This Senate resolution (R 488) expresses the New York State Senate's position on the Governor's 2025-2026 Executive Budget proposal. It incorporates specific amendments to the Governor's budget bills (S.3000-B through S.3009-B) and details the Senate's recommended funding changes for state agencies. The resolution directly affects state programs by adding $20 million for Addiction Services grants, restoring $3.1 million for agricultural programs, increasing Aging Services funding by $33.8 million, and proposing Medicaid coverage expansions. It serves as the Senate's formal budget proposal to be considered during the legislative budget conference process.
This bill increases the total bond and note issuance limit for New York's Medical Care Facilities Finance Agency from $18.2 billion to $20.2 billion, allowing an additional $1.8 billion in financing. It directly affects hospitals and nursing homes seeking capital projects by expanding the agency's ability to fund new construction, renovations, or equipment through bond sales. Key provisions include maintaining debt service limits during bond refunding and requiring sufficient capital reserves before issuing new bonds secured by those reserves. The change is a straightforward financial adjustment to support healthcare facility development without altering program eligibility or new service requirements.
This bill modifies New York's insurance law to regulate "step therapy" protocols used by health insurers. It directly affects patients and insurers by limiting how insurers can require patients to try lower-cost drugs before covering a prescribed medication. Key provisions include capping required drug trials at two per condition, banning protocols for unapproved or unsupported drugs, requiring insurer acceptance of doctors' written proof of drug failure as valid evidence, and preventing redundant step therapy for patients who recently completed it under another plan. The changes take effect January 1, 2026.
Requires the commissioner of health to consult with the office of addiction services and supports and relevant stakeholders as determined by such commissioner in addition to the office of mental health to publish guidance for incorporating maternal depression screenings into routine prenatal care; changes the effective date to eighteen months.
Requires the department of health to require all maternal healthcare facilities to include and/or post on the maternal healthcare facility's webpage, lobby, and patient waiting areas information stating a birthing parent is allowed to have a doula present in the maternal health care facility for delivery and/or inpatient care post-delivery.
Provides for education and outreach for drug-induced movement disorders by the department of health through the health care and wellness education and outreach program.
This bill amends New York's penal law and related statutes to explicitly include "medical information" and "health insurance information" in the legal definition of "personal identifying information." It defines medical information as details about an individual's medical history or treatment, and health insurance information as policy numbers, subscriber IDs, or claims history. These changes mean that identity theft involving such sensitive health data will now be covered under existing identity theft laws, which previously did not explicitly include these categories. The bill also removes outdated definitions from related laws to streamline the updated framework.
Provides incarcerated individuals with access to breast cancer screening and diagnostic testing in accordance with certain nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines.
Provides that maternal health care facilities are not required to grant doula access during emergencies or when such access could compromise the safety of the patient or health care team.
This bill establishes a council to make annual recommendations to health departments about services for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The council must consider service availability, emerging trends, differences in Medicaid waiver outcomes, and administrative efficiency when developing its recommendations. These recommendations must be posted annually on the department's website to increase transparency around TBI service planning.
