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January 9, 2024

Governor Hochul delivered her third State of the State today before a joint session of the Legislature in the Assembly Chamber in the State Capitol in Albany. In her remarks, which lasted for approximately 75 minutes, Governor Hochul highlighted a number of her priority issue areas, including the following:

  • Tackling the mental health crisis;
  • Strengthening the healthcare workforce;
  • Improving maternal and infant health;
  • Bolstering artificial intelligence and innovation;
  • Creating of accessible public service opportunities;
  • Creating affordable housing; and
  • Improving reading proficiency in New York’s schools.

The Governor did not explicitly mention either skilled nursing or assisted living providers during her remarks, however, she detailed an extensive mental health agenda that includes follow-up psychiatric care coordination before hospital discharge and establishing two hundred best-in-class inpatient beds.

Governor Hochul also recognized the escalation of Antisemitism and Islamophobia, vowing to increase safety in schools and houses of worship by proposing to include two dozen additional offenses to be eligible for classification as hate crimes.

In the Governor’s State of the State briefing book entitled “Our New York, Our Future,” the Governor includes a section (Section 14) entitled “Improving the Health of New Yorkers,” which includes, among other things, the following healthcare proposals:

  • Authorize the utilization of medication aides in nursing homes;
  • Advance legislation to enter New York into the Interstate Licensure Compact and Nurse Licensure Compact;
  • Strengthen the healthcare workforce by sustaining and retaining workers by funding new training and education programs that focus on both career advancement and recruiting new members to the workforce;
  • Institute grant programs to support students training in the healthcare field, including RNs, LPNs, and CNAs;
  • Establish an Office of Workforce and Data Research to better track longitudinal data on the long- and short-term outcomes of workforce development interventions;
  • Streamline and modernize New York’s CON process by raising the financial thresholds that qualify a project for more detailed review and streamlining the application and approval processes, including now-routine processes;
  • Establish quality reporting and accreditation practices for assisted living residences;
  • Make permanent the Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) Voucher program to expand it to more eligible individuals; and
  • Expand coverage for health-related social needs for Medicaid beneficiaries via a federal waiver.

As always, NYSHFA|NYSCAL will be sure to provide updates on these and other gubernatorial and legislative initiatives as the FY 2024-25 State Budget process moves forward.

NYSHFA|NYSCAL CONTACT:

Stephen B. Hanse, Esq.
President & CEO
518-462-4800 x.11
shanse@nyshfa.org

Kristin DeVries, MA, MPP
Director of Government Relations
518-462-4800 x14
kdevries@nyshfa-nyscal.org


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