for multiple purposes to the
Legislature's enactment of the Aid to Localities bill in an
amount deemed sufficient by the Director of Budget.
- Language that would propose a new process by which the
Executive would examine any bills passed after the enactment
of the State Budget, which impact state financial plan
assumptions. This language would divert from the Executive's
responsibility to approve or veto legislation and give
additional powers to the Director of the Budget.
- Language that would make funding for State Operations and
Capital Projects budgets contingent on the enactment of
separate Article VII legislation as outlined by the
Executive.
While the Senate understands the Governor's responsibility to ensure New
York's budget is fiscally sound, it is equally important to ensure the
constitutional limits on the Executive's powers are not exceeded.
Failure to ensure reasonable limits on Executive authority would signal
an irreversible abrogation of our constitutionally guaranteed
legislative responsibility.
Executive Chamber
Gaming Commission
Green Thumb
Health, Department of
Public Health
- The Senate rejects the Executive's recommendation to reduce
Department of Health's General Public Health Work
Reimbursement to New York City from 36 percent to 20 percent
and restores $26.85 million.
- The Senate restores funding as follows:
- $1 million for the Comprehensive Care Centers for Eating
Disorders (CCCED) for a total of $1.18 million;
- $1.4 million for Community Health Advocates, and provides
additional funding of $600,000;
- $3.8 million for School Based Health Clinics;
- $525,000 for additional community service programs increased
demands of HIV education, prevention, outreach, legal and
supportive services;
- $500,000 for Family Planning Grants;
- $725,000 New York Alliance for Donation;
- $225,000 for Center for Liver Transplant;
- $450,000 for New York Center for Kidney Transplants;
- $3 million for Nurse Family Partnership Program;
- $1 million for Lyme and Tick Borne Diseases;
- $1 million for Women's Health Initiatives;
- $500,000 for Diversity in Medicine Program;
- $227,000 for the Maternity and Early Childhood Foundation,
and provides additional funding of $143,000;
- $225,000 for the Alzheimer's Disease Research Resource
Center, Inc.;
- $2 million for the Rural Health Care services and programs;
and
- $500,000 for Opioid Alternative Project.
- The Senate provides funding as follows:
- $2.75 million for public health programs including Sickle
Cell, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Lupus, ALS, and other
community providers;
- $1 million for Lead Risk Reduction Initiatives;
- $16 million for grants to not-for-profit organizations that
provide primary and preventative reproductive health care;
- $5 million to increase the state share of Supplemental
Security Income effective January 1, 2020. This represents
the first year of a five year commitment to increase the
state share for Supplemental Security Income in adult care
facilities;
- $1 million for LGBT Health and Human Services Network; and
- $250,000 for the New York State Dental Association's
charitable grant program.
- The Senate strongly opposes the Governor's reprogramming of
the Healthcare Facility Transformation money that was meant
Medicaid
- The Senate rejects the Executive's pharmacy proposals to:
- Reduce coverage for over the counter drugs and increase the
copay from $.50 to $1 and restores $12.3 million; and
- Eliminate prescriber prevails for fee for service and
managed care and restores $18.7 million.
- The Senate rejects the Executive's long term care proposals
to:
- Eliminate spousal refusal provisions and restores $5.9
million; and
- Establish per member per month payment for fiscal
intermediaries and restores $75 million.
- The Senate rejects the Executive's managed care proposals
to:
- Limit payments made for dual-eligible recipients of both
Medicare and Medicaid and restores $17.5 million; and
- Address additional Office of Medicaid Inspector General
recoveries and restores $4.1 million.
- The Senate rejects the Executive's transportation proposals
to:
- Carve transportation out of managed long term care and into
fee for service and restores $6.4 million;
- Require Adult Day Home Care program transportation to be
managed by the state's contracted transportation manager and
restores $4.1 million;
- Eliminate Rural Transit Assistance and restores $4 million;
- Eliminate supplemental ambulance rebate payments and
restores $3 million; and
- Reduction of NYC Livery rate and restores $6.1 million.
- The Senate rejects the Executive's proposals to:
- Eliminate population health improvement program and restores
$7.75 million;
- Redeploy healthcare transformation funding and restore $222
million;
- Across the board cut to Medicaid and restores $190.2
million; and
- Reduce Indigent Care payments to major voluntary hospitals
and restores $137.8 million.
- The Senate advances language to:
- Allow Medicaid to reimburse for medically tailored meals and
medical nutrition therapy, generating a net savings of $2.25
million;
- Implement expedited Medicaid review for applicants in need
of hospice, generating a net savings of $2.0 million;
- Provide for home care asthma management, generating net
savings of $13.0 million;
The Senate recommends that the Department of Health ensure that all
healthcare providers who have engaged with Independence Care System be
made whole. The Senate encourages the Department of Health to commit to
a transition between Independence Care System and VNSNY Choice that does
not negatively impact the patient population or any healthcare
providers.
Judiciary
The Senate and the Assembly have already passed a number of the
proposals contained in the Executive's "Good Government & Ethics Reform"
budget bill and remains committed to advancing additional reforms in
these critical areas. The Senate believes many of these proposals
require robust discussion, thoughtful consideration, and should be
addressed outside of the budget in order to maximize public input and
consideration.
Article VII Proposal (S.1510-B)
- PART A -- The Senate rejects the Executive proposal that
would require the disclosure of tax returns by candidates
Labor, Department of
Law, Department of
State, Department of
The Senate supports improving outcomes, reducing costs, and growing the
economy through an integrated and collaborative system of health care,
delivery, medical education, innovation and research at the University
of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine.
Tax Appeals
Thruway Authority
Transportation, Department of
Miscellaneous Items
Revenue
The Senate rejects the Executive proposal that would cap STAR benefits
for taxpayers enrolled in the STAR Exemption Program as an attempt to
incentivize enrollment into the STAR Credit Program. The Senate rejects
the Executive proposal that lowers the income limit for the Basic STAR
exemption to $250,000, while maintaining the existing $500,000 income
limit for the STAR Credit Program. These proposals do not address the
high property tax burden that New York taxpayers face, while forcing
taxpayers into a program that has historically faced public scrutiny for
checks delivered to taxpayers late and other administrative issues.