One House Budget Bills introduced

March 11, 2025

Early returns from the one-house bills released late last night (below).  Summary from our outstanding government relations consultant, Marcy Savage.  More to follow.

Dear Lauri,
One house budget bills were released just before midnight last night.  Both houses are expected to pass the bills Thursday and then three-way budget negotiations will commence with a goal of reaching a final budget deal before the April 1st deadline for the new fiscal year. Here are links to the Senate and Assembly Health/MH Article VII budget bills.

The Assembly largely rejected many of the Governor’s HMH proposals with a few additions, while the Senate added several of their own.  Below is an outline of the Art. VII HMH one-house budget proposals of particular interest to the NYS Council.  

More updates to follow as we complete our review of the one-house budget bills.

Senate Art. VII HMH One-House Budget Bill (S3007B):

  • Repeals global spending cap
  • Rejects proposal to remove prescriber prevails in Medicaid
  • Rejects proposal to remove IDR process in MMC; Included proposal to strengthen penalties on MMC plans for noncompliance
  • Amends how the proceeds of the MCO tax are to be spent (up to $725M for hospitals, up to $500M for nursing homes, up to $100m for residential health care facilities, up to $100M for FQHCs/D&TCs, up to $30M for Assisted Living Programs, up to $100M for physician fees, up to $90 million for Early Intervention program, up to $30 million for home care, up to $20M for EMS, up to $20M for dental
  • Accepts proposal regarding date change to 2/2/8/2023 for Statewide Healthcare Transformation programs III & IV
  • Rejected proposal regarding medical debt consent changes
  • Accepted proposal regarding hospital community benefit spending
  • Rejected state controlled substance schedule changes; Accepted proposal related to increased access to medications for emergency treatment of SUD
  • Rejected all scope of practice proposals and nurse interstate compact proposal
  • Includes hospital at home program
  • Extends demo program flexibilities and temporary operator appointments buy OMH and OPWDD through 2027
  • Accepts proposal for homeless youth to consent for BH services
  • Rejects expansion of involuntary commitment law; Includes required notice to community providers of inpatient admission for BH services
  • Increased targeted inflationary rate increase for human services from 2.1% to 7.8%
  • New: Includes OMIG audit reform proposal (consistent with S4955A)
  • New: Includes proposal to require local governments have an emergency crisis response system in place
  • New: Includes Medicaid coverage for Certified Recovery Peer Advocates in programs under OASAS
  • New: Includes a new proposal for a drug checking program
  • New: Includes telehealth rate reform for FQHCs and also extends the telehealth parity law through 4/1/28
  • New: Includes permanent carve out of School Based Health Centers from MMC
  • New: Includes a $4000 wage enhancement for DSPs in OPWDD
  • New: Adds requirements for annual report by OASAS, in consultation with DOH related to opioid settlement funds

Assembly Art. VII HMH One-House Budget Bill (A3007B):

  • Accepts extension of Medicaid global cap through 2026-27
  • Rejects removing prescriber prevails in Medicaid
  • Rejects removing IDR in MMC and rejects increased penalties for MMC non compliance
  • Makes changes to how proceeds of MCO tax would be spent (up to $625M for hospitals, up to $481,250,000 for nursing homes, up to $70M for FQHCs/D&TCs, up to $18,750,000 for Assisted Living Programs)
  • Rejects date change under Statewide Healthcare Transformation program III & IV
  • Rejects medical debt consent changes
  • Rejects hospital community benefit spending proposal
  • Rejects all scope of practice proposals and nurse interstate compact
  • Rejects hospital at home proposal
  • Includes a one year extension of demo program flexibilities and temporary operator appointments by OMH/OPWDD
  • Reject proposal for homeless youth to consent to BH services
  • Reject expansion of involuntary commitment law
  • Increases targeted inflationary rate increase for human services from 2.1% to 7.8%
  • New: Includes proposal for permanent carve out of school-based health centers from MMC
  • New: Requires local governments to establish mental health incident review panels
  • New: Includes a new proposal for a behavioral health crisis technical assistance  center, established by OMH in consultation with OASAS to develop standardized protocols and policies for a community based, non police crisis response
  • New: Includes a new proposal related to client discharge from psychiatric centers/inpatient psychiatric services related to service plans and discharge summaries, screening and notifications