The State Budget officially passed on April 9th and seven of the ten bills were signed into law that day. Some of the most notable provisions included in the final budget are:
- Replacing the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) with the new Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government;
- Changes to the State’s bail reform laws;
- Funding for a new Buffalo Bills stadium;
- Legalizing alcohol-to-go sales;
- The creation of a State Commission to examine the State’s alcoholic beverage control laws;
- Authorization of a Cannabis Equity Fund;
- Authorization of three casino licenses downstate;
- Requiring polling sites on college campuses;
- Expanding tuition aid for part-time students;
- An additional $400 million in funding for SUNY and CUNY;
- The WIRED Broadband Act;
- Bonuses for health care workers;
- A $3.00 per-hour pay increase for home care workers;
- Implementation of the Nurses Across New York (NANY) Program;
- 5.4% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for specific programs and services funded, licensed, or certified by OMH, OPWDD, OASAS, OTDA, OCFS, and SOFA;
- $7 billion over the next four years to expand childcare
- A $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act;
- Implementation of a Gas Sales Tax Holiday; and
- $800 Million in funding for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP);
A few weeks after signing the Article VII bills, Governor Hochul signed the Appropriations bills – State Operations, Aid to Localities, and Capital Projects – and provided a list of 33 legislative adds that she vetoed from those bills. A full list of the Governor’s line-item vetoes can be found here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/FY_2023_Enacted_Budget_Vetoes_0.pdf