Description
New York State has been transformed from a state of despair to a state of opportunity.
2016 State of the State
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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Contents
1. Economic Agenda ................................................................ 15
Part One: Controlling Spending, Reducing Taxes, and
Improving Efficiency ........................................................................ 17
Proposal: Keep State Spending Under Two Percent ...... 20
Proposal: $300 Million Small Business Tax Cut ............... 20
Proposal: Launch a $20 Million Municipal Consolidation
and Efficiency Competition ....................................................... 22
Part Two: Built to Lead: Infrastructure Program ................. 24
Proposal: Invest a Record $26.1 Billion in the MTA ....... 27
Proposal: Enhance MTA User Experience with New
Technology ...................................................................................... 30
Proposal: Renovate and Upgrade 30 MTA Subway
Stations .............................................................................................. 32
Proposal: Modernize JFK and LaGuardia Airports .......... 33
Proposal: Build a New Empire Station Complex to
Replace Penn Station ................................................................... 33
Proposal: Expand and Enhance the Javits Center ............ 36
Proposal: Jumpstart the Gateway Tunnel Project ........... 38
Proposal: Add Track and Passenger Capacity to the Long
Island Rail Road ............................................................................. 39
Proposal: Explore Feasibility of New Transportation
Access Points to Long Island .................................................... 40
Proposal: $1 Million Deep Water Port Study at Old
Shoreham Power Plant ............................................................... 41
Proposal: $50 Million Ronkonkoma Hub Expansion ...... 41
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Proposal: $6 Million MacArthur Airport Modernization
and Revitalization ......................................................................... 42
Proposal: Promote Economic Development at Republic
Airport ............................................................................................... 43
Proposal: Launch $200 Million Competition to Revitalize
Upstate Airports ............................................................................ 43
Proposal: $22 Billion Capital Plan for New York’s Roads
and Bridges ...................................................................................... 44
Proposal: Enact the Thruway Toll Reduction Plan ......... 45
Proposal: Launch the $1 Billion New BRIDGE NY
Program to Fix Bridges ............................................................... 47
Proposal: Launch the New $1 Billion PAVE NY Program
to Build and Fix Roads ................................................................ 48
Proposal: Launch a New $500 Million Infrastructure
Hardening Program ..................................................................... 49
Proposal: Create the Design and Construction Office .... 50
Part Three: Upstate Economic Growth ..................................... 51
Proposal: Invest $750 Million through Round Six of the
Regional Economic Development Councils ........................ 56
Proposal: $200 Million for URI Runner Ups to Fund Top
Projects.............................................................................................. 57
Proposal: Invest $100 Million in Downtown
Revitalization Program ............................................................... 58
Proposal: Bring Mixed Martial Arts to New York ............ 59
Part Four: Tourism: I LOVE NY .................................................... 60
Proposal: Expand Tourism Investment to $50 Million . 62
Proposal: Adirondack and New Challenges ....................... 62
Proposal: Invest $5 Million to Promote Outdoor
Recreation in the Catskills ......................................................... 63
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Part Five: Producing New York’s Best....................................... 64
Proposal: Expand the Taste NY Program and Open Four
New Stores ....................................................................................... 68
Proposal: Modernize and Simplify the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Law ................................................................. 70
Proposal: Update the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law to
Grow E-Commerce........................................................................ 71
Proposal: Cut Taxes for Craft Beverage Producers ......... 71
Part Six: Building A Clean Energy Economy ........................... 72
Proposal: Adopt an Aggressive Clean Energy Standard 75
Proposal: Adopt the Clean Energy Fund .............................. 76
Proposal: Increase Renewable Energy Consumption at
State Owned Facilities and on SUNY Campuses ............... 77
Proposal: Make 500,000 Homes and 20,000 Businesses
More Energy Efficient By 2020 ............................................... 79
Proposal: Install Solar on 150,000 New Homes and
Businesses by 2020 ...................................................................... 80
Proposal: Build 300 Additional Wind Turbines by 2020
and Create a Master Plan for Offshore Wind ..................... 80
Proposal: Invest $8 Million to Build Out Community
Microgrids ........................................................................................ 82
Proposal: Launch the $3 Million “Energy to Lead”
Competition for Colleges and Universities ......................... 83
Proposal: Invest $75 Million in Affordable Housing and
Retrofit 100,000 Units by 2025 .............................................. 83
Proposal: Create Clean Energy Workforce Opportunity
Program and Train 10,000 Workers by 2020 ................... 85
2. Education: A Ladder to Opportunity ............................ 87
Part One: Higher Education ........................................................... 89
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Proposal: Extend the NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
Program ............................................................................................ 93
Proposal: Expand SUNY and CUNY Performance
Initiatives .......................................................................................... 97
Proposal: Expand Commercialization Opportunities—
Launch Bio-Science Venture Capital Competition ........... 98
Proposal: BioElectronic Facility at Nassau Hub ............... 99
Proposal: Create the New York State Innovation
Database ........................................................................................... 99
Proposal: Expanding Educational and Economic
Opportunity to All by Expanding Access to Early College
and CTE Programs ..................................................................... 100
Proposal: Expand Community College Community
Schools ............................................................................................ 105
Proposal: Enact the DREAM Act ........................................... 105
Part Two: Pre-Kindergarten-12 Education .......................... 107
Proposal: Increase School Aid to Highest Level in History
........................................................................................................... 109
Proposal: Eliminate the Gap Elimination Adjustment 110
Proposal: Establish the $100 Million Community Schools
Transformation Fund to Transform Failing Schools ... 111
Proposal: $200 Supplies Credit for Teachers ................. 113
Proposal: Establish an Education Tax Credit ................. 113
Proposal: Support School Choice ......................................... 114
Proposal: Examine Enrollment and Retention Policies in
Charter Schools ........................................................................... 114
Proposal: Restoring the Trust in Education: The
Common Core Task Force....................................................... 115
Proposal: Expand Pre-Kindergarten for Three Year Olds
........................................................................................................... 117
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Proposal: Expand Quality Monitoring and Improvement
in Pre-Kindergarten .................................................................. 119
Proposal: Extend Mayoral Control in New York City .. 120
Proposal: Make Schools Safer ............................................... 121
3. Preserving our Environment and Open Space ...... 125
Proposal: Increase the Environmental Protection Fund
to $300 Million ............................................................................ 128
Proposal: Make New York Coal Free By 2020 ................ 130
Proposal: Advance $7 Million for Environmental Justice
Programming ............................................................................... 131
Proposal: Increase Water Infrastructure Investment Act
of 2015 to $300 Million ........................................................... 133
Proposal: Accelerate $500 Million Nitrogen Pollution
Prevention Program on Long Island .................................. 134
Proposal: Invest $9 Million to Build Advanced Zero
Emission Vehicle Charging Stations ................................... 136
Proposal: Reduce Organic Waste to Lower Methane
Emissions ...................................................................................... 137
Proposal: Invest $125 Million to Rebuild State Parks 138
Proposal: Launch “Connect Kids” Parks Access Program
and Provide Free Parks Entry for 220,000 Fourth
Graders ........................................................................................... 140
4. Public Safety ...................................................................... 143
Proposal: Establish Permanent Statewide Law
Enforcement Presence to Combat Terrorism ................ 146
Proposal: Consolidate the Office of Counter Terrorism
with the State Police ................................................................. 147
Proposal: Provide Enhanced Training and Equipment to
State Troopers ............................................................................. 148
Proposal: Close the Terror Gap ............................................ 148
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Proposal: Protect Critical Infrastructure through
Targeted Security Assessments ........................................... 149
Proposal: Establish Best-Practice Industry Standards to
Prevent Against Cyber Attacks ............................................. 150
Proposal: Create the Cybersecurity Research
Scholarship to Train the Next Generation of Security
Analysts .......................................................................................... 152
5. Social Justice ...................................................................... 155
Part One: Human Services and Poverty ................................. 156
Proposal: Expand MWBE Goals to State-Funded
Contracts........................................................................................ 162
Proposal: Create the $25 Million Empire State Poverty
Reduction Initiative................................................................... 163
Proposal: Improve Transportation Access to Work .... 166
Proposal: Launch Empire Corps: A New Youth Corps to
Help New Yorkers in Need ..................................................... 167
Proposal: Implement Recommendations of the Anti-
Hunger Task Force .................................................................... 169
Proposal: Commit $22.5 Million to Improve Access to
Emergency Food ......................................................................... 171
Proposal: Establish New York State Council on Hunger
and Food Policy ........................................................................... 172
Proposal: Extend SNAP Benefits to 750,000 Households
........................................................................................................... 173
Proposal: Leverage Federal Nutrition Programs &
Eliminate Barriers to Benefits .............................................. 174
Proposal: Redesign Electronic Benefits Card ................. 175
Proposal: Support Young Adults Transitioning from
Foster Care .................................................................................... 176
Proposal: Strengthen Penalties for Child Abuse ........... 178
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Part Two: Right Priorities ........................................................... 179
Proposal: Expand Community Schools ............................. 181
Proposal: Urban Youth Jobs Program and Workforce
Training .......................................................................................... 181
Proposal: Expand Alternatives to Incarceration to
Reduce Incarceration ............................................................... 182
Proposal: Reduce Criminal Behavior through Education
........................................................................................................... 183
Proposal: Provide Transitional Support upon Release
........................................................................................................... 185
Proposal: Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility ..... 187
Proposal: Enhance the Rights of Pardoned Individuals
........................................................................................................... 188
Part Three: Fairness for All......................................................... 188
Proposal: Institute Bail Reform ............................................ 190
Proposal: Require Stronger Pretrial Procedures .......... 191
Proposal: Increase Opportunities for Families to Stay
Close During Incarceration .................................................... 192
Proposal: Work Release and Parole Board Reforms ... 193
Proposal: Reward Success after Release .......................... 194
Proposal: Deploy New Technologies to Improve Safety in
Prisons ............................................................................................ 195
Proposal: Establish the Office of an Independent Special
Counsel ........................................................................................... 196
6. Economic Justice .............................................................. 199
Proposal: Increase the Minimum Wage to $15 per Hour
for All New Yorkers ................................................................... 200
Proposal: $20 Billion Housing and Homelessness Plan
........................................................................................................... 204
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Proposal: Enact Paid Family Leave for New York
Workers ......................................................................................... 210
Proposal: Ensure Financial Security for Retirees ......... 212
7. Close the Skills Gap and Train Youth ........................ 215
Proposal: Invest $5 Million to Launch Apprentice SUNY
........................................................................................................... 217
Proposal: Create the $3 Million Middle-Skill Jobs Gap
Training Fund .............................................................................. 219
Proposal: Modernize the New York Apprenticeship and
Training Council ......................................................................... 221
Proposal: Deploy the Unemployment Strikeforce to
Western New York .................................................................... 222
Proposal: Transform New York State’s One-Stop Career
Centers............................................................................................ 224
Proposal: $50 Million Urban Youth Jobs Program ....... 226
Proposal: Create the First State Pre-Apprenticeship
Program ......................................................................................... 227
8. Protecting New York’s Workers ................................. 229
Proposal: Protect the Rights of World Trade Center
Rescue and Recovery Volunteers ........................................ 230
Proposal: Make the Exploited Workers Task Force
Permanent .................................................................................... 232
Proposal: Protect Immigrant Crime Victims through
Increased Access to U-Visas................................................... 233
9. Keeping New Yorkers Healthy .................................... 237
Proposal: New York State Certified High Quality Foods
........................................................................................................... 246
Proposal: Launch Statewide Effort to Increase
Awareness and Screening for Breast and Prostate
Cancer ............................................................................................. 249
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Proposal: Launch a $15 Million Public-Private Outreach
and Public Education Campaign for Cancer .................... 251
Proposal: Increase Access to Breast Cancer Screening
........................................................................................................... 252
Proposal: Dedicate $5 Million in Venture Capital
Funding for Cancer-Related Research and Technology
........................................................................................................... 255
Proposal: Extend the Upper Age of the Current HIV
Testing Guidelines Beyond 64 .............................................. 257
Proposal: Broaden HIV Testing and Treatment Consent
Laws for Minors .......................................................................... 257
Proposal: Link Individuals to HIV Treatment and
Improve Viral Suppression .................................................... 259
Proposal: Remove Limitations on the State’s Expanded
Syringe Access Program .......................................................... 260
Proposal: Increase Funding and Expand Services for
Children’s Mental Health ........................................................ 261
Proposal: Implement the Developmental Disabilities
Transformation Panel Recommendations ....................... 263
Proposal: Combat Opioid Overdose ................................... 265
Proposal: Prevent Opioid Addiction Relapse ................. 267
Proposal: Combat Dangerous “Synthetic” Drugs .......... 268
Proposal: Control Rapidly Rising Prescription Drug
Costs ................................................................................................ 269
Proposal: Strengthen the Home Health Care Workforce
........................................................................................................... 271
Proposal: Ensure the Safety of Child Products .............. 272
Proposal: Expand Farm to School Partnerships to Help
Farmers and Students .............................................................. 272
10. Ethics Reform .................................................................... 274
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Proposal: Close the LLC Loophole and Increase
Campaign Disclosure ................................................................ 277
Proposal: Limit Outside Income for Legislators ............ 278
Proposal: Adopt a Voluntary Public Campaign Financing
System ............................................................................................ 279
Proposal: Enact Other Campaign Finance Reforms ..... 279
Proposal: Promote Transparency through New Reforms
to FOIL ............................................................................................ 280
Proposal: Require Legislators Convicted of Corruption to
Forfeit Pensions .......................................................................... 281
Proposal: Increase JCOPE Transparency and
Enforcement and Strengthen Ethical Requirements for
Lobbyists ....................................................................................... 281
Proposal: Convene a Constitutional Commission ......... 282
Proposal: Early Voting in 139 Locations .......................... 283
Proposal: Automatic Voter Registration .......................... 285
Proposal: Embrace Good Government and Transparency
........................................................................................................... 287
Proposal: Reform Lobbying Laws ....................................... 287
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GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO
NEW YORK: BUILT TO LEAD
New York State has been transformed from a
state of despair to a state of opportunity. Now, working
together, New York is leading the nation to a smarter
tomorrow, guided by a bold vision and galvanized by
where we’ve been.
In 2010, 852,000 New Yorkers were
unemployed, the most since the Great Depression. Six
years later, we have 7.87 million private sector jobs, the
most in our state’s history. Unemployment has fallen
from a distressing 8.9 percent in 2010 to 4.8 percent
today.
New York State was in trouble. A dysfunctional
state government spent more than it earned, driving
taxes to unsustainable levels for citizens and businesses.
Jobs left by the thousands—with upstate bearing the
brunt of the loss—thus creating a vicious cycle of decline
that kept young people away and the state’s credit
ratings down.
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In six years, we reversed the cycle of decline in
upstate and turned New York around. We right-sided a
$10 billion budget deficit and recovered $7.2 billion in
financial settlements. We passed five balanced budgets
in a row and held spending well below 2 percent for the
first time in modern political history. Because we spend
less, we tax less—at the lowest rates in a century. Today,
everyone in New York pays a lower income tax rate than
they did six years ago. Jobs are at record levels and we
have the best credit ratings in decades.
For upstate, regional economic development
councils are strategically reviving communities from the
bottom up. We have embraced entrepreneurial
government by building tax-free zones to combine the
ambition of the private sector with the capacity of our
public research institutions, creating jobs and driving
investment across the state. The economic renaissance in
Western New York, from downtown Buffalo to its
industrial district, is dramatic and it is fundamental.
We have proven what is possible in a short
amount of time.
We constructed 30,000 units of affordable
housing, redesigned LaGuardia Airport, and made the
new Tappan Zee Bridge the largest highway
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infrastructure project in North America. We achieved
record funding for education, created statewide
universal pre-k, and helped a full 2 million New Yorkers
enroll in health insurance. We are investing $16 billion in
environmental and clean energy programs, committing
to a goal of 50 percent renewable electricity by 2030, and
funding the largest MTA capital program in history.
New York State has regained its footing—now we
must regain our ambition.
The Statue of Liberty stands in our harbor as an
emblem of opportunity, welcoming the masses with
open arms. Yet, too many New Yorkers live within a
system that fails to provide reasonable pay, adequate
housing or equal justice under the law. It must be fixed.
We must provide the best education to our children. The
threat of terrorism is omnipresent to New Yorkers and
demands that we take action to protect our interests.
And we need to drive smart economic growth by
investing in our state’s most vital infrastructure.
These problems are not unique to New York. But
when the nation faces a challenge, New York shows the
way forward. Just as we did with marriage equality,
fingerprinting for food stamps, sexual violence on college
campuses and common-sense gun control, we will work
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together with a common purpose that is to make New
York a better place. That is what we will do to lead the
nation into a smarter tomorrow.
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1. ECONOMIC AGENDA
When Governor Cuomo took office in 2011 the
nation was in the midst of a recession, the state economy
lagged behind the rest of the nation, and uncontrolled
government spending was crippling state and local
budgets. In five short years, New York has turned itself
around.
Unemployment is down, businesses are growing
and staying in New York, and upstate has seen historic
revitalization. The Governor and Legislature have put the
state on a course of fiscal stability with on-time, honestly
balanced budgets. State spending growth has been held
to below two percent, the lowest rate of spending growth
over a four-year period in more than 50 years.
Sustaining New York’s infrastructure will be a key
pillar of economic development during Governor
Cuomo’s second term. New York has a rich history of
great builders and legacies. However, much of New
York’s essential infrastructure—its roads and bridges,
mass transit systems, ports and airports, electrical grid
and water and sewer systems—require renovation,
expansion, and repair. To remain competitive, promote
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economic development, and create jobs, New York must
continue to rebuild and modernize critical infrastructure
across the state.
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has invested
over $54 billion in infrastructure projects across New
York and coordinated capital planning across 45
agencies and authorities through the creation of the New
York Works Task Force. Along with making ongoing
financial commitments to infrastructure, Governor
Cuomo has embraced innovative building and financing
mechanisms to upgrade New York’s 20th century
infrastructure to meet the demands of the 21
st
century
economy. New York State will expand on its significant
accomplishments and undertake a number of major new
infrastructure projects that will transform the state for
generations to come.
The state will also continue to build smart when
it comes to job creation. Governor Cuomo will further
embrace the successful paradigm of entrepreneurial
government that has helped the economy grow to
7.87 million private sector jobs, the most in our state’s
history. Building off successes in the dairy, yogurt, and
craft beverage industries, Governor Cuomo will partner
with the private sector to modernize New York’s
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economy and cultivate growth in the technology, energy,
and agriculture sectors.
The Governor will also continue to support a
regional approach to economic development that
leverages the state’s creative, intellectual, and natural
resources. Through targeted programs and investments,
the state will maximize its competitive advantages to
foster industry growth and vibrant downtown
development. These new strategic and coordinated
efforts will ensure that growth and prosperity extend to
all corners of the state.
PART ONE: CONTROLLING SPENDING, REDUCING
TAXES, AND IMPROVING EFFICIENCY
Since 2011, the Governor and Legislature have
steered the state along a course of fiscal responsibility
with five on-time, balanced budgets that have held state
spending growth under two percent for the longest
period of time in more than 50 years. This joint fiscal
stewardship has reversed decades of overspending
whereby the annual State Budget grew faster than
income 60 percent of the time. With the adoption of the
2 percent spending benchmark, the unsustainable trend
has been reversed. Since 2011, state spending has grown
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more slowly than income each year – and will again with
the FY 2017 Executive Budget.
Governor Cuomo’s fiscal reforms have reduced
volatility related to the budget-making process. Rather
than large spending increases in good economic times
that cannot be sustained when the economy turns, the
past five budgets have been sustainable and affordable in
the long term.
The combination of budget reforms and spending
restraint has led to measurable improvements in the
state’s financial position. General Fund deficits totaling
tens of billions of dollars have been eliminated and
turned into operating surpluses used to bolster reserves
to the highest levels on record.
1
Total state debt has
declined in each of the last three fiscal years, and will
decline again in the current year. Never before in
modern times has New York’s debt declined for four
consecutive years.
2
state debt measured as a percentage
of personal income has decreased from 6 percent in FY
2010 to 4.6 percent—the most favorable debt to income
ratio since the 1960s.
3
Our debt ratio is expected to
continue to improve, even as the state makes targeted
capital investments for housing, health care,
transportation, and economic development.
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In 2014, all three major credit rating agencies—
Standard and Poor’s, Fitch, and Moody’s—recognized
New York’s outstanding financial performance by
upgrading the state to its highest credit rating since
1972. The state now enjoys the second highest
investment-grade credit rating possible from all three
raters on its general obligation bonds (S&P rates the
State's Personal Income Tax Bonds and Sales Tax Bonds
at AAA, the highest rating possible).
4
Governor Cuomo has championed significant tax
relief in the last five years, including the enactment of a
two percent property tax cap; the lowest middle-class
income tax
rate in over
60 years; the
elimination
of the MTA
payroll tax
for more than 700,000 small businesses and the self-
employed; tax cuts for small businesses and
manufacturers; reforms to unemployment insurance and
workers’ compensation insurance; the launch of START-
UP NY tax-free zones; and the lowest corporate income
tax rate since 1968.
5
Last year, the Governor worked
Today, New York has the lowest
middle-class income tax rate in over
60 years.
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with legislative leaders to extend the Property Tax Cap
for an additional four years. In 2015 alone, the Property
Tax Cap saved taxpayers $4.5 billion. The “Circuit
Breaker” tax relief was also extended for four years,
helping qualifying New York City homeowners and
renters with a refundable tax credit against the personal
income tax when their property taxes or rent exceeds a
certain percentage of their income.
Proposal: Keep State Spending Under Two Percent
The Executive Budget will continue the
disciplined approach to fiscal matters that has defined
the Governor’s first five budgets. For a sixth time, the
Budget again limits the annual growth in State Operating
Funds spending to 1.7 percent.
Proposal: $300 Million Small Business Tax Cut
Small businesses are the backbone of the state’s
economy, accounting for 43 percent
6
of all private sector
jobs in New York. During the last five years, Governor
Cuomo has worked tirelessly to bolster the
competitiveness of small businesses by lowering their
tax burden. Since taking office in 2011, he has advanced
a series of cuts that will save small businesses across the
state $3.8 billion by 2021.
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21
To continue the growth of the small business
sector and help further the expansion of New York’s
economy, taxes are being lowered both for small
businesses who pay via the corporate tax and for those
who pay through personal income taxes. Approximately
1.1 million small businesses statewide will benefit from
the Governor’s 2016 proposal.
For small businesses that file under the corporate
tax code, the Governor proposes to reduce the net
income tax rate from the current 6.5 percent to 4 percent
effective January 1, 2017. For the purpose of this tax cut,
the definition of “small business” is a business with less
than 100 employees, with net income below $390,000.
Small businesses have traditionally paid a lower rate
than large corporate taxpayers, but tax cuts passed in
2015 lowered the corporate tax rate to the level
currently being paid by small businesses. Governor
Cuomo proposes to preserve the small business tax
advantage by lowering their rate even further. To avoid
a “cliff” the lower tax rates would be available to small
businesses having below $290,000 in net income, and
the rate is phased up to the standard rate applicable to
businesses with net income of $390,000 or more.
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For small businesses owners who pay taxes via
the personal income tax, the Governor proposes new and
expanded tax cuts. Currently, sole proprietor and farm
small businesses can subtract five percent of their
income from tax calculations. The Governor proposes to
increase the exclusion to 15 percent of income. Further,
to create tax parity between small business types, the
Executive Budget also extends this tax cut to other types
of small businesses. Members of partnerships, S-
corporations, and LLCs will be able to exclude 15 percent
of business income as long as some of their business
income is derived from a business entity with less than
$1.5 million in New York gross receipts, and their total
business income from these sources is below $250,000.
Proposal: Launch a $20 Million Municipal
Consolidation and Efficiency Competition
In 2010, before Governor Cuomo took office,
homeowners in 33 of New York’s 62 counties had a
property tax burden that surpassed the national median.
From 1980 to 2010, New York’s local property taxes
grew by an unsustainable average rate of 5.7 percent per
year.
8
To reduce homeowners’ property tax burden, the
Governor enacted a series of property tax relief
23
programs in 2011, 2014 and 2015. In 2011 the Governor
enacted the Property Tax Cap that requires local
governments to limit the annual growth in property
taxes to no more than two percent. Since the enactment
of the cap, the typical property owner has saved more
than $800, and by 2017 that number will grow to $2,100.
In 2014, the Governor enacted the Property Tax Freeze
Credit, a tax relief program that reimburses qualifying
New York State homeowners for increases in local
property taxes on their primary residences. This tax
freeze credit will save property taxpayers more than $1.3
billion over three years. In the first year of the program,
97% of school districts in New York State complied with
the property tax cap and more than 2.3 million
homeowners were reimbursed for $220 million in direct
tax relief. The Governor provided further relief in 2015
by enacting the Property Tax Relief Credit, which
progressively targets an additional $1.3 billion in
property tax relief for New York homeowners over the
next four years.
9
To cut costs and permanently lower property
taxes municipalities must find opportunities for shared
services between and among different units of
government. To incentivize local governments to work
24
together to share services, cut costs, and lower property
taxes the Governor proposes the creation of a new $20
million Municipal Consolidation and Efficiency
Competition. The Competition will challenge
municipalities to develop innovative consolidation plans
that yield significant property tax reductions and the
proposal that can demonstrate the greatest dollar value
of permanent reductions in property taxes for taxpayers
will receive a $20 million grant. The Competition seeks
to stimulate local governments to undertake serious,
innovative consolidation efforts that can serve as a
model for other local government units across New York
State.
PART TWO: BUILT TO LEAD: INFRASTRUCTURE
PROGRAM
From the Erie Canal—the nation’s first “mega”
project—to the New NY Bridge—one of the nation’s
largest ongoing construction projects—New York has a
storied history of transformative infrastructure projects.
To remain competitive, promote economic development,
and create jobs, New York must continue to rebuild and
modernize its roads, bridges, broadband networks,
25
public buildings, and other critical infrastructure across
the state.
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has invested
over $54 billion in infrastructure projects across New
York and reinvented the state’s approach to economic
development by coordinating capital planning across 45
agencies and authorities through the creation of the New
York Works Task Force. Since 2012, the New York Works
program has driven hundreds of infrastructure projects
to completion, including the resurfacing of over 2,000
miles of roadway, rehabilitation of over 100 bridges,
improvements at 133 State Parks and recreational sites,
and repairs at more than 140 dams and flood control
structures.
In his first year in office, the Governor
spearheaded the effort to authorize the use of the
“design-build” procurement method at five state
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has invested over
$54 billion in infrastructure projects across New York
and coordinated capital planning across 45 agencies
and authorities through the creation of the
New York Works Task Force.
26
agencies, which encourages innovation and creativity
from the private sector in the engineering and
construction of major infrastructure projects. This
legislation, which was renewed in 2015, has been
utilized by state agencies and authorities to accelerate
the completion dates for dozens of stalled projects and
has saved taxpayers billions of dollars. The design-build
approach also helped the Governor to move the New NY
Bridge project from dysfunction to construction in just
14 months. The twin spans of the bridge between
Rockland and Westchester counties are already rising
out of the Hudson River and are on time and on budget,
with the first span scheduled to open next year.
Since 2011, Governor Cuomo has awarded over
$70 million for broadband projects across the state,
reaching approximately 160,000 households, 8,000
businesses, and 400 anchor institutions across more
than 6,000 square miles of New York. In 2015, the
Governor made the nation’s largest and most ambitious
state investment in broadband with the commitment of
$500 million for the New NY Broadband Program to
deliver high-speed broadband to New Yorkers by
December 31, 2018. The program launched in January
2016 and will achieve its goals through public-private
27
partnerships, which require a private sector co-
investment targeted to match the state’s commitment
across the program.
Governor Cuomo will continue to implement his
long-term vision for bold, innovative infrastructure
investment in 2016 with a record $26 billion
commitment to the MTA Capital Program; a record $22
billion investment in roads and bridges and other
transportation infrastructure, expansion of the Long
Island Railroad; rebirth of Penn Station, the world’s
busiest multimodal transportation facility;
redevelopment of the Javits Center, the nation’s busiest
convention center; and a $200 million Upstate Airport
Economic Development and Revitalization Competition
that will complement the ongoing transformation of JFK
and LaGuardia Airports.
Taken together, these historic capital investments
will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and
provide the framework to support New York’s growing
and dynamic economy.
Proposal: Invest a Record $26.1 Billion in the MTA
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(MTA) is the largest transportation network in North
28
America with 2,069 miles of track connecting 736
stations—more stations than any other rapid transit
system in the world. Every day, MTA subways, buses,
and commuter rail lines move 8.7 million people to work,
school, healthcare, and cultural attractions.
10
The MTA is
a nearly trillion-dollar asset
11
that serves as the lifeblood
of New York City and enables the region’s $1.5 trillion
economy to function and grow.
12
With another 1.6
million people expected to live in the MTA region by
2040, the state must do more than simply maintain the
current system.
13
The Governor proposes the state’s largest
contribution in history to the MTA Capital Program. The
proposed program totals $26.1 billion and outlines five
years’ worth of vital investments to renew, enhance, and
expand the MTA network. This investment will make the
system smarter and more resilient. The program
supports the replacement of over 3,100 buses and 1,400
subway cars; invests $2.8 billion in subway station
improvements; implements a new fare payment system
and new technology and communications systems;
completes installation of Positive Train Control on
Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR); brings countdown clocks to more stations than
29
ever before; begins work on extending the Second
Avenue Subway to East Harlem; builds a new LIRR
station in Elmhurst, Queens; and constructs four new
Metro-North stations in underserved areas of the Bronx.
This historic spending program will also benefit
New York transit-related manufacturing firms that make
rail cars, buses, and needed electronic components. A
recent study found that this fully-funded capital program
will create more than 400,000 jobs across the state and
generate nearly $52 billion in economic activity.
14
The MTA has already cut more than $1.3 billion in
costs from its annual spending, and those recurring
savings are projected to increase to $1.8 billion a year by
the final year of the plan in 2019. To build on this
progress, the Governor will direct the MTA to spend and
operate smarter through innovative methods such as
design-build, negotiated procurement processes and
public-private partnerships to operate more efficiently,
spread risk more broadly, and take advantage of
innovative techniques. The MTA will also transform how
it works with contractors on projects to bring down
costs.
30
Proposal: Enhance MTA User Experience with New
Technology
To enhance the transit system and expand
services to meet customer demand, the MTA Capital
Program will invest billions in new technology projects
that make it easier to purchase tickets and access the
system, deliver Wi-Fi and cellphone service, enhance the
customer experience, make operations safer, and make
the system greener.
The MTA will give LIRR and MNR customers the
ability to purchase tickets on their mobile devices in the
next six months. The MTA will also accelerate the process
of bringing mobile payment methods to subways and
buses, allowing riders to pay their fares by waving a
cellphone a bankcard or another payment device.
Subways and buses will start using contactless payment
methods in 2018. To enhance communications, the MTA
will install Wi-Fi service in all 278 underground subway
stations by the end of 2016 and cellphone service in
every station in early 2017. To provide customers the
ability to charge their smartphone, the MTA will install
USB charging ports on 200 subway cars in 2016 and 400
in 2017, while all new buses delivered later this year will
have Wi-Fi hotspots.
31
The MTA will also install countdown clocks this
year on the 7 line as well as the lettered subway lines,
and accelerate delivering real-time arrival data for all
469 subway stations, which will be available on the
MTA’s SubwayTime app. The MTA will also more than
double the number of On The Go Travel Station kiosks
that feature digital information screens that display
information about stops and service from 169 kiosks in
31 subway stations today to 359 kiosks in 20 additional
stations by the end of 2016. The MTA will also install
similar technology on 200 buses beginning in 2016.
The MNR and the LIRR will also accelerate
installation of Positive Train Control on their entire
routes, a state-of-the-art system for monitoring and
controlling train speed and operation that will make rail
travel safer by stopping trains before certain accidents
occur. The MTA will also invest in providing a safer
environment for customers. The MTA will continue to
expand Communication-Based Train Control, a system
that provides precise real-time information and control
over the location and operation of subway trains. All new
buses will be delivered with cameras pre-installed, and
the use of surveillance cameras in subways cars will be
tested for the first time later this year.
32
The MTA avoids some 17 million metric tons of
greenhouse gas emissions annually by moving nearly
nine million people via transit every day. The MTA has
established a goal of operating the nation’s largest fleet
of all-electric buses. The Capital Program will also fund
more than 100 MTA energy-efficiency projects, and will
test ten all-electric buses powered by solar energy and
charging stations.
Proposal: Renovate and Upgrade 30 MTA Subway
Stations
The MTA will revamp its subway station
renovation approach to rapidly redesign and completely
renew 30 existing subway stations across its system. The
MTA will use design-build procurements to deliver the
projects more quickly, at a lower cost, and with better
The MTA Capital Program will invest billions in
new technology projects that make it easier to
purchase tickets and access the system, deliver
Wi-Fi and cellphone service, enhance the customer
experience, make operations safer, and green
the system.
33
quality. The length of time to complete a station
redevelopment will shrink from two to three years to six
to twelve months. The MTA will complete work on the
majority of these 30 stations by 2018, and will finish all
by 2020.
Proposal: Modernize JFK and LaGuardia Airports
Governor Cuomo will also revitalize New York’s
major airports, including LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy
(JFK) International Airport. These two airports serve
over 80 million passengers a year and support more than
$50 billion in economic activity for the region
15
but are
outdated relics of a bygone era. The Governor has
committed to demolishing LaGuardia and will replace it
with a new, unified world-class terminal, as well as
building a new AirTrain that will increase access to the
airport. In addition, Governor Cuomo will overhaul JFK
Airport according to a new master plan currently under
development.
Proposal: Build a New Empire Station Complex to
Replace Penn Station
Pennsylvania (Penn) Station is New York City’s
transportation hub and America’s busiest passenger
transportation facility. More than 650,000 passengers
34
pass through Penn on any weekday.
16
To most travelers,
Penn is a confusing subterranean maze plagued by aging
infrastructure and multiple design and operational
deficiencies. The station already operates well beyond
capacity and will experience a growing passenger load in
the coming years thanks to the growth of the Midtown
Manhattan business district and new development on
the West Side at Hudson Yards.
Governor Cuomo proposes the construction of a
new $3 billion Empire Station Complex that will expand
and re-imagine Penn Station and create a world-class
transportation hub befitting the Empire State. The
Empire State Development Corporation, in cooperation
with Amtrak and the MTA, will increase capacity at Penn
by redeveloping the entire complex through a series of
improvements, including a new train hall in the James A.
Farley Post Office across Eighth Avenue. Amtrak will
relocate the majority of its passenger operations to the
new train hall, which will also include services for LIRR
and New Jersey Transit, easing passenger congestion in
Penn Station.
The state will also dramatically renovate the
existing Penn Station facility. The project will widen
existing corridors, reconfiguring ticketing and waiting
35
areas; improve connectivity between the lower levels
and street level; bring natural light into the facility,
improve signage; simplify navigation and reduce
congestion; and expand and upgrade the retail offerings
and passenger amenities on all levels of the station. The
new station will include Wi-Fi, modernized train
information displays, and streamlined ticketing. Several
design alternatives will be considered, including major
exterior renovations involving 33
rd
Street, Seventh
Avenue, Eighth Avenue, and potentially, the Madison
Square Garden Theater.
The simultaneous redevelopments will be
advanced by a public-private partnership that will
operate on an unprecedented scale. The state will issue
solicitations to developers in January and will request
responses back in 90 days, with groundbreaking
targeted for late 2016. The construction cost is expected
to be in excess of $3 billion, including $2 billion to
redevelop Farley and Penn and at least $1 billion for
ancillary retail and commercial developments between
Seventh and Ninth avenues. Government sources
including the U.S. Department of Transportation, Port
Authority, and Amtrak will contribute $325 million in
investment and the remaining cost will be funded by
36
private investment, in exchange for an interest in the
long-term revenue stream generated by the retail and
commercial rents.
Proposal: Expand and Enhance the Javits Center
Since its opening in 1986, the Jacob K. Javits
Center has been called the “Marketplace of the World,”
generating $1.8 billion in economic activity and
supporting 17,500 jobs.
17
With 840,000 square feet of
flexible exhibition space, it occupies six city blocks along
the scenic Hudson River and in 2014-2015, hosted 177
events that attracted more than two million visitors.
18
Governor Cuomo proposes the construction of a
new $3 billion Empire Station Complex that will
expand and re-imagine Penn Station and create a
world-class transportation hub befitting
the Empire State.
37
Governor Cuomo will dramatically expand Javits
to cement New York’s status as the premier destination
for large scale, world-class events and promote long-
term economic growth in the region. The $1 billion
redevelopment project will increase the size of the Javits
Center by 62
percent, from 2.1
million gross square
feet to 3.3 million
gross square feet.
The project will
include five times
more meeting room
space and the largest
ballroom in the
Northeast. The proposal includes the installation of a
34,000 square-foot solar energy array, the largest of its
kind on a public building in New York. As part of the
project, the Javits Center will seek LEED Platinum
certification. The expansion will generate $393 million
annually in new economic activity and create 4,000 full-
time jobs, 2,000 part-time jobs, and 3,100 construction
jobs.
19
The Javits Center expansion
will generate
$393 million annually in new
economic activity and create
4,000 full-time jobs, 2,000
part-time jobs and 3,100
construction jobs.
38
Proposal: Jumpstart the Gateway Tunnel Project
The two rail tunnels under the Hudson River,
used by approximately 200,000 passengers daily,
20
were
considered a marvel of engineering construction when
first built more than 100 years ago. Over the decades,
these tunnels have served as the lynchpin of Amtrak’s
heavily traveled Northeast Corridor and a vital link for
daily commuters between New York and New
Jersey. These essential pieces of infrastructure,
however, have been deteriorating for years and were
inundated with corrosive saltwater during Superstorm
Sandy.
Governor Cuomo recognizes that these tunnels
are critical to the future of New York and the regional
economy. Along with his counterpart in New Jersey and
members of the U.S. Senate, the Governor prodded
leaders in Washington, D.C. to split the project’s
estimated $20 billion cost, with $10 billion to be paid for
by the federal government and $5 billion each from the
two states. This year, at the direction of the two
governors, the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey will create the Gateway Development Corporation
to oversee the financing and jumpstart the construction
of this massive passenger rail project.
39
Proposal: Add Track and Passenger Capacity to the
Long Island Rail Road
For more than 175 years, the LIRR has served as
the essential component of Long Island’s transportation
network and spurred economic development in Nassau
and Suffolk counties. Despite growth in population and
economic activity, track capacity on Long Island itself has
not expanded in decades. To ensure Long Island’s future
prosperity, the Governor will undertake a series of
efforts to modernize and expand the capacity of the LIRR
transportation network.
The Main Line Corridor through Nassau County is
one of LIRR’s oldest and busiest segments. Reliability is a
daily concern for the 120,000 passengers (41 percent of
LIRR ridership) who travel this section each day.
21
The
high volume of trains operating through this corridor
means that one incident often causes ripple effects
across four railroad branches. The new LIRR Expansion
Project will increase capacity on the Main Line, easing
the bottleneck that chokes traffic between Floral Park to
Hicksville, allowing the LIRR to increase service, reduce
congestion and train delays, and enable “reverse-peak”
trains to take people to jobs on Long Island during
traditional business hours.
40
The project will focus heavily on minimizing
impacts to the community, including environmental
reviews, grade crossing safety reviews, and robust
community engagement. Unlike previous plans, the
Governor’s proposal significantly reduces the number of
required property acquisitions from about 200 to 50.
The proposal also includes an innovative
landowner protection program. Residential land owners
will be offered the choice of compensation for the strip of
land (on average five feet) or a full buyout while
commercial landowners will be offered assistance from
Empire State Development Corporation and
compensation to remain in the community.
Proposal: Explore Feasibility of New Transportation
Access Points to Long Island
To further meet the unique transportation needs on
Long Island, the Governor proposes investing $5 million
to commission a study that examines the feasibility of a
tunnel connecting Long Island to either the Bronx,
Westchester County, or Connecticut, which could reduce
travel times for Long Island Residents commuting to
destinations beyond New York City.
41
Proposal: $1 Million Deep Water Port Study at Old
Shoreham Power Plant
The Governor also proposes investing $1 million
to study the potential for a deep water port at the old
Shoreham Power Plant. If feasible, a new intermodal
facility on Long Island for receiving imports and
distributing local goods to distant markets has the
potential to remove commercial traffic from the island’s
congested roadways, improve air quality, and create
jobs.
Proposal: $50 Million Ronkonkoma Hub Expansion
Transit-oriented development projects ease
movement throughout the state. The projects also drive
economic development by rebuilding and expanding
infrastructure to improve job access and attract and
retain businesses and high-skilled workers. Governor
Cuomo will invest $50 million in parking, sewers, and
infrastructure at Ronkonkoma Hub; Long Island’s
busiest train station. The investment will leverage at
least $600 million in private investment and create more
than 1,000 jobs while creating a vibrant new downtown
of mixed-use buildings on the once blighted 50 acre plot.
The Hub will connect major employers including Stony
42
Brook University and Hospital, Suffolk County
Community College, and MacArthur Airport.
Proposal: $6 Million MacArthur Airport
Modernization and Revitalization
The Governor recognizes the vital services that
New York’s Long Island airports provide residents and
businesses. MacArthur Airport is the busiest commercial
airport on Long Island with nearly 650,000
enplanements in 2014.
22
Currently, MacArthur only
serves the domestic flight market, forcing Long Island’s
more than three million residents to travel to New York
City for international travel. The state will close a $6
million funding gap to support a $10 million project to
convert an existing facility at MacArthur Airport into a
United States Customs Federal Inspection Station
(FIS). The Customs FIS facility will enable MacArthur to
attract and accommodate international passenger flights
from Europe and the Western Hemisphere and provide
capacity to process international air travelers. Adding
international flights to MacArthur will improve
convenience for Long Island travelers and create 1,200
new jobs from adding airlines, a new federal government
presence, and increased regional tourism.
43
Proposal: Promote Economic Development at
Republic Airport
To encourage economic development around the
airport, the state designated Republic Airport as a tax-
free site through the START-UP NY initiative. In 2016, the
state will market the site to attract new business
opportunities and will offer five sites to use for aviation
or aviation-related commercial development activities,
and a sixth as a new, 12.5 acre mixed-use development
that will include a new LIRR stop. This investment at
Republic will benefit the surrounding community by
helping qualified companies start, expand, or relocate to
the area.
Proposal: Launch $200 Million Competition to
Revitalize Upstate Airports
Building on the successful international airport
design competition to transform and modernize
LaGuardia and JFK airports for the twenty-first century,
the Governor proposes the creation of a $200 million
upstate Airport Economic Development and
Revitalization Competition to accelerate investments in
commercial passenger and cargo service airports that
will create thousands of well-paying jobs and promote
additional upstate economic development.
44
The competition is open to 74 public-use airports
and will award funding to implement innovative,
comprehensive, and forward-looking development
plans. The state will award capital funding of
approximately $40 million to five winning airports to
fund projects that enhance safety, improve operations
and access, reduce environmental impact, and create
better passenger experiences. The state will prioritize
funding for proposals that create jobs, incorporate
sustainable green building techniques, use renewable
energy, demonstrate support from airlines and the
community, leverage private investments, and
demonstrate cost effectiveness.
Proposal: $22 Billion Capital Plan for New York’s
Roads and Bridges
To continue building smarter and better than
before, the Governor is unveiling a record $22 billion
multi-year capital plan—the largest in the state’s
history—to upgrade critical roads, bridges, and other
vital transportation infrastructure throughout the state,
especially upstate. The program includes a five-year DOT
capital plan, which will fund improvements such as the
new BRIDGE and PAVE NY programs, rail and transit
investment, and a new upstate airport design
45
competition. The Governor will also provide
unprecedented aid to the Thruway Authority to continue
construction of the New New York Bridge, make vital
investments in the Thruway’s core system, and hold tolls
down for all users.
Proposal: Enact the Thruway Toll Reduction Plan
Over 145 million vehicles use the Thruway
annually, including 128 million passenger vehicles and
almost 16 million commercial vehicles.
23
To ease the
financial burden of passenger and commercial traffic, the
Governor proposes a three-part Thruway Toll Reduction
and Protection Plan, that will keep tolls flat until at least
2020 for all users, cut tolls in half for nearly one million
frequent travelers, and eliminate tolls for farm vehicles.
Reducing the Thruway’s toll costs will strengthen New
York’s regional economies that rely on the Thruway to
move goods to markets and people to places of
employment.
First, the Governor proposes a new tax credit that
will cut tolls in half for New York residents and
businesses who frequently travel the Thruway. This
credit will benefit nearly one million passengers and will
apply to: 1) passenger vehicle owners using E-ZPass and
46
paying $50 or more in annual tolls and 2) businesses and
commercial vehicle owners using E-ZPass and paying
between $100 and $9,999 in annual tolls.
Second, the Governor proposes a new 100
percent tax credit that will eliminate tolls for vehicles
using EZ-Pass that bring farm goods to market. This
credit will save the agricultural sector $5 million
annually.
Third, the Governor proposes a $700 million
investment in Thruway infrastructure, on top of last
year’s commitment of $1.285 billion. This combined
investment will allow the Thruway to freeze tolls for all
drivers until at least 2020 and continue construction of
the New NY Bridge which will fully replace the Tappan
Zee Bridge in 2018. The $3.98 billion design-build
project championed by Governor Cuomo and overseen
by the New York State Thruway Authority remains on
schedule and on budget. The project continues to have a
significant economic impact for New Yorkers. More than
5,000 people and 622 New York-based subcontractors
and suppliers have worked on the project to date.
24
47
Proposal: Launch the $1 Billion New BRIDGE NY
Program to Fix Bridges
Villages, towns, cities, and counties maintain
approximately 8,600 bridges, 34 percent of which are in
poor condition.
25
Municipal governments struggle to find
the necessary funding to maintain the condition of these
bridges and recent changes in federal eligibility have
made that challenge even more difficult. As a result,
every year, many bridges on local roadways must be load
posted or closed, which limits traffic to lighter vehicles
or requires lengthy detours. When bridge traffic is
restricted or halted, emergency vehicles cannot pass,
evacuation routes are cut off, commercial vehicles must
find other routes. Public safety and critical commerce are
jeopardized.
The Governor proposes a three-part Thruway Toll
Reduction and Protection Plan, that will keep tolls
flat until at least 2020 for all users, cut tolls in half
for nearly one million frequent travelers,
and eliminate tolls for farm vehicles.
48
To upgrade our bridges, the Governor proposes
BRIDGE NY, a new $1 billion initiative that will provide
$500 million to help municipal governments replace,
rehabilitate and maintain vital local bridges and invest
$500 million in state-owned bridges. BRIDGE NY will
help expand and protect public safety and critical
economic growth and commercial activities across the
state. Projects will be selected based on the bridge’s
condition rating, economic impact, environmental
benefits, and reduced risk of flooding.
Proposal: Launch the New $1 Billion PAVE NY
Program to Build and Fix Roads
Approximately 1,600 municipalities are
responsible for maintaining more than 97,000 centerline
miles of pavement, 48 percent of which has been rated in
fair or poor condition.
26
Without intervention and
investment, continued deterioration of pavement
condition will result in road closures or abandonment
and impede efforts to attract economic activity.
To pave roads around the state, the Governor
proposes PAVE NY, $1 billion initiative that will invest
$500 million to pave local roads and $500 million to pave
state roads. To gain the great return on state investment
dollars projects will, where appropriate, incorporate use
49
of recycled/reclaimed materials and permeable
pavements. This massive proposed investment in paving
projects will ensure smoother rides for passenger and
commercial traffic and fewer costly delays and
slowdowns.
Proposal: Launch a New $500 Million Infrastructure
Hardening Program
With the increasing frequency of extreme
weather events, the resiliency of New York’s roadways
has never been more important. For example, the Saw
Mill River Parkway, between the Taconic State Parkway
and Pleasantville Road, is one of the most congested state
roadways in Westchester County. This section of the Saw
Mill serves approximately 51,000 vehicles daily and
provides critical connections from northern Westchester
County to the Cross Westchester Expressway, Tappan
Zee Bridge, and New York City.
27
Yet, the Parkway is
subject to severe and recurring flooding. Since 2011, this
segment of the Saw Mill has been closed due to flooding
from extreme weather events more than 15 times. A
DOT estimate puts the cost of these delays and closures
at $5 million annually to the traveling public.
28
The
Governor proposes the $500 million Extreme Weather
Infrastructure Hardening Program to make safety and
50
resiliency enhancements to roadways across the state,
that have proven to be susceptible to flooding and other
extreme weather related events.
Through the Extreme Weather Infrastructure
Hardening Program, DOT will construct a new roadway
on the Saw Mill that will sit above the flood plain. This
$60 million investment will mitigate the frequent need to
divert traffic through local communities, provide better
access to local emergency responders, and prevent the
isolation of more rural parts of the region from hospitals,
food, and other supplies and services. The Program will
also invest an additional $440 million on other such
projects throughout the state.
Proposal: Create the Design and Construction Office
The state is in the midst of an enormous capital
investment in infrastructure and economic development
projects and must do all that it can to reduce the time and
cost of construction.
To curtail the loss of state dollars caused by
avoidable construction delays, the Governor
proposes the creation of the New York State Design and
Construction Corporation (DCC), a new subsidiary of the
Dormitory Authority of the State of New York
51
(DASNY). DASNY is one of the state’s largest public
authorities in terms of its construction and financing
output and has played a vital role in supporting the
state’s economic development and infrastructure since
1944 through its project management and construction
services.
The DCC’s primary purpose will be to provide
additional project management expertise and oversight
on significant public works projects undertaken by state
agencies, departments, public authorities and public
benefit corporations throughout the state. The DCC will
be able to collaborate with agencies and authorities to
ensure that construction projects are managed
efficiently and comply with construction deadlines and
budget limits specified at the onset of these
projects. Adding this layer of management will provide
the state with additional costs savings on many of
its large scale publicly-funded construction projects.
PART THREE: UPSTATE ECONOMIC GROWTH
New York State has created more than 759,000
private sector jobs since December 2010.
29
The state’s
private sector job count is at an all-time historic high
with more than 7.9 million jobs.
30
Unemployment
52
continues to decline in every region – from 8.4 percent in
December 2010 to 4.8 percent as of November 2015 –
the lowest level in eight years.
31
The state achieved these impressive results
through the Governor’s new regional approach to
economic development and groundbreaking
entrepreneurial government paradigm. In 2011,
Governor Cuomo replaced the state’s previous top-down
approach to economic development with a new bottom-
up approach driven by a competition organized around
ten Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs).
Each region of the state has a REDC that convenes
stakeholders from higher education, business, and
government to develop long-term economic
development strategic plans that leverage each region’s
unique resources and identify areas of opportunity for
investment. To date, the state has awarded nearly $4
billion through five rounds of the REDCs for more than
4,100 projects and created and retained more than
200,000 new jobs across the state.
32
53
The Governor applied the same bottom-up
approach utilized by REDCs to spur an economic
renaissance in Buffalo, a city that has suffered since the
collapse of its manufacturing economy in the late
twentieth century. The Governor has committed $1
billion to the Buffalo area and worked with its Regional
Economic Development Council, as well as experts from
The Brookings
Institution, McKinsey
& Company, and the
University of
Buffalo’s Regional
Institute to shape the
future of the region.
Major projects are
underway, including
the development of
several industry innovation and advanced
manufacturing hubs anchored by private companies
such as IBM and AMRI. Solar power provider SolarCity
will anchor the Buffalo High Tech Manufacturing
Innovation Hub at RiverBend with a ten-year, $5 billion
investment that will create approximately 3,000
permanent jobs in Buffalo and 2,000 jobs elsewhere in
To date, the state has
awarded nearly $4 billion
through five rounds of the
REDCs for more than 4,100
projects and created and
retained more than 200,000
new jobs across the state.
54
the state. Overall, the Buffalo Billion will generate a total
investment of over $8 billion and create approximately
14,000 direct and indirect jobs.
33
The state is investing more than $108 million in
workforce development, tourism plan development,
waterfront development, and other strategic community
revitalization projects
in the city of Buffalo and
in Western New York.
To replicate the
success of the Buffalo
Billion model, the
Governor launched the
Upstate Revitalization
Initiative (URI) in 2015,
a $1.5 billion investment designed to promote the
growth and sustainability of seven upstate regions. The
URI awarded three regions – Central New York, Finger
Lakes, and Southern Tier – $500 million each over five
years to support projects and strategies that create jobs,
strengthen and diversify economies, and generate
economic opportunity within the region. These
communities are now working with the state to
Overall, the Buffalo
Billion will generate a
total investment of over
$8 billion and create
approximately 14,000
direct and indirect jobs.
55
implement their strategic plans and will be identifying
projects for funding in 2016.
Establishing regional industry clusters is
recognized as an effective way for states to coordinate
their economic development efforts.
34
According to
prominent economist Michael Porter, clusters allow
regions to coordinate existing resources in industry,
academia, and government, driving innovation,
productivity, and efficiency while reducing the cost of
doing business.
35
In 2015, Governor Cuomo established
the Regional Economic Cluster Program, which directed
each region to complete an inventory of their industrial
and innovation assets and submit strategic plans to
target growth in a single economic cluster. All ten regions
submitted Cluster Plans through Round V of the REDCs
and cluster proposals ranged from cyber technology to
advanced manufacturing to food and beverage
manufacturing. The Governor has bolstered these efforts
by investing in strategic industries that will modernize
the state’s economy and give New York a competitive
edge.
After decades of false starts and promises,
Governor Cuomo succeeded in making upstate Resort
Gaming Destinations a reality in 2014. In 2015, the New
56
York State Gaming Commission unanimously approved
licenses for resort gaming destinations in Sullivan,
Schenectady, and Seneca Counties. These world-class
facilities will include new hotels, restaurants, and other
attractions that will bring tourists, including the more
than 50 million individuals who visit New York City
every year, to upstate regional attractions.
36
All of New York State will benefit from these
gaming resorts: 80 percent of the gaming revenue will
support public education (in addition to existing aid) or
provide property tax relief statewide. Ten percent will
provide local government assistance to each county in
the three upstate casino-eligible regions, and the final
ten percent will be split between the gaming facility’s
host municipality and county.
37
Proposal: Invest $750 Million through Round Six of
the Regional Economic Development Councils
In 2011, Governor Cuomo created the Regional
Economic Development Council competition to develop
regional economic development plans through a bottom-
up approach that brought together higher education,
industry, and government leaders to plan the future of
their region. The state has invested nearly $4 billion
through the REDCs that has funded more than 4,100
57
projects and created more than 200,000 new jobs across
the state. To build on the success of the REDC program,
the Governor proposes continuing this regional
economic development approach with a sixth round of
the REDC awards with $750 million to fund regional
priority projects.
Proposal: $200 Million for URI Runner Ups to Fund
Top Projects
The Upstate Revitalization Initiative will invest
$1.5 billion in the Central New York, Finger Lakes, and
Southern Tier regions over the next five years. Building
on the success of this model, the Governor proposes
funding an additional $50 million to each of the four
additional upstate regions that did not win the Upstate
Revitalization Initiative competition (Mohawk Valley,
North Country, Capital District, and Mid-Hudson) to fund
priority economic development projects and support
implementation of each region’s strategic plan for
economic growth. In total, the average investment in
each of these regions will be nearly $145 million.
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Proposal: Invest $100 Million in Downtown
Revitalization Program
According to Smart Growth America, companies
in the United States are increasingly seeking to relocate
and invest in walkable downtown locations in an effort
to attract and retain talent, build brand identity, and
foster company
culture.
38
Downtown
revitalization also
attracts more
residents by creating
a sense of place and
affordable living.
39
According to the
Brookings Institute,
investing in urban
centers can improve economic performance, reduce
infrastructure costs, and enhance the economic well-
being of surrounding areas.
To revitalize ten struggling downtown
communities the Governor proposes the $100 million
Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), a
comprehensive approach to transform long-forgotten
areas into vibrant neighborhoods where tomorrow’s
Companies in the United
States are increasingly
seeking to relocate and
invest in walkable
downtown locations in an
effort to attract and retain
talent, build brand identity
and foster company culture.
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workforce will want to live, work, and raise a family. The
DRI will invest in housing, economic development,
transportation, and community projects. Each REDC will
select a community that is losing population or in
economic decline to work with outside policy and
planning experts and planners from the Department of
State and Housing and Community Renewal to create a
strategic downtown revitalization plan as part of the
2016 REDC process. Eligible projects will include those
that grow small businesses and employment, expand
housing, improve transportation, and partner with large
institutions such as universities and hospitals.
Proposal: Bring Mixed Martial Arts to New York
New York is the only state in the nation that does
not allow professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
contests. Thousands of New Yorkers attend dozens of
unregulated amateur MMA events in New York each
year
40
and unlicensed promoters organize and promote
amateur MMA contests in all corners of New York State.
The Governor seeks to authorize both amateur and
professional MMA and will ensure that contests happen
under either the supervision of the New York State
Athletic Commission or an alternative authorized
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sanctioning entity. It will place firm controls on MMA, its
participants and promoters that ensure the protection of
fighters and fans.
PART FOUR: TOURISM: I LOVE NY
Tourism is New York’s fourth largest industry,
responsible for over 883,000 jobs and an economic
impact that grew to over $100 billion in 2015 for the first
time in the state’s history. Governor Cuomo has tripled
support for tourism, investing over $100 million since
2011—New York’s largest tourism effort in decades and
one of the biggest public commitments to tourism in the
nation.
Over the same period, the number of
international visitors has increased 12 percent and
direct visitor spending has grown by 16 percent. Last
year, overseas travelers visited New York more than any
other state for the fourteenth year in a row.
41
This investment has included the launch of a
cutting-edge digital marketing strategy, including an
award-winning promotional campaign and the state’s I
LOVE NEW YORK mobile app, downloaded 41,000 times.
These efforts have resulted in 1.6 million visits to
iloveny.com, a 79 percent growth in the last eighteen
months.
42
To bring further attention to all that New York
61
has to offer, Governor Cuomo has hosted a series of
special events across the state, from the Adirondack
Summer and Winter Challenges, to the Bassmaster
Governor Challenge, to the Governor’s Cup Beverage &
Culinary Tours.
The New York State Fairgrounds are a key driver
of tourism in Central New
York. The Fairgrounds
deliver an average annual
economic impact of over
$100 million and serve as
an integral part of New
York State’s tourism
economy. In 2015, events
held at the Fairgrounds
attracted roughly 1.4
million visitors, including more than 908,000 for the
Great New York State Fair alone.
43
Last year, the state embarked on a $50 million
renovation of the Fairgrounds—the first renovation in
over 100 years.
44
This summer, the Great New York State
Fair will open with a new Main Gate; modern RV facilities
that will offer upgraded water, sewer and electric hook-
ups; an expanded, state-of-the-art Midway; and wireless
Tourism is New York’s
fourth largest industry,
responsible for over
883,000 jobs and an
economic impact that
grew to over $100
billion in 2015
for the first time in the
state’s history.
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internet across the Fairgrounds. In 2017 and 2018, the
state will continue this transformation with a rebuilt
Chevy Court outdoor concert venue, new equine
facilities, a large Expo Center, and new festival grounds
featuring recreational space, a pond, and a replica of the
historic Erie Canal.
Proposal: Expand Tourism Investment to $50 Million
Governor Cuomo proposes to invest an additional
$5 million in New York’s booming tourism economy to
bring the state’s investment to an unprecedented $50
million. The state will invest $25 million in the I LOVE
NEW YORK marketing campaign and $13 million in
Market NY to support improvements to hotels,
convention centers, and other attractions. To shine a
spotlight on regional attractions the Governor will host
another round of special events including winter and
summer events in the Adirondacks, fishing tournaments
in the Finger Lakes, and wine cups upstate.
Proposal: Adirondack and New Challenges
Governor Cuomo will host his first annual Catskill
Challenge this summer. Modeled after the successful
annual Adirondack Challenge, the Governor will invite
state and local officials, tourism industry
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representatives, and outdoor enthusiasts to engage in a
day of world-class outdoor activities, while showcasing
the recreational opportunities the region has to offer—
including fly fishing, paddling, hiking, and mountain
biking.
Proposal: Invest $5 Million to Promote Outdoor
Recreation in the Catskills
Working with the Department of Environmental
Conservation, the Empire State Development
Corporation will launch a $5 million tourism advertising
campaign this year to promote the Catskills region to
visitors from around the world. The effort will include
print and television ads, expanded services for the I
LOVE NY bus, and a Catskills concierge program. This
campaign will also promote Governor Cuomo’s “Ride the
Catskills” tourism website, an online resource that
features a series of itineraries and trips for visitors and
locals to enjoy while traveling by motorcycle, car, bike,
boat, or foot.
New York will also further its long standing
partnership with the Open Space Institute to invest $7.3
million to transform Minnewaska Preserve State Park, on
the Shawangunk Ridge, into a world-class tourism
destination. The project will feature a 6,000-square-foot
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visitor center, improved parking, better parking, and
space for exhibits and education services.
PART FIVE: PRODUCING NEW YORK’S BEST
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has made
growing New York’s agricultural economy a top priority.
To this end, the Governor has launched a series of
initiatives that support agricultural research, promote
locally grown and produced foods, help to market the
booming craft beverage industry, and connect our
farmers and agri-businesses to new markets through
farmers’ markets, Taste NY stores, and increased
procurement opportunities. Over the past five years, the
state’s REDC process has also awarded over $275 million
in funding to agri-business enterprises across the state
from the east end of Long Island to the wine region along
the shores of Lake Erie.
These investments are already paying dramatic
dividends. Last year, farmers in New York State set an
all-time sales record, with $6.4 billion in cash
receipts.
45
This is a 36 percent increase since 2010 --
stronger growth than the nation as a whole.
46
New York
remains a leader in Greek yogurt production, producing
more each day than Greece does.
47
We lead the nation in
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sour cream and cottage cheese production; second in
apples and maple syrup; third in grapes and cauliflower;
fourth in milk and cheese production, pears, and squash;
and fifth in the nation in sweet corn, onions, and tart
cherries.
48
Protecting and Enhancing Farmland and Agri-business
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has invested
historic levels of funding to protect farmland and
support agri-business across the state. As part of this
effort, the state is investing $20 million to protect
farmland in the Hudson Valley—the first-ever regional
farmland protection initiative of its kind. The state is also
providing $30 million in grants to farms and agri-
businesses throughout the Southern Tier to increase
production, spur economic development, and introduce
environmental stewardship best practices.
Last year, farmers in New York State set an
all-time sales record, with $6.4 billion in
cash receipts.
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Streamlining Regulations to Aid Farmers
In 2014, Governor Cuomo created the SILO Task
Force (Strategic Interagency Task Force on Lessening
Obstacles to Agriculture) to identify and remove
regulatory and administrative barriers that farmers face
when they interact with state government. In 2015, the
state adopted a recommendation of the Task Force and
streamlined farming regulations for pesticide
registration and certification while maintaining
environmental protections.
Supporting Clean Energy and Climate Adaptation for
Agriculture
The state is taking a series of actions at the
intersection of climate change and agriculture including
a $500,000 pilot program to help farmers adapt
agricultural practices to climate change, a collaboration
with Cornell University to design a new farmer education
program on climate resiliency, and a new Clean Energy
for Agriculture Task Force charged with developing a
strategic plan to address the opportunities and
challenges of widespread deployment of clean energy
technologies on farms.
67
Expand New York’s Craft Beverage Industry
New York has emerged as a national leader in
craft beverage manufacturing. The state is now home to
nearly 900 wineries, breweries, distilleries, and
cideries.
49
When combined with distribution and retail,
producers account for more than $27 billion in annual
economic impact and support tens of thousands of jobs
statewide.
50
Over the last five years, the Governor has
collaborated with the craft beverage industry to achieve
business friendly reforms that have resulted in
remarkable growth. He created the One Stop Shop, which
has provided individual attention to almost 800
businesses, and he has committed $9 million to promote
and advertise the industry. New York State now ranks
third in the nation in wine and grape production, second
in apple production, and is home to three of the 20 top-
producing breweries in the country. Since 2010, the
number of farm wineries in New York has increased by
over 60 percent and the number of microbreweries has
increased by 233 percent. Since Governor Cuomo took
office, farm-based beverage licenses have more than
doubled and the new Farm Brewery Law has already
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resulted in 106 new licensees. In 2015 alone, the State
Liquor Authority issued 141 new manufacturing
licenses, including eight cidery licenses, 35 distilleries,
25 winery licenses, and 73 brewers.
In 2015, Governor Cuomo hosted the state’s third
Wine, Beer, Spirits, and
Cider Summit, where
stakeholders and state
officials identified new
opportunities to build on
this remarkable progress
including: funding for
additional marketing and
promotional activities,
support for expanded education and research; and a
further reduction in paperwork and other state
regulatory barriers.
Proposal: Expand the Taste NY Program and Open
Four New Stores
Governor Cuomo launched Taste NY in 2013 to
highlight and encourage the purchase of New York-made
foods and beverages.
51
Taste NY opened its first free-
standing store in 2013 in the historic Todd Hill building
along the Taconic Parkway. Just two years later, Todd
Since 2010, the number
of farm wineries in New
York has increased by
over 60% and the
number of
microbreweries has
increased by 233%.
69
Hill exceeded $1 million in revenue.
52
In 2015, Taste NY
opened its eleventh store – and the first outside New
York State – in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the New York
State Office of Trade and Tourism and tripled sales to
$4.5 million in revenue over 2014 revenue. The program
also showcased more than 1,100 producers at Taste NY-
sponsored marketplaces, events, and through
partnerships.
The Governor proposes to double Taste NY
revenue to $9 million in 2016 by investing $1.1 million to
add four stores, increasing concession partnerships at
sports and entertainment locations, and expanding sales
displays at high-traffic transportation hubs and other
venues. To drive revenues Taste NY will open four
new freestanding stores in White Plains along the
Hutchinson Parkway, at the Lock E-13 Rest Area on
the Thruway in the Mohawk Valley, at the Niagara Falls
Amtrak Station, and at Pier A in Battery Park. Taste
NY will also open concessions in four additional
sports venues, in every State Park, and recruit 100
new high-quality producers to join the program.
Taste NY will be strategically featured in 2016 at
the Barclays Center in Brooklyn at a premium bar that
will increase brand exposure for New York craft
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beverage producers and provide access to
approximately two million guests per year.
Proposal: Modernize and Simplify the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Law
The Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Law dates
back to 1934 and is a puzzling web of rules that confuses
potential and existing licensees, regulators, and even
attorneys. For example, the ABC Law makes multiple
licenses available for the retail sale of alcoholic
beverages that depend on the type of beverage being sold
and whether it is sold “to go” or “by the glass.”
53
It is
nearly impossible for a new craft beverage entrepreneur
to determine what license is needed. The ABC Law
creates confusion that often results in delays, financial
hardship, and loss of revenue to businesses that attempt
to navigate the system. The ABC Law still contains arcane
restrictions that date back to the end of Prohibition.
54
While the Governor enacted The Craft Act in 2014
to take steps to modernize the ABC Law, the Law
requires further modification. The Governor formed a
working group of industry stakeholders to provide
recommendations to revise and modernize the ABC
Law. In 2016, the Governor will introduce legislation to
71
modernize the ABC Law by addressing the issues stated
above along with those identified by the working group.
Proposal: Update the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law
to Grow E-Commerce
U.S. e-commerce retail sales of alcoholic
beverages totaled nearly $88 billion in the third quarter
of 2015 alone.
55
This platform presents a tremendous
opportunity for New York craft beverage producers and
suppliers. To increase e-commerce revenues for New
York alcoholic beverage producers and suppliers, the
state will work with industry stakeholders to develop
and introduce legislation in 2016 that will amend the
ABC Law to create a clear legal framework for Internet
sales and reduce confusion within the industry. This
legislation will also include proposals to standardize
practices for third-party providers who facilitate
transactions that connect alcoholic beverage retailers to
consumers.
Proposal: Cut Taxes for Craft Beverage Producers
Under current tax law, breweries that produce
less than 60 million gallons of beer per year are eligible
for a tax credit that provides $2 million in benefits every
year. To encourage the growth of start-up craft beverage
72
producers, the Governor proposes to expand eligibility
for this tax credit beyond breweries to cideries that
produce less than 60 million gallons annually, wineries
that produce less than 20 million gallons annually, and
distilleries that produce less than 500,000 gallons
annually. These proposals will provide $2 million in
savings to these producers that will allow them reinvest
and grow their companies in New York.
Finally, the Governor also proposes exempting
breweries, distilleries, cideries, and wineries from
alcoholic beverage taxes associated with free tastings,
lowering costs for hundreds of craft producers and
allowing them to better market their products and
reinvest in their businesses. The state collected $251
million in these taxes last year and the craft industry
accounts for $10 million of the total. This change means
that an additional $2 million will remain in the pockets
of these producers.
PART SIX: BUILDING A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY
Since taking office, the Governor has created and
pursued the most aggressive environmental and
sustainability agenda of any state in the country to
mitigate climate change. This bold agenda drives and
73
complements the state’s efforts to foster and expand
New York’s growing clean energy economy.
Greenhouse gas emissions are driving up air and
water temperatures and altering the earth’s climate.
56
New Yorkers have already begun to face the long term
effects of global climate change, dealing with
unprecedented extreme weather events like the historic
snowfall in Western New York in 2014, tornadoes in
Central New York in 2013, and the billions of dollars of
damage and loss of life that resulted from Hurricanes
Irene, Lee and Super Storm Sandy.
In the wake of 11 presidentially-declared natural
disasters in his first five years in office,
57
the Governor
has shifted away from an outdated approach to the
energy sector to one that pushes our private sector
partners to step up and accelerate the deployment of
energy efficiency, solar, wind, and other clean
technologies. This strategy, called Reforming the Energy
New Yorkers have already begun to face the long
term effects of global climate change, dealing with
unprecedented extreme weather events.
74
Vision (REV) is a multifaceted regulatory approach
designed to spur private investment in clean energy,
build a thriving clean tech economy, strengthen our
communities, and provide universal access to clean,
affordable power. Since taking office the Governor has
invested in the
Western Hemisphere’s
largest $5 billion solar
panel gigafactory in
Buffalo, a new $700
million large-scale
commercial silicon
wafer manufacturing
facility in Genesee County, and $35 million to build a
research and development hub that will help researchers
and companies turn their ideas into commercialized
technologies and products.
In 2015 New York advanced an aggressive State
Energy Plan that called for a statewide reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and for 50
percent of our electricity to come from renewable
resources by 2030. Today, 25 percent of New York’s
energy consumption is comprised of renewable energy
resources such as solar, wind and hydropower.
58
This
The New York State Energy
Plan established an
aggressive goal for New York
to rely on 50 percent
renewable energy for its
total energy needs by 2030.
75
goal requires the state to double its consumption of
renewable energy in 15 years.
The Governor will continue efforts to build a clean
energy industry in New York that will help the state to
tackle the challenges posed by climate change while
creating tens of thousands of jobs and generating billions
of dollars in economic activity.
Proposal: Adopt an Aggressive Clean Energy
Standard
Today, 25 percent of New York’s energy
consumption is comprised of renewable energy
resources such as solar, wind and hydropower.
59
The
New York State Energy Plan established an aggressive
goal for New York to rely on 50 percent renewable
energy for its total energy needs by 2030.
60
This goal
requires the state to double its consumption of
renewable energy in 15 years.
The Governor knows that mandates drive change
and has called on the Department of Public Service (DPS)
to work with the Public Service Commission (PSC) to
formally adopt this Clean Energy Standard, among the
highest in the nation. Adoption of this enforceable
standard will drive change in the private sector as
companies work to develop more sources of renewable
76
energy for New Yorkers and energy markets are
provided with the clear direction and long-term stability
necessary to invest in the development of new clean
energy solutions.
As the state works to meet this aggressive goal it
must support upstate nuclear power plants that provide
important sources of carbon-free energy. If any one of
those plants were to close the market would likely rely
on fossil fuel-fired plants to replace their energy source
which would set back the state’s attempt to reduce
carbon emissions. As DPS works to support the
development of new sources of renewable energy it will
also develop market mechanisms to provide financial
support for safely operating upstate nuclear power
plants. These efforts will ensure that safely operating,
fully licensed nuclear power plants are able to provide a
necessary bridge to help New York achieve its 50 percent
renewables goal by 2030.
Proposal: Adopt the Clean Energy Fund
The state will advance a ten-year, $5 billion Clean
Energy Fund (CEF) to support clean energy projects and
programs that will help New York to partner with the
private sector to achieve the goal of having 50 percent of
77
our energy come from renewable resources by 2030. The
CEF is funded by surcharges on utility bills, and in 2016,
will include an immediate decrease of $90 million in
ratepayer collections, and a total reduction of $1.5 billion
by 2025.
CEF-funded programs will increase deployment
of clean energy solutions and renewable energy to
millions of homes, buildings and communities in New
York; invest $700 million in cutting edge research and
development to accelerate homegrown innovation in the
clean energy industry; invest $1 billion to deploy enough
solar to equal the amount of energy generated by six
coal-fired power plants through the Governor’s NY-Sun
initiative; and capitalize the nation’s largest Green Bank
to partner with the private sector to finance clean energy
projects like wind and solar farms and energy efficiency
retrofits.
Proposal: Increase Renewable Energy Consumption
at State Owned Facilities and on SUNY Campuses
In 2012, Governor Cuomo launched the
BuildSmart initiative aimed at improving energy
efficiency and reducing emissions at state facilities by 20
percent before 2020.
61
As a result of this program, New
York State reduced energy bills at numerous public
78
buildings by nearly $40 million.
62
In 2016, state agencies
will aggressively increase their renewable electricity
consumption to reduce emissions.
To help invest in retrofits and the deployment of
renewable energy on public facilities, NYPA will finance
$1.5 billion of clean energy projects across state-owned
buildings and local and municipal properties by 2020.
This investment will help government entities complete
energy efficiency, renewable distributed generation,
microgrids, and other smart grid technology projects.
NYPA will also work with state agencies to use state
property for community solar projects that will allow
private consumers who live nearby to access clean,
renewable energy.
In 2015 the Governor announced that Robert
Moses State Park will become the first energy-neutral
state park in the nation with the construction of a $1.7
million, 500 kilowatt solar project. In 2016, the Governor
will continue to utilize state-owned properties to achieve
our emissions reductions goal with the construction of
up to five additional megawatts of solar at Jones Beach,
Sunken Meadow and Robert Moses State Parks.
Together, these solar investments will generate
approximately 50 percent of the electricity demand for
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Long Island State Parks and reduce carbon emissions by
5,000 metric tons per year.
The State University of New York (SUNY) is the
largest comprehensive university system in the country
with 64 campuses across the state and consumes 1.2
million megawatts of energy every year. To help the state
meet its renewable energy goals, SUNY will install solar
and other renewable energy sources on each of its 64
campuses by 2020, with the Governor calling on private
colleges and universities to join the SUNY in this effort.
Proposal: Make 500,000 Homes and 20,000
Businesses More Energy Efficient By 2020
The least expensive and most effective way to
meet our state energy goals is simply to reduce the
overall energy consumption of New York’s homes,
businesses, and institutions by making them more
efficient.
63
Increasing energy efficiency also lowers
utility bills for customers and enables businesses to
reduce their operating costs.
The state will increase the energy efficiency of
500,000 homes and 20,000 businesses by 2020, reducing
their carbon emissions and utility bills by $1.5 billion.
The state will invest part of the Clean Energy Fund to
help property owners and renters audit their current
80
energy use and identify energy savings opportunities,
and replace inefficient systems and appliances with high-
efficiency models wherever possible.
Proposal: Install Solar on 150,000 New Homes and
Businesses by 2020
Today, 28,000 homes and 2,000 businesses have
installed solar.
64
To increase these figures and reduce
emissions from privately owned homes and businesses,
the state will leverage the growth in New York’s solar
industry and provide technical and financial support to
install solar panels on 150,000 additional homes and
businesses. The state’s Shared Renewables Program will
also allow nearby community members to share in the
solar power generated by projects on commercial
properties, further reducing emissions across private
residences.
Proposal: Build 300 Additional Wind Turbines by
2020 and Create a Master Plan for Offshore Wind
Today, over 1,000 large-scale wind turbines have
been built throughout upstate New York. Spread across
19 wind farms, these massive turbines generate over
1,600 megawatts of capacity, enough to power over
600,000 homes.
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To meet the requirements of the Clean Energy
Standard, New York will need even more of our power to
come from carbon-free wind farms. To jumpstart this
growth, the state will invest $150 million in 2016 for a
solicitation to support the construction of large scale
renewable projects such as solar, wind, hydro, and fuel
cells. This financial support, along with new activities
spurred by the Clean Energy Standard, will help build an
additional 300 wind turbines and increase New York’s
wind production by nearly 40 percent by 2020 for a total
generating capacity of 2,200 megawatts, enough wind to
power nearly 800,000 homes.
65
New York has 127 miles of coastline
66
that
present an enormous opportunity to generate energy
through the deployment of offshore wind turbines. As
the state advances a strategy to capture this potential, it
is critical to ensure that offshore wind does not come at
New York has 127 miles of coastline that present an
enormous opportunity to generate energy through the
deployment of offshore wind turbines.
82
the expense of vital coastal habitats and economies,
including tourism, fishing, and boating.
To develop a path forward for the siting of
offshore wind turbines, the state will engage community
members, environmental advocates, and government
partners at all levels to create the New York Offshore
Wind Master Plan that will serve as a blueprint for the
future of offshore wind in New York. The state will
provide $5 million to support the planning effort.
Proposal: Invest $8 Million to Build Out Community
Microgrids
The Clean Energy Fund has invested $10 million
to date to help local communities and municipalities
develop community microgrids—energy systems that
provide customers with an ability to operate
independently in the event of a power outage. The state
awarded 83 first round winners with $100,000 in 2015
to conduct feasibility studies for the construction of
microgrids.
This year the state will invest $8 million to
provide $1 million grants to eight projects that will help
communities take the next step toward building
microgrids. These funds will pay for audit-grade
engineering designs and business plans so communities
83
can then commission bids to construct the microgrids
and increase energy resiliency.
Proposal: Launch the $3 Million “Energy to Lead”
Competition for Colleges and Universities
There are more than 270 colleges and universities
in New York that enroll over 800,000 students.
67
Higher
education institutions consume a great deal of energy,
produce a lot of waste, are hotbeds of innovation and
next-generation discoveries, and educate the leaders of
tomorrow. To capitalize on these opportunities the state
will launch the $3 million Energy to Lead Competition as
part of its broader REV Campus Challenge program. The
Competition will award three $1 million prizes to the
most ambitious, student-led proposals for improving
energy efficiency, installing renewables, and reducing
emissions on their campuses and in their communities.
Proposal: Invest $75 Million in Affordable Housing
and Retrofit 100,000 Units by 2025
Emissions from residential and commercial
buildings in New York contribute 40 percent of the
state’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.
68
New York’s
government-subsidized affordable housing stock—
hundreds of thousands of public and subsidized
84
units
69
—represents a huge opportunity to reduce energy
consumption, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.
As a part of the state’s goal to make 500,000
homes more energy efficient by 2020, the state will work
with the Department of Homes and Community Renewal
and other public and affordable housing agencies to
bring even higher efficiency retrofits to 100,000
multifamily housing units by 2025, cutting costs to
customers, making their homes more comfortable, and
reducing emissions from our building stock. To jump-
start progress toward this goal, the Clean Energy Fund
will invest $75 million over the next three years to help
offset the costs of efficiency upgrades in multifamily
affordable housing. These investments will include
grants and a design competition that will incentivize the
private sector to retrofit affordable housing units to the
highest energy efficiency standards, producing energy
savings of approximately 70 percent below typical
consumption.
The state will also take steps to ensure that all
new affordable housing construction is energy efficient.
To achieve this goal, HCR will modify its programs and
funding allocations to incentivize energy efficient
construction and develop mechanisms to monetize
85
future savings and incorporate into the affordable
housing financing capital structure.
Proposal: Create Clean Energy Workforce
Opportunity Program and Train 10,000 Workers by
2020
New York State’s clean energy sector has grown
nearly 15 percent and added more than 12,000 jobs since
2010.
70
The state has driven this growth through
investments to bring cutting edge clean energy
companies like SolarCity, 1366 Technologies and Soraa
to New York. These companies alone will generate over
6,000 new jobs. As the clean energy sector continues to
grow the state must take steps to ensure that we have
people with the right training to fill these jobs.
To train 10,000 more workers for jobs in the clean
energy sector, the Governor proposes a new $15 million
Clean Energy Workforce Opportunity Program at the
State University of New York (SUNY) that will work with
clean energy companies to develop a new job training
and certification program that will make New York a
leader in clean tech workforce development. Industry
partners identified through the Regional Economic
Development Councils and other industry associations
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will develop the credentials and certifications that
workers need and develop and offer apprenticeships.
The Workforce Opportunity Program will allow
SUNY colleges, especially technical and community
colleges to expand their capacity to offer industry-
relevant training programs and will offer a unified,
industry recognized certification credential to SUNY
students. The Program will provide funding to train and
hire new faculty and purchase cutting-edge equipment
such as such as Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronic
simulators that will be used in new academic programs.
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2. EDUCATION: A LADDER
TO OPPORTUNITY
Public education is, and has always been, the
cornerstone of our democracy. Access to education, from
pre-kindergarten through college, can pave the way to
economic and social opportunities, to better jobs and
more successful lives. Our schools are the gateway to the
future for all New Yorkers.
When we invest in education, we invest in our
future as a state and nation – and New York has one of
the largest educational investments in the country.
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It is
critical that this investment provide quality educational
programs that lead to greater opportunities for every
student in the state. In his first term, Governor Cuomo
has implemented reforms and policies to increase access
to early education, supply schools with 21st century
learning technology and internet connectivity, recognize
and leverage our best teachers, and make college more
affordable. These initiatives have served to improve
access to a high-quality education from a student’s first
day in pre-school all the way through to success in his or
her chosen profession.
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Building on the successes of his first term,
Governor Cuomo’s Education Transformation Act of
2015 and Opportunity Agenda raised the bar for the
education of every child in New York. From providing
the highest level of state aid to public schools in history,
to ensuring that all students have a prepared and
effective educator, by increasing educational
opportunities for the state’s youngest learners, by
beginning the transformation process of failing schools
to successful ones, and by helping to alleviate the
financial burden of the state’s college students, this
agenda improved educational opportunities in the state
across the board.
The Governor proposes a suite of new initiatives
for 2016 that help learners from early childhood to
college and also embraces the recommendations of the
New York Common Core Task Force that he will work to
implement over the next several years. Taken together,
these proposals will ensure that education in the State of
New York remains a national model of educational
excellence for all children.
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PART ONE: HIGHER EDUCATION
New York currently has over 1.2 million students
enrolled in higher education programs annually across
all sectors. This includes 455,000 students enrolled in
the State University of New York (SUNY), 275,000
students enrolled at the City University of New York
(CUNY), and 532,000 students enrolled in private
colleges and universities across the state.
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The state currently provides approximately $7
billion in total support for colleges and universities. This
includes $3.9 billion in funding for operations and
employee fringe benefits at SUNY state-operated
campuses and CUNY senior colleges, $1.2 billion in debt
service to pay for capital improvements on SUNY and
CUNY campuses, $1.1 billion
in financial aid to students
through the Tuition
Assistance Program, various
scholarships and loan
forgiveness programs, over
$700 million in support for
community colleges and approximately $100 million for
higher education opportunity programs and aid to
New York State
support for colleges
and universities:
approximately $7
billion.
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private colleges administered by the State Education
Department.
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Leveraging Higher Education for Economic Development
A strong higher education pipeline is the critical
component that connects our state’s P-12 public
education system to a New York State workforce
prepared for 21
st
century demands. Since 2011,
Governor Cuomo has advanced initiatives that
modernize and streamline higher education in our state
with an eye towards economic development and
developing a modern workforce.
The Governor’s E
2
initiative is a prime example of
this shift in focus. This new way of thinking treats
education and economic development as linked – as they
clearly are in our ever-changing world. Today’s
invention or development on a college campus can, and
should, generate new industries and job demands
tomorrow—across the state and across the world.
Linking Employers to the Classroom
The Governor has also focused new initiatives on
bringing industry input and needs to bear on college
program offerings across the state. The Next Generation
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NY Job Linkage Program, first launched in 2013, realigns
community college offerings to ensure that in-demand
skills are being taught by building regional partnerships
between employers, Regional Economic Development
Councils, and community colleges. The Job Linkage
program also ties certain funds to successful outcomes,
rewarding community colleges that best prepare
students for graduation and the job market.
In a similar effort to align community college
offerings with regional needs, the Governor directed
SUNY to create regional planning councils to ensure that
the 29 community colleges outside of New York City
collaborate with employers, local government, state
agencies, nearby colleges, and other stakeholders. These
councils are setting regional academic and employment
goals, thereby better aligning program offerings to the
job needs of the region.
Making College Affordable
The Governor also rolled out several new
initiatives in 2015 that directly help current and former
students deal with financing costs of college attendance.
First, in December, the Governor formally rolled out the
Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program. For
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students who recently graduated college in New York
and earn less than $50,000 annually, this program will
cover 100 percent of their student loan payments while
students begin their careers. In order to qualify, students
must continue to live in New York and enroll in the new
federal Pay as You Earn loan repayment program.
Finally, the Governor has created a Standardized
Financial Aid Letter for students enrolling in college in
2016-17 or thereafter. This standard letter will include
information on student access, degree completion, and
post-graduation success. It will also provide information
on total costs of attendance, total aid offered, and total
amount that will need to be repaid after graduation. As
college costs continue to rise it is critical that students
and their parents are able to compare the full cost of
attendance across different colleges and universities to
make an informed choice.
In 2016, Governor Cuomo proposes that we build
on this progress to modernize our public university
systems, align college offerings with workforce needs,
incentivize success, and expand college access to
students across the state. The Governor will also
continue to implement his E
2
strategy to leverage our
higher education system to drive economic
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development. As part of this strategy the state has sought
to link higher education to industry and has invested in
efforts to commercialize research and technology from
our colleges and universities to bring new products to
market through programs such as the Innovation Hot
Spots/Business Incubators and START-UP NY.
Proposal: Extend the NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
Program
Comprising the backbone of New York’s two
public systems of higher education, the 47 four-year
colleges and universities of State University of New York
(SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY)
together annually enroll 396,000 full- and part-time
degree seeking students.
The state established the public-private NYSUNY
2020 and NYCUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program in
2011 to link the higher education system to economic
development. The program incentivizes bottom-up,
individualized, long-term economic development plans
on SUNY and CUNY campuses that include public-private
partnerships to benefit the campuses and surrounding
communities. Projects must demonstrate measureable
impact on both the academic experience of students and
lasting economic impact through workforce
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development and research activities with the potential to
lead to commercialization. Since its inception, the
Program has provided $470 million in new capital
matching grant funding through Empire State
Development to implement winning plans.
SUNY is applying the $305 million in award
funding it has received to date to enhance the academic
and economic impact its campuses have on the state.
Awards are being used to fund innovative programs at
both SUNY State-Operated campuses and community
colleges, modernizing the academic experience of all
New York students. Such projects include the creation of
a SUNY Manufacturing Alliance for Research and
Technology Transfer between 7 community colleges and
Morrisville State College, an engineering innovation hub
through SUNY New Paltz, and a Manufacturing and
Technology Resource Center for the North County. These
game changing awards also support projects at CUNY,
which to date, has provided $165 million in funding for a
new Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay,
Allied Health Training for Employment in the Bronx and
a New Media Jobs Incubator and Innovation Hub, among
others.
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In 2011, Governor Cuomo established the
NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020 program to keep
tuition increases low and predictable while providing
$470 million in additional resources to New York’s
public colleges and universities. NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 fixed an unpredictable tuition
rollercoaster that prevented students and their families
from being able to plan for the full cost of their education
and ended the days of drastic tuition spikes upward of 45
percent. After five years of predictable tuition, New
York’s public four-year resident rates remain the lowest
in the northeast and in the lowest quartile nationally.
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This legislation also allowed campuses to better
plan and leverage the state’s investments for student
success. For instance, since the enactment of this
legislation, SUNY has used the proceeds from tuition
increases to hire more than 520 net new instructional
staff (270 of whom are full-time faculty), and to establish
over 100 new degree programs in high-need fields to
ensure New Yorkers are prepared for the jobs of the
future.
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Importantly, pursuant to legislation, SUNY and
CUNY also invested nearly 30 percent of these proceeds
to provide tuition credits to students eligible for the
Tuition Assistance Program. These new SUNY and CUNY
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investments in a TAP Tuition Credit ensured that the
neediest students can attend college tuition-free.
To keep tuition low and predictable and infuse
additional funds into our SUNY and CUNY systems, the
Governor proposes extending the 2011 legislation for an
additional five years. Under this rational tuition
proposal, SUNY and CUNY will be able to raise tuition up
to $300 annually, provided they are able to demonstrate
considerable efforts to reduce spending and that any
increase is tied to appropriate inflationary indices.
Additional revenue generated by any tuition increase
would need to be put in a “lockbox” to support faculty,
improve instruction and provide tuition credits for TAP-
eligible students. A $300 annual tuition increase would
raise $89 million annually for SUNY and $51 million for
CUNY. This program will continue to provide $110
million in new capital matching grant funding through
Empire State Development for the NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program and will be
coupled with an additional projected increase of $400
million in public funding over the next five years.
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Proposal: Expand SUNY and CUNY Performance
Initiatives
In 2013, Governor Cuomo began the process of
partially shifting funding for SUNY and CUNY from
enrollment-based funding to an approach linked to
campus performance with the initiation of the Next
Generation Jobs Linkage Program. This innovative
program has provided $5 million annually in incentive
funding to SUNY and CUNY community colleges that help
students get jobs upon graduation.
In 2015, Governor Cuomo extended this concept
with the inception of the $30 million SUNY and CUNY
Investment and Performance Fund. Under this plan,
colleges are required to complete performance
improvement plans subject to Board of Trustee approval.
Based on identified goals, each system allocates funds to
the colleges’ prioritized projects with the goal of
improving outcomes in student access, completion, and
post-graduation success.
This year, the Governor will continue both of
these performance incentive programs and proposes
that SUNY and CUNY combine campus performance
plans into a comprehensive system-wide plan.
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Proposal: Expand Commercialization
Opportunities—Launch Bio-Science Venture Capital
Competition
New York universities rank second nationally in
total research spending, with over $4 billion spent
annually
76
but New York continues to lag behind
California and Massachusetts in commercializing
research and generating new economic activity.
77
New
York also has tremendous intellectual capital and
infrastructure in the bio-sciences, ranking third among
states in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research
funding at $2.1 billion in 2014.
78
In 2014, the bio-
sciences industry represented 41,554 jobs in the state,
comprising $7.5 billion of the state’s overall economy.
79
To inspire more startup companies, like
Regeneron, to start and expand in New York, the
Governor will launch the $1 million Bio-Science Venture
Capital Competition. The competition will stimulate
growth in the bio-science industry through a multi-year
venture capital contest focused on selecting the most
promising startups and providing funding to support the
commercialization of technologies developed within
New York State universities and research labs.
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Proposal: BioElectronic Facility at Nassau Hub
To leverage Long Island’s existing higher
education science and research assets, the Governor
proposes to invest $50 million to build a state-of-the-art
BioElectronic research and development facility at the
Nassau Hub, a new mixed-use retail and commercial
development project at the site of the former Nassau
Coliseum. The facility will generate cutting-edge
research that marries the disciplines of Neuroscience,
Electronics with Computing and Molecular Medicine and
commercialize the research into new medicines.
The Center will build upon the state’s model of
public-private partnerships for higher education-based
economic development and will be anchored by Hofstra
University, in collaboration with North Shore LIJ, the
Feinstein Institute, and Stony Brook University. The
project will leverage $300 million in private sector
investment to support 650 jobs in the region.
Proposal: Create the New York State Innovation
Database
New York now ranks second nationally in total
university R&D spending. But, under current practice,
too many new discoveries remain “on the shelf” in
university patent offices. To address this, New York will
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establish a statewide database managed by Empire State
Development that will make unused university R&D
discoveries searchable—connecting discoveries with
those who can apply them commercially. This new
database will improve the tech transfer process for
public and private research institutions by making it
easy for entrepreneurs to access research discoveries
and intellectual property, incorporating them into new
companies.
Proposal: Expanding Educational and Economic
Opportunity to All by Expanding Access to Early
College and CTE Programs
Governor Cuomo recognizes that the traditional
pathway from high school to a job or college is not always
the best option for students. He has consistently
supported innovative alternate routes for students to
enter college or start a career after graduation. New
York is a national leader in the Early College High School
movement and in Career and Technical Education for
high school students. In 2016, Governor Cuomo
proposes a three-part plan to strengthen and expand
these programs for thousands of students.
The state has more than 65 early college high
schools that currently enroll more than 7,300 students;
101
enrollment will climb to more than 15,000 students by
the 2020-2021 school year.
80
These high schools utilize
one of two models. The first is the Smart Scholars Early
College High School model, which was established in
2010 to provide students with the opportunity to earn a
minimum of 24 transferable, general education college
credits while they are in high school. There are currently
23 Smart Scholars schools in New York. The second is the
career oriented grade 9-14 Pathways to Technology
Early College (P-TECH) High School model, which was
first established in 2013 to provide students access to a
high school diploma and associate degree in one
integrated program. P-TECH High Schools also bring
businesses to the educational process and provide
students with internships and access to post-graduation
job opportunities. Both models target students from low-
income backgrounds and populations traditionally
under-represented in college. Since 2010, the state has
invested over $28 million in these innovative
programs.
81
New York’s Early College High Schools have been
highly successful in helping students get a jump start on
college by helping thousands of students earn college
credit while still enrolled in high school. One of the
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strengths of the P-TECH program is that it not only
allows students to earn college credit in high school, but
also connects graduates directly to jobs. However, most
students in the Smart Scholars schools are unable to
complete an associate degree by graduation. They often
enroll in community college to complete their associate
degree, but may fail to complete an associate degree or
go on to receive a four-year degree. The Governor seeks
to ensure that Smart Scholars programs provide
participating students with an associate degree as well
as a direct link to further study and a higher-level degree.
First, the Governor proposes investing $3 million
to create the Smart Transfer Program. This new initiative
will transform certain existing Early College high schools
into Smart Transfer high schools. Smart Transfer high
schools will partner with a four-year college or
university and re-structure their academic program to
ensure that students can complete an associate degree
while in high school, at no cost to the student, and then
successfully transfer to a four-year college. The
partnering higher education institution will provide
transfer students with cohort-based student supports
and academic advising, and will pledge that participating
students will be able to complete a bachelor’s degree
103
within two years of transfer. The Smart Transfer
Program will improve the high school to college pipeline
for these students by easing roadblocks to successful
transfer to, and graduation from, a four-year college or
university.
In 2014, the New York State Board of Regents
approved a Career and Technical Education pathway to
high school graduation. In this new pathway, students
enrolled in approved CTE programs could use an
approved industry standard certification exam to
replace one Regents exam in graduation requirements.
82
Second, to ensure that this pathway leads to both
college and career readiness, Governor Cuomo will
invest $1 million to support a package of reforms to the
CTE sector that will ensure access for unique student
populations as well as ensure that professionals are in
the classrooms. First, the Governor proposes that the
New York State Education Department Office of Career
and Technical Education eliminate barriers to Students
with Disabilities and English Language Learners by
requiring CTE providers such as large school districts
and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)
to demonstrate that all CTE programs and activities are
ADA, IDEA and Section 504 compliant and that the needs
104
of English Language Learners are met through bilingual
programs and materials where applicable and that
language instruction be integrated with content. A
successful model for this is the Integrated Basic
Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) model developed
in Washington State, which contextualizes language and
math instruction into CTE courses.
Next, the Governor proposes that CTE providers
expand their programs and engage with local workforce
development agencies, the Regional Economic
Development Councils, and the Community College
Regional Planning Councils to ensure that these new
programs align with local needs and opportunities for
additional training, and that industry partners are at the
table when additional credentials are developed or
identified.
Finally, the Governor proposes that the State
Education Department update its regulations to remove
the requirement that CTE teachers must also satisfy the
certification requirements needed for an initial teaching
license. This change will reduce the amount of time and
overly burdensome certification requirements for CTE
teachers and ensure that we have professionals with the
right skills and desire in our classrooms.
105
Proposal: Expand Community College Community
Schools
In 2015, Governor Cuomo extended the
community schools concept to five community colleges –
recognizing that many times, student success is tied to
factors that are outside the college classroom itself.
Under this new $2.5 million funding stream,
participating colleges work with community based
service providers, state and local agencies and others to
bring coordinated services inside the college walls to
meet the needs of distressed students and their families.
Interest in this program was strong, with 15 colleges
applying for five awards.
This year, Governor Cuomo will extend the work
begun last year to include three additional community
college community schools. These new programs will
address student needs such as child and elder care,
transportation, health care services, family counseling,
and employment assistance. Through this effort, more
students and their families will have the support they
need to reach their educational goals.
Proposal: Enact the DREAM Act
As the face of America changes, at no time in our
history has the meaning of the Statue of Liberty been
106
more important. No different than our forefathers and
mothers over two centuries ago, new Americans are
establishing their roots and livelihoods in New York
every day.
Currently, across our state, undocumented
immigrant students graduating from New York high
schools face an
uncertain future.
These students are
unable to receive state
financial aid, often
making it impossible
to attend college and
prepare for their
chosen career. The Governor again proposes passing the
DREAM Act, which will support the advancement of
undocumented immigrants by enabling them to apply for
state college tuition assistance. This initiative continues
the state's tradition of welcoming immigrants and
honoring their contribution to our culture and economy.
As the face of America
changes, at no time in our
history has the meaning of
the Statue of Liberty been
more important.
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PART TWO: PRE-KINDERGARTEN-12 EDUCATION
Over the last five years, Governor Cuomo has
maintained unprecedented support and commitment to
ensure that every child in New York State receives a high-
quality education. Under the Governor’s leadership, high
school graduation rates have increased,
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the highest
number of four year old students are enrolled in pre-
kindergarten in the
state’s history,
84
and
outstanding teachers
are recognized while
holding failing schools
and struggling
educators to high
standards. The Governor has ended the educational
status quo and provided unprecedented levels of support
for public schools. Under the Governor’s leadership,
School Aid has increased year after year, reaching a
historic high of $23.5 billion in 2015, and the state has
supported educational innovations such as the state’s
282 approved charter schools
85
and 62 community
schools.
Under Governor Cuomo,
funding for public schools
is at the highest level in
history: $23.5 billion in
2015.
108
To build on this success, the Governor proposes
an increased level of support for schools, families and
teachers through increased school aid and the Education
Tax Credit, the removal of the barriers between schools
and the community by ensuring the transformation of
failing schools into community schools and supporting
the expansion of successful programs, such as pre-
kindergarten.
The Governor will also continue to expand the
New York State Mentoring Program, chaired pro-bono by
Mrs. Matilda Raffa Cuomo. This critical program matches
children facing personal, economic, and social obstacles
with volunteers from businesses and organizations in all
regions of the state to encourage social and emotional
growth, to improve confidence and strength of character,
and to foster better outcomes within underserved
communities.
Finally, the Governor will continue to support
testing reduction, the development of high quality
teaching and learning standards that are periodically and
transparently reviewed by educators, stakeholder
engagement in the development and review of tests, and
flexibility for local districts to individualize curriculum
and instruction.
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Proposal: Increase School Aid to Highest Level in
History
Last year, New York State enacted a budget that
raised funding for public school districts to the highest
level in history--$23.5 billion. That money supported
almost 700 school districts,
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and 2.8 million students in
grades pre-kindergarten through twelve.
87
New York
State spends more per pupil than any state in the nation,
at an average of $19,818, almost double the national
average of $10,700.
88
New York is proud of its
commitment and investment in its public schools as they
continue to innovate, educate, and provide the greatest
known equalizer in history—a quality education.
However, the Governor recognizes that although
many of our schools are offering a great education, the
very real issues of poverty and inequality faced by many
students are barriers to students receiving an excellent
education. Issues of hunger, homelessness, and feeling
unsafe threaten our great public schools’ abilities to
educate our young learners, and to prepare them with
the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve their
goals.
Our public schools are being asked and expected
to do more to prepare students for a changing world.
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Accordingly, the Governor proposes to significantly
increase the state’s investment in public schools—an
increase of $2.1 billion over two years, including a nearly
$1 billion increase this year alone. The Governor’s
proposal will provide operating aid increases to every
school district in the state, and will once again move
statewide education support to record levels.
Proposal: Eliminate the Gap Elimination Adjustment
This $2.1 billion school aid increase will also
allow the state to eliminate the outstanding $434 million
Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) over two years, as
well as provide an operating increase to every school
district in the state. The GEA was first enacted in 2009 in
order to combat the drastic world-wide financial
recession. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the state
has been diligently working to restore the GEA for every
school district affected. The Governor proposes that over
the next two years, the GEA will be entirely eliminated
once and for all. This two-year plan to eliminate the GEA
allows school districts a predictable revenue stream to
enhance long-term financial planning and support
responsible budget practices.
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Proposal: Establish the $100 Million Community
Schools Transformation Fund to Transform Failing
Schools
Under the Governor’s leadership in last year’s
budget, legislation was enacted to identify 144 of the
lowest performing schools in the state,
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and the
superintendents of those schools were given
unprecedented powers to support their efforts in
promoting the rapid maximization of student
achievement. Schools identified as failing must show
demonstrable improvement on several indicators such
as improving student achievement and reducing chronic
absenteeism. In addition, $75 million was made available
to support the turn-around efforts in those schools
identified by the State Education Department (SED) as
being in the lowest accountability status for a decade,
identified as the persistently failing schools.
This funding was made available for persistently
failing schools to employ community school
coordinators, for additional instruction time during and
after the school day, to reduce class sizes, and additional
staff for mathematics and literacy intervention, bilingual
programming, counselors and other staff. In addition, the
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funding supports the transformation of these 20
persistently failing schools into community schools.
Community schools address issues of poverty by
working together with government and nonprofit
service providers to ensure that every student is
prepared, safe, healthy and ready to learn. This new
investment in community school transformation will
build on the Governor’s 2013 initiative that invested $30
million to develop 62 community schools in high-need
school districts.
[3]
Schools transforming into community
schools were allowed to use grant funds of up to
$500,000 to support activities such as the hiring of a
community school coordinator, before-and-after school
mentoring, summer learning activities, and referrals and
connections to medical, dental, and other social services.
Building on these past successes, the Governor
proposes that all failing schools be transformed into
community schools and that other high-need school
districts will be eligible to access the $100 million to
transform their schools to community schools. There are
still approximately 90,000
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students enrolled in schools
identified as failing. These students require and deserve
immediate action. The Governor therefore proposes that
of the new $100 million for the Community Schools fund,
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a fund of $75 million be specifically allocated amongst
the 17 school districts which currently house a failing or
persistently failing schools to support their efforts to
turn around the school through the establishment of a
community school model.
Proposal: $200 Supplies Credit for Teachers
Governor Cuomo has long supported initiatives
designed to attract and retain excellent teachers in New
York schools. Teachers work hard and support their
students, and the state should encourage and support
these teachers. In order to give back to teachers who
purchase instructional materials or other supplies for
their classrooms, the Governor proposes $10 million in
tax credits to reimburse teachers up to $200 for their
purchases of classroom materials and supplies.
Proposal: Establish an Education Tax Credit
Currently, there are over 400,000
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children in
non-public schools in New York. To support choice and
innovation in education, Governor Cuomo proposes to
create a $150 million Education Tax Credit. Under this
proposal, taxpayers will be able to claim a tax credit for
eligible contributions to scholarship organizations and
public schools. This initiative would also support a new
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tax credit directly to families to offset nonpublic school
tuition expenses.
Proposal: Support School Choice
All students and families should have choices
regarding what is the best school for the individual
student. In order to protect and expand school choice for
parents and students, Governor Cuomo has increased
funding for charter schools and guaranteed facility
access in New York City, while also strengthening the
Comptroller’s power to audit charter schools to ensure
quality. In addition, the Governor has increased the
charter cap in New York City and increased flexibility for
charter school authorizers. Charter schools are an
important component of our school system and the
Governor will continue to encourage their development
in this budget.
Proposal: Examine Enrollment and Retention Policies
in Charter Schools
The Governor remains committed to expanding a
family’s choice in education, but these choices must be
fair and equal. Schools are the center of a community,
and public schools, including charter schools, must be
designed to serve all children across that community.
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Current law includes significant parameters and
requirements to ensure that charter schools institute fair
and transparent enrollment and retention practices.
However, over the past several years, anecdotal evidence
of troubling practices has occasionally arisen. As is true
in all areas of government, the perception of a problem
can be a problem in and of itself. Accordingly, the
Governor proposes that the state examine charter school
enrollment and retention issues in the coming year –
including current law, current regulations, and current
practices – and take all necessary steps to improve the
fairness and transparency of the system.
Proposal: Restoring the Trust in Education: The
Common Core Task Force
Responding to the confusion and chaos related to
past implementation of the Common Core, Governor
Cuomo appointed a 15-member Task Force to review
state standards, curriculum, and assessments. In
December 2015, the Task Force issued a 50-plus page
report and 21 recommendations based on feedback
received from parents, teachers, students, and other
education experts across 12 public engagement sessions,
as well as on over 2,000 comments and conversations
with stakeholders.
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Likewise, we will not rest until our K-12
education system is the best in the nation. Last year we
made dramatic changes. We reduced testing, increased
parental participation and empowered local districts.
These reforms were essential because we saw parents
losing faith in the system. Roughly 20 percent of students
opted out of exams and in some districts it was as high as
90 percent. Simply put, the education system fails
without parental trust. To restore the trust we said we
would correct the State Education Department’s
Common Core curriculum implementation mistakes and
testing regimen. Time has shown that this is the right
decision and we urge the State Education Department to
do it right this time and are all fully available to assist in
and monitor that effort.
After careful review, the Governor accepts all 21
recommendations of the Common Core Task Force
report. The Task Force recommendations include the
use of developmentally appropriate standards infused
with stakeholder input which will be periodically
reviewed and updated; shortening the number of test
days and test questions; increasing transparency of
assessments and assessment reports; expanding support
and development for educators to create or adapt
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curriculum to meet the needs of individual students; and
protecting students with disabilities and English
language learners from inappropriate testing. In
addition, the task force recommended – and the Regents
adopted – a transitional period until 2019 during which
the results of the third through eighth grade ELA and
Math State standardized assessments will be advisory
only for individual students and teachers.
The Governor urges the State Education
Department (SED) to implement each of these
recommendations through administrative action, while
maintaining an open and transparent dialogue with
education stakeholders across the state. Governor
Cuomo stands ready to assist in and monitor these
efforts, as it is of critical importance that we get it right
this time.
Proposal: Expand Pre-Kindergarten for Three Year
Olds
Early education is the pathway to future success.
When we in invest in our youngest New Yorkers, we
invest not only in their growth but in our own future.
Research has demonstrated that high-quality pre-
kindergarten, especially for high-need students, has one
of the greatest returns on investment of any social
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policy.
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Due to the Governor’s unwavering belief in the
importance of the investment in our youngest learners,
the state has more than doubled its annual commitment
to pre-kindergarten
during Governor
Cuomo’s time in
office from 385 to
785.
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There are
now nearly 120,000
students served in
the state’s pre-
kindergarten
programs, many in full-day spots.
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This has created
unprecedented access to early childhood education in
the state.
The Governor invested an additional $30 million
last year to support pre-kindergarten for 3,000
additional three year or four year olds in high-need
districts. Research has suggested that access to high-
quality early childcare education, especially in the
younger years, has substantial effects on a child’s long-
term brain development.
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However, more districts
applied for state funds to offer a program for three year
Early education is the
pathway to future success.
When we invest in our
youngest New Yorkers, we
invest not only in their
growth but in our own
future.
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olds than could be supported by last year’s funding. To
serve that need, the Governor proposes an additional
$22 million investment in pre-kindergarten for three
year olds that will support the provision of early
childhood education to an additional 2,000-2,500 three
year old students and ensure that these children will
have even earlier access to high-quality instruction
during the critical brain and language development
years, along with opportunities to build confidence and
social skills through activity and play.
Proposal: Expand Quality Monitoring and
Improvement in Pre-Kindergarten
Last year, Governor Cuomo established the first
state-level funding commitment to ensuring quality in
early childhood settings by allocating $3 million for
QUALITYstarsNY, the state’s tiered quality rating and
improvement system. The Governor proposes allocating
an additional $2 million to support the work of
QUALITYstarsNY to allow even more early childhood
settings to be monitored, reviewed, and given the tools
they need to succeed in providing high-quality early
education. In addition, QUALITYstarsNY also provides
necessary transparency to the system, as it gives parents
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a clear way of understanding the quality of the education
and care received at the early childhood setting.
In the past, participation in QUALITYstarsNY has
been voluntary. However, some of the state’s most
vulnerable children are served in early childhood care
and education settings that may deeply benefit from
quality monitoring and improvements, and have not yet
volunteered. In order to ensure high-quality education
and care for vulnerable students, settings identified by
licensing agencies such as the Office of Children and
Family Services, the State Education Department, or the
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
as needing extra support will be required to participate
in QUALITYstarsNY as a condition of receiving state
funds.
Proposal: Extend Mayoral Control in New York City
New York City has had mayoral control over its
public school system since 2002; the authority is
currently set to expire in 2016. Governor Cuomo
supports a three-year extension of New York City
mayoral control this year. In addition, Governor Cuomo
encourages mayors of other cities across the state to
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examine whether mayoral control of schools would help
to support and enhance student achievement.
Proposal: Make Schools Safer
In an emergency situation, seconds matter. There
cannot be even momentary confusion over what to do or
who is in charge in an emergency when children are
involved. In order to prevent this confusion, the
Governor proposes legislative changes to overhaul and
modernize the current section of law that governs school
safety plans. These changes will clarify the difference
between district and school safety plans, especially in
regard to protecting confidential information, and will
ensure that all school staff undergo mandatory annual
training on district safety and school emergency plans. In
addition, the Governor proposes that each district be
required to designate a school or district employee as
Chief Emergency Officer to ensure that there is a clear
point person responsible for all emergency coordination
and training, all communications, and all school and
district safety plan monitoring.
The Governor also proposes to modernize the
current fire drill law to replace a small number of
currently required fire drills with practice and
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preparation sessions tailored to other types of
emergency situations, such as lock-down drills. Under
current law, schools are required to hold 12 fire drills
every year to keep New York children safe. However,
New York and the nation are consistently faced with new
and evolving threats to student safety that may require a
different type of response than that required during a
fire-related emergency. Shifting the focus of some
currently required fire drills to allow for other
emergency preparation has the support of the New York
State Police, the New York Division of Homeland Security
and Emergency Services, and the New York Safe Schools
Task Force.
Finally, the Governor proposes that SED be
authorized to administratively forgive a school day
shortfall when a school closes in an emergency situation
after a credible threat to student safety. Under Education
Law, in order to receive the full amount of State Aid,
school districts must operate for 180 school days.
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In
recent years, school districts have had to petition the
legislature for specific acts of legislation to initiate aid
forgiveness for instances when a school had to close its
doors late in the school year under the advisement of law
enforcement professionals. We must enable school
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district personnel to make decisions that protect
students’ safety without putting state aid to school
districts in jeopardy, and the Governor’s proposal would
ensure that safety is the first and only consideration in
any emergency.
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3. PRESERVING OUR
ENVIRONMENT AND
OPEN SPACE
New York is home to remarkable environmental
assets; from the forty six peaks of the Adirondacks, to the
shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, to the rolling hills
of the Finger Lakes and Susquehanna Basin, to the
Mohawk River corridor through the Hudson Valley and
the Catskills, to New York Harbor and Long Island. No
other state in the nation can compete with New York’s
natural resources.
Over his first five years in office, Governor Cuomo
has dedicated historic levels of investment to protect,
expand and enhance the state’s unparalleled air, land and
water resources. Since taking office in 2011, Governor
Cuomo has worked in partnership with the State
Legislature to provide unprecedented capital funding to
State Parks, water and wastewater infrastructure and
land preservation while also restoring funding to the
Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Early in his
tenure, Governor Cuomo signed power plant siting
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legislation that had been stalled for years that ensures no
new coal fired power plants will be constructed in New
York State. Governor Cuomo also leveraged the success
of his Regional Economic Development Councils by
investing $100 million dollars in the state’s multi-year
Cleaner, Greener Communities Program to develop
regional sustainability planning and implement projects
that drive investments in renewable energy, smart
growth, and local parks and trails systems.
In 2014, at the direction of Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe
Martens and Department of Health Commissioner Dr.
Howard Zucker, New York State announced a ban on
high-volume hydraulic fracking of natural gas. The
Governor has also prioritized reducing the state’s carbon
footprint while also adapting our response efforts and
infrastructure to better withstand severe weather like
Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, Superstorm Sandy,
and the 2014 Buffalo snow storm that brought eight feet
of snow to southern Erie County. The State Energy Plan,
issued in 2015, helps to further these goals through a
focus on reducing carbon emissions by 40 percent below
1990 levels by 2030 and ensuring that 50 percent of the
energy used by New Yorkers come from renewable
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resources by the same date. The State Energy Plan
reinforces and builds upon ongoing work to Reform the
State’s Energy Vision (REV) and develop a 21st century
power grid.
In December, Governor Cuomo reinforced his
commitment to the goals outlined in the State Energy
Plan and directed the Department of Public Service to
advance a proceeding before the Public Service
Commission to mandate that 50 percent of the state’s
energy come from renewable sources by 2030. This
mandate will ensure that New York achieves its
aggressive emissions
reduction goal and
will drive billions of
dollars of investment
into the state’s clean
energy economy as
companies develop
new technologies and
install new sources of
renewable energy.
In 2016, Governor Cuomo is committed to build
on previous environmental accomplishments with
historic investments in the state’s parks, recreation, and
Over his first five years in
office, Governor Cuomo has
dedicated historic levels of
investment to protect,
expand and enhance the
state’s unparalleled air,
land and water resources.
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tourism assets and increased funding for the state’s
program that supports critical water infrastructure
improvements. The Governor will also advance a
renewed and aggressive environmental justice agenda.
Proposal: Increase the Environmental Protection
Fund to $300 Million
When Governor Cuomo took office in 2011, the
State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) stood at
$134 million, nearly 50 percent lower than its historic
high of $255 million in 2008. Over the past five years the
Governor has worked tirelessly to restrain government
spending and maintain fiscal discipline while restoring
EPF funding to its current level of $177 million. To
provide increased funding for investments in land
acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species
prevention and eradication, waterfront revitalization,
and environmental justice programming the Governor
proposes an unprecedented and historic $300 million
investment in the EPF. This long aspired, yet never
achieved funding milestone will set a new benchmark for
environmental protection in New York State, one that
Governor Cuomo is committed to preserving throughout
his tenure and beyond.
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Year State EPF Allocation
2011-12 $134M
2012-13 $134M
2013-14 $153M
2014-15 $162M
2015-16 $177M
2016-17 $300M
In addition to expanding investment in existing
EPF funding categories, the Governor proposes the
creation of a new Climate Change Mitigation and
Adaption category in the EPF. Climate change is a
generational and existential problem that requires
billions of dollars of investment to limit and reduce the
severe impacts of sea level rise and extreme weather.
While the state has made strides in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions from the power sector through the multi-
state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), new
EPF funding will support the state’s aggressive efforts to
reduce emissions from sources not included within the
RGGI platform, including landfills, water treatment
facilities, and commercial buildings. Funds in the
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proposed Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption
category will support investments in priority projects
that address sea level rise, enhance resiliency against
extreme weather, and increase flood mitigation and
coastal protection.
Proposal: Make New York Coal Free By 2020
Coal is one of the highest greenhouse gas emitting
and environmentally harmful fuel sources for power
generation. While coal supplied the bulk of our energy
needs up until the 1950s,
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the nation now enjoys access
to cleaner, greener and more sustainable energy
resources for power production. In fact, today, New York
State has only three active coal fired power plants that
produce less than 4 percent of the state’s energy load and
one plant is scheduled for closure in 2016.
To achieve the state’s goal of reducing carbon
dioxide emissions from the energy sector 40 percent by
2030 the Governor seeks to close or repower the two
remaining coal burning power plants to natural gas by
2020. To accomplish this goal, the Governor will direct
the Department of Public Service and the DEC to work
with the New York Independent System Operator to
develop a regulatory framework that will ensure system
131
reliability while facilitating repowering to cleaner fuel or
closure no later than 2020.
To minimize economic impact on communities
and workers the Governor will draw upon the state’s
existing $19 million mitigation fund to offset financial
losses associated with the retirement of aging or
obsolete power plants. Governor Cuomo is committed to
working with plant owners and host communities to
achieve his objective in a manner that will preserve jobs
or retrain current employees for new jobs in New York’s
clean energy economy and provide tax revenue
stabilization assistance to local governments and school
districts.
Proposal: Advance $7 Million for Environmental
Justice Programming
Minority and low-income communities are too
often disproportionately impacted by air pollution,
contamination from power plants, landfills, and former
industrial sites as well as harmful emissions from high
volumes of automobile traffic. The state has already
invested $3 million in 89 different environmental justice
focused initiatives through the DEC’s Office of
Environmental Justice. Moreover, Governor Cuomo’s
Parks 2020 initiative includes $42 million in state
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funding and $45 million in Sandy recovery funds to
enhance Riverbank and Roberto Clemente State Parks,
which together serve more than 4 million visitors, many
of whom live in underserved and low income
neighborhoods in Harlem and the Bronx.
This year, Governor Cuomo will launch a
statewide environmental equity and justice framework
that reaches beyond DEC’s current program. This
framework will ensure that all state agencies align their
operations with environmental justice and equity
principles, simultaneously addressing a broad range of
issues affecting the health, economic, and social stability
of low-income and minority communities, which are
disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens.
To further advance the state’s environmental
justice priorities, the Governor proposes $7 million in
funding from the Environmental Protection Fund to
expand environmental justice programming. This
investment will double the state’s environmental justice
grant program and provide direct funding for improved
air quality monitoring, citizen science, outdoor
recreational access and education and outreach efforts
designed to improve the environmental and public
health of disproportionately impacted communities.
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Through these efforts, the state will build upon regional
and local initiatives, and ensure meaningful involvement
from community leaders in environmental decision
making.
The EPF will also provide inner-city and
underserved communities with a record $10 million for
waterfront revitalization planning and projects as well as
$10 million for municipal park improvements.
Proposal: Increase Water Infrastructure Investment
Act of 2015 to $300 Million
To protect New York’s water resources,
community health, and prospects for future economic
growth the state must rehabilitate and modernize our
aging drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
Last year, Governor Cuomo joined with the State
Legislature to enact the Water Infrastructure
Improvement Act (WIIA) of 2015 that provides $200
million over three fiscal years to fund critical water and
wastewater system improvements. In 2015 the
Environmental Facilities Corporation awarded the first
$50 million from WIIA to forty five water and
wastewater infrastructure projects across the state. This
$50 million investment, when combined with low
interest loans from existing state revolving loan funds,
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leveraged more than $440 million in water
infrastructure projects that saved New York taxpayers
$200 million in avoided municipal debt service.
Due to the early success of this effort and the
oversubscription of the first round of WIIA funding,
Governor Cuomo
proposes an increase of
$100 million under the
Water Infrastructure
Improvement Act that
will bring total funding
to $300 million. These
additional funds will
allow the state to issue
an additional $250
million in grants to municipalities over the next two
years that will leverage more than $1.5 billion in local
water infrastructure investments and create an
estimated 24,000 jobs.
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Proposal: Accelerate $500 Million Nitrogen Pollution
Prevention Program on Long Island
Nitrogen pollution is one of Long Island’s most
pressing environmental challenges. Excess nitrogen in
waterways severely impacts water quality, degrades
Governor Cuomo proposes
an increase of
$100 million under the
Water Infrastructure
Improvement Act that will
bring total funding to
$300 million.
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critical ecosystems, threatens public health, harms vital
and protective coastal wetlands and hinders marine
economies.
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Investing in both traditional and
green infrastructure to control and treat wastewater and
stormwater runoff will help keep nitrogen out of our
waterways.
The state has taken a series of steps to reduce
nitrogen levels on Long Island, including a
transformative $388 million initiative to connect nearly
10,000 Suffolk County households to modern sewer
systems and treatment plants and $3.9 million in grants
to seven targeted projects aimed at reducing nitrogen
pollution in the Peconic Estuary watershed. In Nassau
County, the state is investing more than $190 million to
advance an effluent outfall pipe at the Bay Park
wastewater treatment plant, a long overdue project that
will ensure Long Island’s Western Bays are free from
harmful nutrients.
To build on the success of these combined efforts,
the Governor proposes an additional $10 million
investment to support wastewater and stormwater
projects in Nassau and Suffolk counties through the
EPF’s Water Quality Improvement Program.
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Proposal: Invest $9 Million to Build Advanced Zero
Emission Vehicle Charging Stations
New York’s transportation sector accounts for
approximately one-third of the state’s greenhouse gas
emissions.
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In order to achieve significant reductions
from this sector, the state has invested heavily to remove
barriers that hinder widespread consumer adoption of
zero emission vehicles.
When the Governor
took office in 2011,
there were only 500
electric vehicles on the
road compared to
14,000 today.
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New
York has increased the
number of electric vehicle charging stations from fewer
than a dozen in 2009 to over 1,200 today.
102
In order to further increase the number of zero
emission vehicles on our roads, New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will
invest an additional $9 million in the state’s Charge NY
program. This investment will help to build up to 800
additional charging stations around the state. In 2016,
the New York Power Authority and the Thruway
New York has increased
the number of electric
vehicle charging stations
from fewer than a dozen in
2009 to over 1,200 today.
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Authority will also unveil the state’s first high speed
electric car charging stations on the Thruway at rest
areas between New York City to Albany that will provide
a full charge in just 30 minutes to facilitate long-distance
travel.
Proposal: Reduce Organic Waste to Lower Methane
Emissions
Getting food from the farm to our dinner tables is
an expensive, resource intensive process—yet 40
percent of food produced in the United States today goes
uneaten.
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Much of that organic waste is disposed of in
municipal landfills and its decomposition accounts for
over 15 percent of our nation’s methane emissions.
104
Methane is a greenhouse gas that has twelve times the
atmospheric impact of carbon dioxide.
105
Meanwhile, an
estimated 2.8 million New Yorkers are facing hunger and
food insecurity.
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To address this dual social justice and
environmental challenge, the Governor will work with
the legislature in 2016 to pass a bill requiring large
generators of food waste to donate edible food and
compost or recycle what is not donated. This legislation
will require New York’s 1,200 large food waste
generators, such as grocery stores, colleges, hospitals,
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and restaurants to donate or recycle the estimated
275,000 tons of food waste annually.
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This will help to
reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfills and
reduce methane emissions while ensuring that hungry
New Yorkers have improved access to quality food. The
state will phase in implementation of any program over
several years to allow for the state-supported
development of food donation programs and recycling
infrastructure. This sequencing will ensure excess food
is donated to feed hungry New Yorkers, used to generate
energy, repurposed as animal feed, or composted.
These efforts will dovetail with the state’s $40
million investment in waste-to-energy infrastructure
and the expanded food waste audit program at the New
York State Pollution Prevention Institute that takes
inventory of operations at large generators to identify
opportunities to reduce waste and increase recycling.
Proposal: Invest $125 Million to Rebuild State Parks
Governor Cuomo has made historic
commitments to improve and expand access to
recreational opportunities in New York’s State Parks. In
2015, the Governor launched NY Parks 2020, a multi-
year commitment to leverage $900 million in funding for
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State Parks improvements. To date, these funds have
supported more than 225 projects to revitalize and
rejuvenate more than 130 State Parks and Historic Sites.
In 2016 the Governor will formally open the Thacher
Park Visitors Center and Letchworth State Park Nature
Center, start construction of the Cave of the Winds
experience at Niagara Falls State Park and complete
recreational enhancements at Buffalo Harbor State
Park—New York’s newest state park.
This year, the Governor proposes $90 million to
further this initiative added to an additional $80 million
investment of storm recovery resources in our State
Parks. In 2016 the Office of Parks Recreation and Historic
Preservation (OPRHP) will continue to debut new
gateways and restore long-treasured flagships
throughout the state with a focus on investments on
Long Island. In 2016, OPRHP will increase its overall
investment in Long Island Park facilities to $182.5
million, including $54.5 million in new investments. This
new investment includes a $34.5 million investment at
Hempstead Lake State Park and an $18 million project to
build the Jones Beach Marketplace that will provide a
variety of food and beverage offerings—including
healthy, local Taste NY options.
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Last April, Governor Cuomo announced that
Robert Moses State Park will become the first energy-
neutral state park in the nation—this month, the state
will break ground on the construction of a 500 kilowatt
solar project to achieve that goal. State Parks will further
advance this initiative with the construction of up to 5
additional megawatts of solar at Jones Beach, Sunken
Meadow State Parks, and Robert Moses State Park. These
solar investments will generate approximately fifty
percent of the electricity demand for Long Island State
Parks and result in the reduction of nearly 5,000 metric
tons of CO2 emissions per year.
Proposal: Launch “Connect Kids” Parks Access
Program and Provide Free Parks Entry for 220,000
Fourth Graders
Sixty two million New Yorkers visited the State
Park system in 2015, an eight percent increase from
2011.
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Despite record breaking attendance, many of
New York’s most vulnerable populations, including
children who live below the poverty line, lack sufficient
access to outdoor recreational assets. This year, as a
component of the state’s enhanced Environmental
Justice programming, Governor Cuomo will launch the
“Connect Kids” program, a partnership between State
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Parks and the Departments of Environmental
Conservation and Health that will provide direct grants
to school districts through the Environmental Protection
Fund’s Environmental Justice Program to cover the costs
of transporting 4,000 school children to State Parks.
In 2016, New York State will also partner with the
National Park Service to extend free entry to State Parks
for all 220,000 fourth grade students and their families
in 2016.
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4. PUBLIC SAFETY
Recent terrorist attacks in Paris, France, and San
Bernardino, California, as well as the arrest of a
Rochester man attempting to support the Islamic State
(ISIL), are tragic reminders of global terrorism. These
attacks have revealed a trend toward coordinated,
homegrown assaults that, in the 21
st
century, can be
exacerbated by social media and networked technology.
Cyber-crime and cyber-terrorism are an increasingly
common threat to the personal and financial safety of
New York’s citizens, government, and businesses. This
new normal of domestic terrorism and cyber-crime
require an expanded approach to the state’s counter
terrorism efforts.
Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the state
has worked closely with federal and other state officials
to implement new strategies to protect New York from
emerging threats. In 2015, the Governor called on the
federal government to prevent known or suspected
terrorists from purchasing guns in New York State. The
Governor also directed state agencies, including the
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
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(DHSES), the New York State Police, the National Guard,
the MTA, and the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey to identify threats and deploy enhanced security
measures to detect and deter acts of terrorism. To curtail
the financing of worldwide criminal and terrorist
networks, the Governor also proposed new anti-
terrorism and anti-money laundering regulations to
prevent illicit transactions.
In 2015, the Governor announced that New York
would create the first-in-the-nation College of
Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and
Cybersecurity at the University at Albany-SUNY to train
the next generation of emergency managers and security
professionals. The state also launched NY Responds, a
comprehensive response to emergency situations and
disasters. DHSES has completed the first phase of NY
Responds and phase two of is underway to deliver
additional upgrades to the incident management system.
The Governor has also initiated important
measures to ensure that New York remains at the
forefront of combating cyber security threats. In 2013,
the Governor created the state’s first Cyber Security
Advisory Board, consisting of several of the country’s
foremost cyber security experts. Since its creation, the
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Board has advised the Governor on developments in
cyber security and has provided recommendations to
protect the state’s critical infrastructure and information
systems. In 2014, the New York State Police established
the Cyber Analysis Unit at the New York State
Intelligence Center to monitor cyber threats and collect
and disseminate vital intelligence on these threats. The
Cyber Analysis Unit is fully staffed with expertly trained
cyber security professionals and will provide timely,
sector specific intelligence reports to law enforcement,
private businesses, and government entities.
To help businesses develop the tools they need to
defend against cyber intrusions the Governor has
directed the Department of Financial Services to join
with their regulatory partners on the state and federal
level, and with representatives from the financial
services industry, to establish concrete industry
standards for the protections of consumers’ personal
information and critical economic data. The Cyber
Security Advisory Board is also partnering with the
Department of State to develop a comprehensive
program of public talks, public service announcements,
and online informational resources to educate New
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York’s citizens and businesses on the cyber security
threats they face and how they can protect themselves.
While these initiatives will go far to protect New
York’s citizens, the state must do more to combat ever-
evolving, complex threats and prevent future attacks.
Proposal: Establish Permanent Statewide Law
Enforcement Presence to Combat Terrorism
Understanding the need for increased protection
of its citizens in the wake of heightened terrorist threats,
the Governor initiated a counterterrorism surge in the
New York City metro area in 2014 that provided an
increased State Police, MTA Police, and National Guard
presence. The state also launched the “See Something,
Send Something” mobile application in 2015 that allows
New Yorkers to report suspicious activity.
To protect against the increased threat to transit
hubs and critical infrastructure, the state will establish a
permanent State Police presence in New York City. These
specially-trained, uniformed State Troopers will partner
with dozens of investigators to strengthen the law
enforcement presence in and around New York City.
Moreover, the Governor has called for a total investment
of $40 million, which will expand the current surge to
critical infrastructure throughout the state.
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Proposal: Consolidate the Office of Counter Terrorism
with the State Police
In 2015, the Governor announced that former
New York City Police Department Commissioner Ray
Kelly would conduct an in depth assessment of the state’s
existing counterterrorism preparedness and prevention
efforts. Commissioner Kelly has proposed a preliminary
recommendation for the state to consolidate the
operational components of the Office of Counter
Terrorism in DHSES within the New York State Police’s
Office of Counter Terrorism. This shift will increase the
efficiency of the state’s counterterrorism functions by
consolidating all intelligence and analysis resources
within the New York State Intelligence Center, under the
singular command of the New York State Police. The
enhanced unit will monitor all known threats and
identify emerging targets using the latest technology and
techniques. This effort will continue to support federal,
state, local, tribal, and private sector efforts to prevent,
protect against and prepare for acts and threats of
terrorism.
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Proposal: Provide Enhanced Training and Equipment
to State Troopers
Recent terror attacks have revealed a trend
towards coordinated strikes using military-style assault
weapons, as well as home-grown extremists committing
lone-wolf attacks. These attacks are easier to carry out
on American soil and can occur anywhere within New
York State.
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This new normal of terrorism requires an
expanded approach to the state’s counterterrorism
efforts.
The Governor will invest $4 million to prepare
New York State Troopers to respond to this emerging
threat, both in New York City and throughout the state.
This investment will provide rifles, body armor, and
ballistic helmets to all on-duty uniformed troopers, along
with the necessary training to prepare them to respond
to this evolving threat of terrorism.
Proposal: Close the Terror Gap
We know that terrorists are within our borders
and we know that they can and do purchase firearms
from licensed and presumably law abiding firearms
dealers. In fact, a study by the federal government
concluded that 91 percent of firearm and explosives
purchases attempted by individuals on the terror watch
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list were permitted to proceed.
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Yet our federal gun
laws do not currently enable states to prevent the sale of
weapons to potential terrorists. It is reckless and
irresponsible not to share information about possible
terrorists within our borders.
Today, states cannot use the federal
government’s Terror Watch List to determine who may
be licensed to own or permitted to buy a firearm and
Washington D.C. can’t agree on the use of intelligence
information concerning terrorists in gun background
checks. The Governor calls upon the federal government
to officially add the U.S. Terror Watch List to the criteria
it uses for federal background checks in New York
State. This would prevent known or suspected terrorists
from legally purchasing guns and would cross-check the
terror watch list with a National Instant Criminal
Background Check System request, effectively closing
the terror gap within the state and barring individuals on
federal terror watch lists from legally arming
themselves.
Proposal: Protect Critical Infrastructure through
Targeted Security Assessments
The Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit
coordinates the protection of the state’s most vital assets.
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The Unit partners with both public and private sectors to
conduct assessments of critical infrastructure and key
resources, such as power plants and transportation hubs.
These assessments help local governments and
businesses develop comprehensive protection strategies
against evolving threats.
In light of the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino,
as well as the recent revelation that the command center
of a dam within New York State was hacked
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, the
Governor will direct the Unit to expand the number of
annual security assessments and response exercises and
ensure they occur in all areas of the state, including rural
and suburban locations. These assessments will not only
reveal potential weaknesses and help prevent attacks,
they will also teach us how to respond and mitigate any
damage in the unlikely event of a successful attack. The
Governor proposes to invest $1.3 million to fund these
assessments and exercises to reduce the state’s
vulnerability to terrorism by strengthening readiness
and response.
Proposal: Establish Best-Practice Industry Standards
to Prevent Against Cyber Attacks
It is estimated that cyber-crime costs the global
economy over $445 billion dollars annually and that data
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breaches alone resulted in losses of over $1.3 billion to
New York businesses. Understanding the importance of
developing cyber security standards within New York’s
vital industry sectors, the Governor will direct the Cyber
Security
Advisory Board
to develop
industry-specific
cyber analysis
and protection
consortiums comprised of representatives from across
the state. These consortiums will serve as distribution
hubs for industry-specific cyber security intelligence,
and provide a forum where small and large businesses
alike can exchange information on cyber threats,
vulnerabilities, and available resources to better
respond to cyber incidents. In the coming months, the
state will engage with an array of private industry
leaders to develop cyber security best practices,
intelligence on cyber threats, and analytic and recovery
support to minimize the damage cyber-security breaches
cause. By providing the tools and a forum for
collaboration, the state can help promote economic
It is estimated that cyber-crime
costs the global economy over
$445 billion dollars annually.
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growth and confront a vulnerability that affects all
businesses.
Proposal: Create the Cybersecurity Research
Scholarship to Train the Next Generation of Security
Analysts
New York is home to some of the world’s leading
businesses and public-sector organizations. Our reliance
on networked technologies makes it critical for the state
to do all it can to protect its infrastructure from pervasive
cyber threats.
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The cyber security sector is growing and
the nation’s first College of Emergency Preparedness,
Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity located at the
University at Albany, as well as the cyber security
programs at other SUNY institutions, are well positioned
to help meet this workforce demand.
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To ensure that
we are training the next generation of cyber security
professionals, the Governor will create a new
Scholarship Program for Analysis and Research in
Cybersecurity (SPARC) to provide full tuition support for
students seeking degrees in the field of cyber security at
any SUNY institution. The program will provide fifty
eligible students with a full tuition scholarship toward a
relevant degree in exchange for an equivalent number of
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years of employment in a cyber security position in New
York’s state or local governments. This scholarship
builds upon the Governor’s continued commitment to
provide the talent and tools needed to protect the state's
cyber infrastructure.
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5. SOCIAL JUSTICE
As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The test of
our progress is not whether we add more to the
abundance of those who have much; it is whether we
provide enough for those who have too little.” Since
taking office, Governor Cuomo has been a steadfast
advocate for the most vulnerable New Yorkers.
New York State is fueled by the hard work and
contributions of its diverse residents—from upstate
farmers to downstate urbanites, from generations-old
families to those brand new to our country’s shores. We
live and grow as one, operating according to America’s
motto, E Pluribus Unum, "out of many, one." By lifting
each other up, we fortify the fabric of our communities.
Since his first term in office, Governor Cuomo has
worked to empower all New Yorkers by dismantling
barriers to economic mobility. He has increased public
assistance grants, expanded the reach of community-
driven support networks that provide basic supports like
food and shelter, empaneled an anti-poverty task force,
advanced job-creating tax credits, and leveraged the
power of philanthropy to promote job creation. Each
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step has struck down impediments to individual success,
and made economic mobility possible for all New
Yorkers.
Governor Cuomo will continue to promote
reforms that help working families achieve
independence, security, and prosperity. He will create a
more integrated approach to public assistance programs
to improve access to food, shelter, and employment. He
will build stronger relationships with business, public,
and nonprofit community partners and encourage
coordination between state and local anti-poverty
efforts. The Governor will also fight for essential
protections for hardworking New Yorkers to ensure
equality of opportunity for all those who strive for a
better future. Through these existing and new initiatives,
the Governor will help all New Yorkers maximize their
personal economic potential, and enjoy safe and healthy
communities.
PART ONE: HUMAN SERVICES AND POVERTY
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has
undertaken proactive initiatives to combat hunger and
poverty. He increased public assistance grants in 2012
by 10 percent, fulfilling the final phase of a multi-year
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commitment to increase aid to needy New Yorkers. To
maximize the impact of these investments, the Governor
also created a new Cabinet-level position of Interagency
Coordinator for Nonprofit Services to improve how the
state and nonprofit agencies that deliver human services
to needy New Yorkers work together. The Governor also
approved a new “Nonprofit Unit” at the Department of
Budget to address nonprofit issues.
The Administration launched a new Grants
Gateway, the state’s portal through which nonprofits
apply for grants and contracts. Once fully implemented,
the Grants Gateway will cut the length of time from point
of award to contract execution by up to two months.
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To further support the work of the state’s
nonprofit partners, the Governor created a $50 million
Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program to
make targeted investments in capital projects that will
improve the quality, efficiency, accessibility, and reach of
human services organizations serving New Yorkers.
Applications are due at the end of January, with awards
scheduled to be announced in the spring.
The Governor also created a new Office of Faith-
Based Community Development Services, headed by
former Assemblyman Karim Camara, to leverage and
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assist community and faith-based organizations in the
delivery of education, health, workforce training, food
programs and social services to communities,
particularly those most in need. The new Office, in
partnership with Homes and Community Renewal,
hosted a first-ever series of Housing, Community, and
Faith-Based Development Conferences to empower
nonprofit organizations to partner with New York State
to meet their communities’ needs. Sessions in Utica and
in Rochester drew hundreds of local organizations;
additional regional conferences are planned for 2016.
Putting the state’s strength behind an
unprecedented effort at the community level, Governor
Cuomo appointed the Rochester Anti-Poverty Task Force
in 2015 to work with local public, business, and civic
leaders to end poverty in Rochester and Monroe County.
More than 20 state agencies are leveraging resources to
build a comprehensive, integrated support system that
empowers impoverished families to succeed. The
region’s success in the Upstate Revitalization Initiative
led to a five-year, $500 million state investment that will
increase prosperity through economic growth.
In 2015, Governor Cuomo signed into law
important reforms creating a new “conciliation process”
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in New York City whereby a person on public assistance
will have an opportunity to re-engage with their work
requirements before being subject to debilitating
sanctions. Under the previous system, New York City
residents on public assistance who missed as little as a
single day of work faced automatic suspensions of
benefits for six months as part of a “sanctions process.”
The system also included “auto-posting” whereby a
recipient was sent a computer-generated sanction,
without any human review as to whether the sanction
being imposed was warranted. This system is now in the
past.
Governor Cuomo has made it a priority for state
agencies to operate more efficiently, and New York has
had tremendous success utilizing technology to improve
citizen services. Last year, the state set out to
significantly expand upon the success of the New York
State of Health insurance marketplace – which has
enrolled more than 2.7 million New Yorkers in coverage
– by creating a simple, seamless “no wrong door” system
for health and human services programs. The state is
working to implement an “Integrated Eligibility System”
(IES) by 2018. Leveraging significant federal funding, the
IES will be a flexible, statewide solution that improves
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coordination among programs, reduces costs, and
increases efficiency. The IES will enable service
providers to view real-time data in a single place,
ensuring that programs and services are tailored to suit
individual needs.
Continued Support for At Risk Families and Children
Governor Cuomo has shown ongoing support
for programs for low-income families, such as home
visiting, through the continued funding of Healthy
Families NY (HFNY), via the Office of Children and Family
Services (OCFS), as well as the Nurse-Family
Partnership, via the Department of Health (DOH). These
evidence-based programs have shown positive
outcomes in the communities where they are
In 2015, Governor Cuomo signed into law
important reforms creating a new “conciliation
process” in New York City whereby a person on
public assistance will have an opportunity to
re-engage with their work requirements before
being subject to debilitating sanctions.
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implemented, including improved mother and child
health, reductions in poverty status, and improved
academic outcomes for children.
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HFNY focuses on the
safety of children by supporting families in targeted high
risk communities. Services include educating families on
parenting and child development; connecting families
with medical providers for prenatal/well-baby visits and
immunizations; assessing children for development
delays; and helping families access community referral
resources and services. Positive evaluation outcomes for
HFNY include:
• A 48% reduction in low birth weight
deliveries among women who enrolled
before the 31
st
week of pregnancy;
• Children were 70% more likely to score
above grade level in first grade on three
behaviors that promote learning,
• HFNY children are 2.7 times more likely to be
participating in a gifted program by age 7.
OCFS currently funds 36 HFNY programs across
the state with an average of 5,600 families receiving
services on an annual basis. New
York will continue its support of these critical home
visiting programs, and work to ensure connection in
those cities participating in the expanded anti-poverty
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initiative, expanded Pre-kindergarten, and
additional community schools initiative to maximize the
state's support for at-risk families.
Important work remains. Too many New Yorkers
have yet to participate fully in the economic prosperity
spreading across the state. Still too often, the
investments we make don’t accomplish everything they
should, and the design of public assistance programs
often have unintended consequences and introduce new
barriers to self-sufficiency rather than reward success.
We need a more integrated approach to better support
working families on their path to independence.
Proposal: Expand MWBE Goals to State-Funded
Contracts
Since taking office in 2011, Governor Cuomo has
transformed the State’s Minority and Women-owned
Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program. In 2014, the
Governor increased the MWBE goal for state contracting
from 20 to 30 percent—the highest in the nation. Since
2011, state-certified MWBEs have won more than $6.3
billion in state contracts and the state has certified more
than 4,300 MWBEs and re-certified more than 3,600
MWBEs. In the last two years alone, the state has
certified over 2,000 MWBEs.
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In order to continue building on this promise,
Governor Cuomo will propose legislation during the
2016 session that will expand the MWBE Program to
more contracts entirely funded by the state. Under
current state law, MWBE goals only apply to state-
funded contracts issued by state agencies and
authorities, but do not attach to contracts issued by
localities and other entities which are funded by the
state. The legislation will require MWBE goals on state
funds used for contracting purposes on the local level.
This will leverage the largest pool of state funding in
history to combat systemic discrimination and create
new opportunities for MWBE participation. In doing so,
the state will further its goal to help minority and women
business owners overcome entrenched barriers to
success.
Proposal: Create the $25 Million Empire State
Poverty Reduction Initiative
Despite historic economic progress in New York
State, pockets of concentrated poverty persist and
require integrated solutions that address employment,
housing, health and other issues. The statewide poverty
rate is 15.9 percent but communities such as Buffalo,
Schenectady, Jamestown, and Utica have poverty rates as
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high as 31 percent. This year, the Governor is launching
the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI), a
new initiative that will provide $5 million in operating
aid and a pool of $20 million in capital funding to assist
10 high-poverty communities around the state to create
and implement comprehensive plans to reduce poverty.
ESPRI is modeled on the state’s Rochester Anti-
Poverty Task Force, which is adding the state’s power
behind a broad coalition of local government, business
and nonprofit representatives who are redesigning and
coordinating efforts to address extreme poverty in the
Rochester area. ESPRI will replicate this model around
the state by providing $500,000 planning and
implementation grants to communities along with access
to a grant pool of $20 million that will make targeted
investments in capital projects that improve the quality,
efficiency and reach of services that address poverty, and
state agency assistance to communities with high rates
of poverty. Communities will partner with nonprofit
organizations and government stakeholders to:
• Identify specific, measurable objectives to improve
residents’ well-being and quality of life;
• Better align public and private resources with
community-based interventions that are successful
in improving outcomes for residents;
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• Develop strategies that match promising practices to
the unique challenges of each particular community;
• Build partnerships among public and private,
municipal and community-level organizations to
provide a continuum of solutions.
Each selected community will launch its planning
process with a needs assessment and evaluation of
existing plans and priorities, and strategic objectives.
The state will provide access to a dedicated team of state
agency officials who will partner with the community to
provide data, review various program models that
address the community’s priority needs, help develop
proposals or applications for state funding based on
needs and opportunities, and structure a framework to
evaluate effectiveness of interventions. Each community
will receive an implementation grant to launch programs
to reduce poverty and grants from the $20 million capital
fund for essential infrastructure investments to improve
service delivery.
ESPRI will focus on using existing resources more
effectively and purposely to end poverty, strengthen
relationships between the business, public and nonprofit
sectors in each community, and ensure coordination
between state and local efforts to fight poverty.
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Proposal: Improve Transportation Access to Work
Lack of transportation is a major barrier to
employment for low-income households, particularly
those with children. Lower-income workers in many
urban and suburban areas can only access 22 percent of
the jobs for which they may be qualified, according to the
Brookings Institution.
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The challenge is even greater
in rural and other areas with limited public
transportation, especially for parents struggling to reach
a child care provider before and after work without
access to reliable personal transportation. No one should
be trapped in poverty because he or she cannot afford to
get to work.
The Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative
(ESPRI) will provide $5 million in operating aid
and a pool of $20 million in capital funding to
assist ten high-poverty communities to create and
implement comprehensive plans to reduce poverty.
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Governor Cuomo will propose New York Work
Access grants to help low-income workers in highly-
distressed neighborhoods and rural areas access a car
through assistance with down payments, low-interest
loans, repairs, insurance, license or registration fees, and
driver’s education.
Work Access grants will provide reliable
transportation for families and provide additional
related services, such as car insurance, driver’s
education, or a child safety seat. Low-interest auto loans
will enable low-income families to establish a positive
credit history as well as get reliable transportation to
work. The initiative is modeled on the national nonprofit
Ways to Work program, which helps 94 percent of its
participants maintain or improve their employment; 82
percent to sustain themselves without publicly funded
cash assistance; and returns $2.48 in benefits for each $1
invested.
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Proposal: Launch Empire Corps: A New Youth Corps
to Help New Yorkers in Need
Last year, the Governor built on the legacy of
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Civilian
Conservation Corps, one of the enduring landmarks of
the New Deal, and launched the New York State’s
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Excelsior Conservation Corps, a new environmental
education and stewardship program for 18 to 25-year
olds. This 50-person service program demonstrates a
truth the Governor knows well—community service is a
muscle that grows with use.
This year Governor Cuomo proposes to expand this
model further by launching Empire Corps, a new effort
that will enable up to 150 AmeriCorps members to join
front line efforts to address poverty, hunger and
homelessness across New York. Empire Corps members
will serve with direct-care agencies in pockets of upstate
where poverty is concentrated. Empire Corps members
will be placed in nonprofit agencies providing critical
services such as health care, education and mentoring,
financial literacy and skills development for
disadvantaged New Yorkers and will receive extensive
training from the state in partnership with SUNY and
community service organizations.
Empire Corps will help to foster and leverage
community spirit among young New Yorkers while
providing them with the skills, financial stipends, and
educational financial awards that further their path to
college and a career, while addressing priority needs of
the state.
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Proposal: Implement Recommendations of the Anti-
Hunger Task Force
For nearly three million New Yorkers, food is
unaffordable or inaccessible. Benefits meant to help can
be difficult to reach, and can fall far short of the high cost
of living many New Yorkers face. The consequences of
hunger are far reaching: leading to negative health
outcomes, decreased performance at school and work,
mental and emotional distress, especially among
children and the elderly.
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Since coming to office,
Governor Cuomo has made alleviating hunger and
increasing access to healthy food key priorities for New
York. In 2011, he launched the FreshConnect Program,
which brings fresh, locally-grown farm products to
communities with limited access to them through
support for farmers markets, youth markets, and box
delivery projects. As an added benefit, the FreshConnect
Checks Program provides a 40 percent increase in
buying power for SNAP recipients who use their benefits
at FreshConnect farmers markets. During calendar year
2015, over 150,000 checks have been issued to 180 sites
across the state to help eligible New Yorkers access fresh,
healthy food.
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In 2012, Governor Cuomo eliminated the
stigmatizing requirement of being finger imaged as a
condition of SNAP eligibility and began an aggressive
outreach program to enroll people who are eligible.
Select school districts in New York State began providing
free school meals to all students through SNAP’s
Community Eligibility Option. In 2013, New York
launched a Farm to School program to bring healthy,
locally-grown food to school cafeterias, starting with
Broome and Tioga Counties.
In 2013, Governor Cuomo established the Anti-
Hunger Task Force—a group of 31 government and
external leaders in healthcare, education, social services,
agriculture, the food industry, and organizations serving
populations most affected by hunger—to identify
additional steps the state can take to combat hunger and
improve access to local and fresh foods. The Task Force
was chaired by Margarette Purvis, of the Food Bank for
New York City, and co-led by Arva Rice, of the New York
Urban League; Beth Finkel, of AARP New York, Joel Berg,
of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger; Julie
Suarez, of the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences; Linda Bopp, of Hunger Solutions New York; and
Stephen Cook, of the University of Rochester. In response
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to the task force’s recommendations, Governor Cuomo
invested $4.5 million in 2015 to bolster the state’s
emergency food system which helped 2,500 emergency
food providers serve more than 225 million meals to
New Yorkers who access emergency food programs each
year. In addition, state agencies have stepped up efforts
to increase enrollment in the federal Child and Adult
Care Food Program, leading to an almost 6 percent
increase in healthy meals and snacks for needy New
Yorkers in 2015.
In 2014, Governor Cuomo dedicated $6 million to
protect approximately 300,000 New York families who
would have lost benefits under the federal Farm Bill, an
action that preserved $457 million a year in federal SNAP
benefits.
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The Anti-Hunger Task Force has worked
tirelessly since 2013 to research issues related to hunger
in New York and has developed a series of smart
recommendations for the state to pursue, many of which
are adopted below.
Proposal: Commit $22.5 Million to Improve Access to
Emergency Food
The state’s emergency food system helps 2,500
emergency food providers serve more than 225 million
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meals to New Yorkers who access emergency food
programs each year. To build on the state’s 2015 $4.5
million investment in this system, the Governor
proposes an additional $22.5 million to extend his $4.5
million annual investment through 2020.
Proposal: Establish New York State Council on
Hunger and Food Policy
To establish a permanent focus on anti-hunger
issues in the state, Governor Cuomo will establish the
New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy. The
Council will be composed of 26 members appointed by
the Governor and chaired by the Commissioner of the
Department of Agriculture and Markets. Other members
will include commissioners from relevant state agencies
and private individuals with significant experience in the
various facets of combating hunger. The Council will play
a key role in advising the state on policies and programs
The Governor proposes an additional $22.5 million
to extend his $4.5 million annual investment in
emergency food programs through 2020.
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to improve access to food, including healthy, locally-
grown food.
Proposal: Extend SNAP Benefits to 750,000
Households
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) provides eligible individuals and
households with monthly electronic benefits that can be
used to purchase food from approved stores. The
program is funded by the federal government and
administered by both New York State and county
governments. Eligibility for SNAP is determined by
income and household size, although other factors, such
as age and disability of household members, can also
impact benefit levels. During October 2015,
approximately three million New Yorkers received SNAP
benefits totaling $418 million.
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People trying to get help from the nation’s largest
anti-hunger program – the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, or SNAP— must first pass a two-
part test to determine eligibility for the program.
However, even before there is a careful eligibility review
of a person’s actual, or net, income and expenses. But
first, there is an initial hurdle—the Gross Income Test
(GIT) —which requires that a person’s total household
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income, without any exclusions or adjustments, must be
less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level. The
GIT prevents otherwise eligible people from accessing
the help they need from SNAP.
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Governor Cuomo will adopt the recommendation
of the Task Force and will raise the Gross Income Test
level to 150 percent of poverty for all households with
earned income—a move that will extend eligibility to an
estimated 750,000 households currently not
participating in SNAP. This change will deliver an
estimated $688.5 million in additional federal SNAP
benefits to New Yorkers, with an estimated economic
impact of $1.27 billion, without any attendant increase in
state or county costs.
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Proposal: Leverage Federal Nutrition Programs &
Eliminate Barriers to Benefits
With hunger affecting nearly three million New
Yorkers, this state simply cannot afford to leave available
federal resources for nutrition assistance on the table.
This is especially true for key entitlement programs that
can expand to meet needs, but are currently
undersubscribed in New York. The Child and Adult Care
Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that
provides reimbursement for healthy meals served in
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child care programs, adult day care centers, afterschool
programs, and shelters, amounting to approximately
340,000 meals to children and adults each day.
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But
many eligible organizations are unaware of the program
or find enrollment too burdensome. As recommended by
the Anti-Hunger Task Force, Governor Cuomo will
continue to support $250,000 in grants to help child and
adult care programs maximize federal funds that
subsidize free food for children and adults in those
programs.
To better ensure that people in need of help from
SNAP are able to access that essential anti-hunger
program, the Governor will also drive program
enrollment by building on the state’s Nutrition Outreach
and Education Program, one of the most extensive such
programs in the country, and increase its reach through
coordinated efforts with local State Offices for the Aging
and the Office for New Americans, agencies that work
most closely with groups that have particularly low rates
of participation in federal nutrition programs.
Proposal: Redesign Electronic Benefits Card
The stigma associated with using SNAP can “deter
new or potential applicants, cause dissatisfaction among
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participants, and even contribute to participants’ exit
from the program.”
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Under Governor Cuomo’s
leadership, New York has taken important steps toward
reducing stigma including the 2012 elimination of the
finger imaging requirement for SNAP applicants and
recipients. To further reduce stigma, the Governor will
adopt a recommendation from the Task Force and will
direct the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance to
issue a redesigned Electronic Benefits Card in 2016 that
looks like a credit card and maintains appropriate
security safeguards.
Proposal: Support Young Adults Transitioning from
Foster Care
In New York State, approximately 4,000 youth
and young adults are discharged annually from foster
care, and about one in six are discharged to independent
living.
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National research shows that youth who “age
out” of foster care face enormous challenges, as they are
expected to make it on their own long before the majority
of their peers.
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These youth are more likely to trail in
educational advancement and economic achievement.
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To give these vulnerable young people better
opportunities for success as they age into adulthood,
Governor Cuomo will establish Pave the Road to
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Independence, a public-private partnership to promote
educational, economic, housing, and vocational success
for youth leaving foster care. The partnership—joining
business leaders and the Office for Children and Family
Services, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance,
Department of Labor, Housing and Community Renewal,
Office of Mental Health, Office of People with
Developmental Disabilities, and institutions of higher
education—will:
• Certify 1,000 vulnerable youth a year as eligible
participants for Urban Youth Jobs Program and
priority for related job readiness and support
assistance;
• Prioritize foster care youth in the Governor’s
“New New York Leaders: Student Intern
Program” and connect up to 200 eligible youth
with state internship opportunities; and
• Identify pathways across various state programs
and services for stable living supports and
employment opportunities for children with
developmental disabilities as they age out of
care.
Governor Cuomo’s Pave the Road to
Independence initiative will coordinate early
interventions to help young New Yorkers transitioning
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from foster care to obtain the education and employment
opportunities they need for a path to success.
Proposal: Strengthen Penalties for Child Abuse
Each year in New York State, about 8,500 children
are alleged to have been abused by their parents or
caregivers.
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Nationwide, 679,000 children were
subjected to substantiated child maltreatment in
2013.
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A nationally representative study of children
aged 0–17 reported that 10.2 percent of children in the
United States experienced some form of
maltreatment.
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According to the Center for Disease
Control, the problem is more alarming than we know,
since many cases of child maltreatment are not reported
to police or social services.
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In too many cases, child abusers do not receive
prison sentences even after committing disturbing,
violent crimes against children. To protect vulnerable
children from maltreatment and abuse, Governor Cuomo
will propose the creation of a new felony offense for
endangering the welfare of a child, where a serious
offense has occurred or where the individual has a
history of committing crimes against children. The new
offense would be a class D felony and bring with it
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increased sentences up to 7 years prison. Under current
law, endangering the welfare of a child is only a
misdemeanor, which can receive the maximum sentence
of 1 year in county jail. By strengthening the penalties for
abusing children, New York will better protect children
and prevent future violence against young people.
PART TWO: RIGHT PRIORITIES
There are currently 53,000 people incarcerated in
New York State prisons.
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In 2015, New York took bold
actions to improve the conditions for these people
including groundbreaking reforms in the use of solitary
confinement. The Governor has outlawed placing minors
in solitary confinement and also signed an Executive
Order to move certain juvenile offenders from adult
prison facilities into age-appropriate alternatives.
The Governor has also taken critical steps to
increase the ability of formerly incarcerated individuals
to contribute positively to their families and
communities when they return home. The Governor has
offered pardons for people convicted of non-violent
crimes committed when they were 16 or 17 years-old,
and who have since lived crime-free for ten or more
years. To ensure that formerly incarcerated individuals
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are able to find a place to live, the state adopted guidance
that forbids discrimination based on a criminal
conviction alone when applying for New York State-
financed housing. To ensure that this population is able
to secure employment, the state issued uniform
guidelines for state occupational licenses that create a
presumption in favor of granting a license to qualified
applicants with criminal convictions, unless an
individualized consideration of the applicant’s criminal
history weighs against it.
In 2014 the Governor created the Council on
Community Re-Entry and Reintegration to further these
efforts and its work has resulted in a series of
administrative actions taken to help formerly
incarcerated individuals re-enter society. These actions
include regulatory and policy changes that make it easier
for the formerly incarcerated to secure necessary
personal identification documents, health care coverage,
and documents that demonstrate rehabilitation when
seeking jobs and licenses.
To make New York the national leader in criminal
justice and re-entry reforms, the Governor proposes a
comprehensive seven point “Right Priorities” initiative
that will help keep vulnerable youth and people of all
181
ages from entering the criminal justice system, while
providing those who do enter prison with the
opportunity to rehabilitate, return home, and contribute
positively to their communities.
Proposal: Expand Community Schools
As discussed more thoroughly in Chapter Two,
the Governor will invest $100 million to support the
transformation of failing schools and other high needs
schools into community schools so that issues of poverty
can be addressed with communities working together to
ensure that every student is prepared, safe, healthy and
ready to learn. This investment is critical to providing
students early opportunities to build positive future and
breaking the trend of higher crime rates among
underserved youth.
Proposal: Urban Youth Jobs Program and Workforce
Training
Research published by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services has shown
that providing at-risk youth with jobs is an essential way
to steer them away from the criminal justice system.
134
As discussed more thoroughly in Chapter 7, Governor
Cuomo will invest $50 million to significantly expand the
182
size of the Urban Youth Jobs Program, and will institute
a $5 million dollar program to train at-risk youth to join
the workforce.
Proposal: Expand Alternatives to Incarceration to
Reduce Incarceration
New York State has used alternatives to
incarceration (ATI) programs to reduce jail and prison
overcrowding for more than 30 years.
135
These programs
provide diversionary services to people who face a high
likelihood of jail and prison time but do not pose a threat
to public safety, such as counseling, cognitive behavioral
therapy and substance abuse treatment. These services
are designed to keep people out of prison and improve
public health and safety while saving the state
money. ATI programs have been proven to reduce
recidivism, but have been traditionally limited to
participants with alcohol and substance abuse issues.
136
To expand the scope of the program and ensure
appropriate candidates receive the support and
programs s/he needs to avoid engaging in future
criminal activity, the Governor will invest an additional
$1 million to expand the use of ATI programs upstate and
will target the program to a broader group of individuals
183
who are at high risk of otherwise going to prison. This
investment will keep more people out of prison, further
reduce New York’s reliance on prisons, and allow
individuals to avoid needless prison sentences while also
keeping individuals who pose a threat to society off of the
streets.
Proposal: Reduce Criminal Behavior through
Education
Research shows that educational programming in
prison yields benefits. According to a recent study by the
RAND Corporation, participants who complete
education programs in prison are over 40 percent less
likely to reoffend upon release and return to prison, and
participants are 13 percent more likely to obtain post-
release employment.
137
Providing access to education in
prison is crucial to supporting an individual’s reentry
into the community and reducing the rate of recidivism.
This proposal will help more qualifying
individuals earn college degrees, enhance educational
offerings to help people with learning difficulties achieve
high school diplomas, and bring vocational training into
the 21
st
century.
184
• College-Level Courses with Private Funding:
Currently in New York State, approximately
1,000 individuals enroll each year in privately-
funded college classes in prison.
138
A host of
organizations teach these classes, including local
community colleges, well-known institutions
such as Cornell and New York Universities, the
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Bard
College through its distinguished Bard Prison
Initiative, whose debate team recently defeated
Harvard’s.
139
The Governor will partner with
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.,
SUNY and CUNY to invest $7.5 million to expand
college in prison programming in state prisons.
The expansion will utilize $7.5 million of
criminal forfeiture funds obtained by District
Attorney Vance and will provide approximately
1,000 individuals with the opportunity to receive
college-level instruction and earn an Associate’s
degree, Bachelor’s degree, or industry-
recognized certificate. Classes will begin in the
fall of 2016.
• Specialized Education for People with
Learning Disabilities: Forty percent of people
currently enter prison lacking a high school
diploma or equivalent. Only 25 percent of this
population will leave prison with this
credential
140
that is essential for many basic jobs.
Many people in prison also have an undiagnosed
learning disability.
141
To help more learning
185
disabled incarcerated individuals achieve a high
school degree or equivalent, the Governor
proposes investing $2.5 to pay for trained staff
who will test individuals for learning disabilities
and provide small group and individualized
instruction.
• Modernized Prison-Based Vocational
Training: To ensure that people leaving prison
have the technological skills needed to secure
21
st
century jobs, the state will invest $430,000
to update existing printing workshops in prisons
to a digital platform and train individuals in
computer coding. The coding training will
deliver highly marketable skills to graduates and
will be safely done in prisons in a manner that
does not utilize the Internet.
142
The Department
of Corrections and Community Supervision and
the Department of Labor will also work together
to help recently released individuals access
registered apprenticeships in the skilled trades,
among other areas, by ensuring that the skills
taught in DOCCS vocational labs meet the
requirements for pre-apprenticeship training.
Proposal: Provide Transitional Support upon Release
The six months immediately after a person’s
release from the criminal justice system is the most
critical time period. In this period, people are most likely
to recidivate and are most susceptible to harm.
143
To
186
break this cycle, the Governor will provide more support
to this population through expanded services and
stronger coordination and of efforts through investing $1
million to expand the County Re-Entry Task Forces to
provide enhanced case coordination for these services.
Expanded supports include:
• Transitional Housing: The Governor will
include formerly incarcerated as a target
population for housing assistance. This housing
will be for people who need time to connect with
family, get a job, or qualify for high need housing.
Without housing assistance, returning citizens
add to our homeless population and the
possibility of finding a job and being accepted
into a family’s home decrease.
• Connections to Employment: Employers can be
reluctant to hire returning citizens, even though
they can be among a business’ most hard
working and loyal employees. Therefore, the
state will provide over $5.8 million to support
connections to employment. This will include
more than $3 million for employment services
programs for high-risk parolees in both New
York City and upstate urban areas and over $2
million for employment services programs for
low-risk alternatives to incarceration program
participants statewide. DCJS will issue a request
187
for proposals this summer and select new grant
contracts to begin January 1, 2017.
• Provide Seamless Provision of Medical and
Mental Health Services from Prison to the
Community: The state will use Medicaid
interventions to serve those released from
prison to the community with addiction, mental
health needs and chronic medical conditions, to
ensure continuity of care. These conditions, left
untreated, would lead to overdose, grave illness
and risk of homelessness.
Proposal: Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility
The Governor will introduce legislation to raise
the age of criminal responsibility from age16 to age 18,
so that children are not subject to adult criminal
proceedings except for serious crimes. Currently 16 and
17 year old youths end up with life-long adult criminal
convictions, unlike in juvenile court, where records are
generally sealed.
Further, at the Governor’s request, the Office of
Court Administration will also expand statewide the fast-
tracking criminal cases involving 16 and 17 year olds
who are detained in jail while their cases await trial.
188
Proposal: Enhance the Rights of Pardoned
Individuals
In 2015 the Governor announced that he will offer
conditional pardons to people convicted of nonviolent
offenses at age 16 and 17 who have been conviction-free
for 10 years. To complement and bolster this effort, at the
Governor’s request the Office of Court Administration
will restrict public access to the state court system’s
criminal history database when the Governor grants a
pardon under this program. Currently, OCA sells criminal
history information to individuals
144
and companies that
is typically used by employers and landlords to screen
job applicants or potential tenants.
145
Going forward, the
court system will no longer sell criminal history
information pertaining to individuals pardoned under
this new program.
PART THREE: FAIRNESS FOR ALL
The nation faces a deepening lack of confidence in
the criminal justice system in the wake of recent
tragedies involving the deaths of unarmed civilians. In
2015, the Governor took action to restore New Yorkers’
trust in the system by issuing an executive order that
appointed the Attorney General as a special prosecutor
189
in matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians
caused by law enforcement officers.
146
Since taking office
in 2011, the Governor has also bolstered trust in the
criminal justice system by closing more prisons than any
Governor in state history and supporting alternatives to
incarceration that reduce crime and the over-
incarceration of non-violent offenders.
147
Positive relationships between police and the
populations they serve are crucial in creating safer
communities for everyone.
148
In 2014, Governor Cuomo
launched the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE)
initiative, to encourage law enforcement in high-crime
counties to focus on reducing and preventing shootings
and firearm-related homicides. In 2015, the Governor
announced $13.3 million for participating law
enforcement agencies. In 2015, county partners also
participated in a two-day symposium on procedural
justice that featured presentations from state and
national leaders in law enforcement, clergy and
community organizations on the success of procedural
justice efforts in their communities. Procedural justice is
a law enforcement principle that focuses on ensuring
that citizens perceive their interactions with the police to
be fair and respectful. Studies have shown that when
190
police implement procedural justice practices, the
public’s view of the police is improved, willingness to
obey the law is greater and crimes rates go down.
149
Proposal: Institute Bail Reform
Under current law, a judge must consider a
number of factors before making the decision to release
a defendant or set bail.
150
These factors include, among
others, employment and financial resources, criminal
history and family ties. They do not include, however,
arguably the most important one: whether the
defendant, if released, would present a danger to specific
individuals or the general public. New York is one of
only four states in the nation that does not allow public
safety to be taken into consideration in release and bail
decisions.
151
This approach means that people in New
York who do not present a risk to public safety are
detained while people who may present a risk to public
safety are able to post bail and gain release.
Governor Cuomo will introduce legislation to
require judges to consider public safety when making
release and bail decisions. The legislation will also
permit judges to use research-based, accepted risk
assessments when considering a defendant’s threat to
191
public safety.
152
Other states and cities are using these
risk assessments with good results: more people are
released from jail before trial, without any attendant rise
in crime.
153
The legislation will also reform bail bondsman
practices. Currently, bail bondsman are subject to little
regulation, and as a result some bad actors engage in
predatory pricing and contracting practices.
154
These
issues have a disproportionate negative impact on low-
income people and the legislation will allow the
Department of Financial Services to exercise greater
control over this industry.
Proposal: Require Stronger Pretrial Procedures
Current New York State law does not require that
law enforcement videotape statements made by a
person while in custody. To prevent wrongful
convictions based on false confessions, as well as to
protect law enforcement from erroneous allegations of
coercion, the Governor proposed in 2013 the video
recording of criminal interrogations. This proposal led to
an historic agreement between New York State’s District
Attorneys and the Innocence Project, which was
facilitated by the New York State Bar Association.
155
This
192
agreement will require statements to be videotaped and
will permit reliable identification evidence to be
introduced at trial. The Governor has
previously dedicated nearly $1.7M in grant funding to
help localities purchase video equipment. Now,
Governor Cuomo will push for legislation to require
recording of interrogations for serious cases and reform
New York’s use of identification procedures. These
practices are widely recognized as enhancing the
fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system
and will make all New Yorkers safer.
Proposal: Increase Opportunities for Families to Stay
Close During Incarceration
Research shows that incarcerated individuals
who stay in regular contact with family members have a
better re-entry transition and lower rates of recidivism
upon release.
156
Children of incarcerated individuals also
benefit from maintaining ties with their parents.
157
To help maintain these incarcerated individuals
ties with family, the Governor will invest $300,000 to
expand a successful video visitation program between
incarcerated parents and their children. The state will
also explore the use of secure e-mail communication
193
tools for use by incarcerated individuals and their
families.
Proposal: Work Release and Parole Board Reforms
In 2015, Governor Cuomo created a Pro Bono
Clemency Program that pairs volunteer lawyers with
applicants seeking clemency who have used their time in
prison to turn their lives around and are seeking release
on that basis. To build on this work the Governor will
pursue additional avenues to help individuals get out of
prisons and back contributing to society.
Work release allows incarcerated individuals
close to release to secure employment outside of prison
while still continuing to live in prison. The program
allows these individuals to earn money and begin to
adjust to the outside world while being closely
monitored. To qualify for work release an individual
must complete required behavioral programs and
demonstrate good behavior. This year, Governor Cuomo
will revive New York’s use of this program to save the
state money and help incarcerated individuals get back
on their feet, while preserving public safety.
The Parole Board is an independent entity with
members appointed by the Governor. It is charged with
194
making release determinations for incarcerated
individuals in cases that require discretion. More than
10,000 people are denied parole annually in New York
State and only one in five have it granted.
158
To expand the Parole Board’s rate of
discretionary release, the Governor will call on the
Parole Board to explore actions that will result in greater
use, including training incarcerated individuals and their
advocates about how to prepare strong Parole Board
presentations, opening Parole Board interviews with
applicants to the public, and requiring the Parole Board
to articulate on the record for each case how it weighed
evidence of rehabilitation and current risk in making its
decision about release. The Governor will also explore
statutory changes to institute a rebuttable presumption
of release for people at low risk of reoffending.
Proposal: Reward Success after Release
In addition to 16 and 17 year olds pardoned
under the Governor’s action, people who lead law-
abiding lives for a lengthy period of time after a low level
brush with the criminal justice system have earned the
right to a clean slate. However, under current law there
195
is no provision to seal criminal records for the majority
of individuals who have a conviction.
To make it easier for these individuals to move on
with their lives and contribute to society, the Governor
will introduce legislation to allow conditional sealing of
minor crimes for people of all ages. This legislation will
allow the state to seal records for low-level criminal
convictions after an individual has demonstrated that
they haven’t engaged in criminal activity for 10 years.
Records would remain unsealed for law enforcement
and for state-run background checks if a person seeks
access to vulnerable populations.
Proposal: Deploy New Technologies to Improve Safety
in Prisons
Prisons are inherently difficult and dangerous
environments. To ensure the safety of New York’s
correctional staff and inmate population, the Governor
will propose to invest $25 million to ensure that
correctional facilities and officers will be outfitted with
the latest technologies available in the field. These
include fixed cameras, thermal imaging, and heartbeat
monitors that increase an officer’s situational awareness
and can better detect the presence of an inmate. DOCCS
196
will also launch a body camera pilot program to improve
corrections officers’ visual coverage of prisoner
movement and ensure accountability of behavior. These
tools will provide better information to correctional
professionals and decrease the likelihood of violent
incidents among incarcerated individuals.
Proposal: Establish the Office of an Independent
Special Counsel
In 2015 the Governor signed Executive Order 147
which appointed the Attorney General as a special
prosecutor in matters relating to the deaths of unarmed
civilians caused by law enforcement officers. This
Executive Order was an important step in restoring
public confidence in the existence of an objective and
transparent review of these tragic
occurrences. However, this is a temporary solution and
more needs to be done. The Governor will propose the
creation of an Office of an Independent
Special Counsel. This Office will be independent of any
existing relationship with law enforcement, thereby
avoiding any appearance of favoritism or partiality. With
an Independent Special Counsel appointed, these tragic
occurrences will continue to receive a fair and
197
independent review that they deserve, while also
increasing the public's understanding and faith in the
process.
198
199
6. ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has fought to
reduce economic inequality across the state and protect
the rights of all workers. The Governor is also committed
to protecting and supporting our most vulnerable
citizens from those living in poverty to new Americans to
those who struggle to put a roof over their family’s heads.
Governor Cuomo believes that every New Yorker
who works full-time should be able to stay out of poverty,
take care of their family, and live with dignity and
respect. President Franklin Roosevelt first honored this
social compact in 1938 when he established the nation’s
first minimum wage. Yet in the past several decades,
national income disparities have grown and we have lost
our way from the path set by FDR. Today, across the
country many people working full-time jobs struggle to
simply keep a roof over their heads.
159
200
Proposal: Increase the Minimum Wage to $15 per
Hour for All New Yorkers
Governor Cuomo has consistently fought to
restore justice to hard working New Yorkers. In 2013,
the Governor signed legislation that raised the minimum
wage from $7.25 to
$9.00 as of
December 31,
2015.
160
The
Governor also
secured minimum
wage increases for
fast food workers –
from $8.75 to $15
per hour
161
– and for tipped workers – from $4.90 to
$7.50 per hour
162
– which began to be phased in on
December 31,
,
2015. Most recently, the Governor
announced that the state would raise the minimum wage
for state workers to $15 per hour, affecting
approximately 10,000 workers and making New York
the first state to set such a high wage for public
employees. Additionally, the Governor announced that
the State University of New York will raise the minimum
wage for more than 28,000 employees to $15 per hour.
“I mean more than a bare
subsistence level – I mean the
wages of a decent living.” –
Franklin Roosevelt’s
Statement on the National
Industrial Recovery Act, June
16, 1933
201
While the Governor has made great strides on
minimum wage, we must go further. The minimum wage
is only one-third of the average hourly wage in New York
State, now over $27.
163
A full-time job at the current
minimum wage pays only $18,720 per year.
164
For a
single parent with two children, that is below the official
poverty line.
165
In order to raise earnings, reduce income
disparities, and increase consumer spending to spur job
growth, Governor Cuomo will push this year to make
New York the first state in the nation to enact a $15
hourly minimum wage for all workers. To give
businesses the time to plan, the increase will be phased
in incrementally, reaching $15 on December 31, 2018, in
New York City, and on July 1, 2021, in the rest of the state.
202
The scheduled increases will take place as
follows:
New York City
Statewide
(excluding NYC)
Min. Wage Effective Date Min. Wage Effective Date
$10.50 7/1/2016 $9.75 7/1/2016
$12.00 12/31/2016 $10.75 12/31/2016
$13.50 12/31/2017 $11.75 12/31/2017
$15.00 12/31/2018 $12.75 12/31/2018
-- -- $13.75 12/31/2019
-- -- $14.50 12/31/2020
-- -- $15.00 7/1/2021
Raising the minimum wage to $15 will directly
benefit over 2.3 million New York workers
166
– about a
quarter of the total workforce – and will lift more than
250,000 people in about 110,000 New York families out
203
of poverty.
167
The increase to $15 will bring the
minimum hourly wage up from 32 percent to 55 percent
of the state average wage.
168
It restores the promise of
fairness: $15 is about where New York’s minimum wage
in 1970 would be, if adjusted for inflation.
169
Not only will raising the minimum wage help keep
New York workers and their families out of poverty, it
will also increase their spending power,
170
helping to
spur the consumer demand that is critical to new hiring
and business growth. The New York State Department of
Labor estimates the increase to a $15 minimum wage
will result in more than a $15.7 billion boost for New
York’s economy.
171
While opponents argue that a minimum wage
increase leads to job loss, an independent review of 70
studies on minimum wage increases found no
discernable negative effect on employment, and instead,
researchers have found evidence of increased
employment from increasing the minimum wage.
172
Economists at Goldman Sachs found that the thirteen
states – including New York – that increased their state
minimum wage in 2014 had higher rates of employment
growth than the national average.
173
We know this to be
true from our own experience: New York has increased
204
its minimum wage eight times from 1991 through 2015,
and six of those times, employment rose following the
increase. When the minimum wage rises, productivity
tends to increase, and increased worker retention saves
employers recruitment and training costs.
174
Proposal: $20 Billion Housing and Homelessness
Plan
New York has led the nation in affordable housing
preservation and construction over the past five years.
Since taking office Governor Cuomo has committed to
preserve or build 14,300 units of affordable housing
through the landmark $1 billion House NY initiative and
also created the Tenant Protection Unit, which has
returned more than 50,000 housing units to rent
regulation, preserving the affordability of those homes
for years to come. Yet even with these investments, New
York has not been immune to rising housing costs across
the state and must take steps to deliver more affordable
housing to those who need it.
$10 Billion Affordable Housing Program
To add critical supply to the state’s stock of
affordable housing the Governor proposes House NY
2020, a new, $10 billion, five-year affordable housing
205
plan that will create and preserve 100,000 units across
the state. This historic investment offers a
transformational blueprint to address the diversity of
housing need across the state, strengthen protections for
tenants, and create new opportunities for low-to-
moderate income households. The Plan —which boosts
state spending on housing programs by nearly $5
billion—will build and preserve affordable units and
individual homes; make homeownership affordable for
first-time buyers; increase investments in the
revitalization of our communities; promote housing
choice opportunities for all New Yorkers; revamp
services in ways that better serve clients including New
Yorkers seeking affordable housing; and directly support
permanent housing programs for those struggling with
homelessness as described below.
The comprehensive House NY 2020 Plan will be
released in the coming weeks and will be include
multiple strategic initiatives to prevent more New
Yorkers from getting priced out of their communities.
These strategic initiatives will include:
• Build NY through the creation of new
affordable housing including significant
investments to create new units of affordable
206
rental and single family housing to ensure young
professionals can start families in the
communities where they were raised.
• Preserve NY to extend affordability
of existing units including new resources to
create a large scale financing program that
specifically supports public housing authorities
utilizing HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration
program which ensures long term viability for
this critical housing resource that serves many
extremely low income New Yorkers.
• Welcome Home NY to combat neglect in
distressed communities and increase access
to housing through new State of New York
Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) initiatives to
facilitate the purchase and rehabilitation of
foreclosed properties in targeted, economically-
distressed communities, with the ultimate goal
of rebuilding home values and owner-occupancy
in neighborhoods.
• Ensure State investments benefit all New
Yorkers through the launch
of Opportunity NY which will include initiatives
that promote and protect housing opportunities
including the initiation of Undercover Fair
Housing Testing to identify and address housing
discrimination, especially in higher income
areas.
207
$10 Billion Homelessness Action Plan
New Yorkers should be and are profoundly
troubled by the large number of families and adults who
are homeless today and the conditions in which they live.
As New Yorkers, we will answer the call to assume
greater responsibility and step up to help our neighbors
in need.
Each night in New York, more than 75,000 people
sleep in homeless shelters of various types, and more
than 4,000 homeless people sleep on the street.
175
This
number does not represent only families and single
adults – last year, more than 8,000 victims of domestic
violence were rendered homeless and nearly 4,000
adolescents and young people accessed the runaway and
homeless youth shelter system.
176
Homeless people often choose to live on the street
rather than seek shelter because too many homeless
shelters around the state are unsafe or have other health
violations that render them out of compliance with state
and local laws and regulations. Since April 1, 2015, state
inspectors identified 2,508 health and safety violations
at homeless shelters across the state.
177
At the same
time, New York taxpayers spend $1 billion to fund the
shelter system. These problems would be bad enough if
208
families and individuals were only in shelters for short
time. Unfortunately, due to a lack of affordable housing
supply, families with children stay in shelters an average
of 430 days.
178
Living on the street, particularly in harsh
weather conditions, should never be a better choice than
living in shelter.
Governor Cuomo proposes an historic $10 billion
commitment to combat homelessness. The Governor
proposes $2.6 billion for 6,000 new supported beds,
1,000 emergency shelter beds and other homeless
services. Moreover, the Governor’s plan will fund the
construction of 20,000 new supportive housing beds
across the state.
This more than $2.6 billion in funding for
permanent supportive housing and other services over
the next five years is in addition to the $7.8 billion we
expect to spend over the next five years through our
continuing commitments in support of 44,000
supportive housing units, 77,000 shelter beds around
the state, and other homelessness-related services. New
York’s total financial commitment to address
homelessness over this five-year period will be more
than $10.4 billion.
209
New York will also invest new resources over
three years to specifically address vulnerable
populations experiencing homelessness. To coordinate
this and other funding the state will utilize the existing
federal Department of Housing and Urban Development
Continuum of Care model that engages localities and not-
for-profit providers in developing and implementing
data-driven strategies to address homelessness in
specific populations such as victims of domestic violence,
runaway and homeless youth and formerly incarcerated
individuals. Each jurisdiction will be required to
demonstrate that their proposals are consistent with
their most recent HUD Continuum of Care reports and
have the support of their local Continuum. For those
areas of the state without a Continuum of Care, the state
will partner with them on the necessary planning and
engagement processes to ensure local level partnership.
To restore the public’s trust in the shelter system
the state must improve the conditions of the shelters it
supervises and regulates. The state will partner with
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to audit shelters
statewide, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer to
review and inspect New York City shelters, and Buffalo
Comptroller Mark J.F. Schroeder to review and inspect
210
Buffalo shelters. They will do on-site inspections and
review operating and financial protocols.
Shelters determined to be unsafe or dangerous
will either immediately add local police protection or be
closed. If a shelter is determined to be unsanitary or
otherwise unfit it will be subject to contract cancellation,
operator replacement or closure because there are many
qualified nonprofits that are capable of running a good
operation. If an operator’s management problem is
systemic, a receiver will be appointed to run the system.
In addition, the state will require all social service
districts to comply with the laws and regulations of New
York State or be subject to sanctions.
Proposal: Enact Paid Family Leave for New York
Workers
The composition of America’s workforce has
changed drastically since the 1950s: 47 percent of the
state’s workforce is now female,
179
people are working
longer hours and retiring later, and families frequently
rely on dual earners to make ends meet.
180
Families must
still balance work and home responsibilities including
childcare and childbirth, tending to sick family members,
and eldercare. Federal law currently provides only for
unpaid family leave,
181
and creates a dilemma for those
211
caught between the need to care for a sick relative or
newborn and the pressure to return to work and earn
money. Moreover, federal unpaid family leave only
covers approximately 60 percent of all workers.
182
To help workers care for their families while
protecting their earnings and job security, the Governor
proposes a new paid family leave program for New York
workers. New York State’s Paid Family Leave Program
will provide twelve weeks of job-protected, employee-
funded leave to be used for bonding with a new child or
caring for a sick relative.
Statewide paid family leave will particularly
benefit low-income workers who often lack benefits or
job security, and for whom access to any leave, even
unpaid, is often not available or cost prohibitive.
183
Paid
family leave also has the potential to serve as a great
equalizer for women. This is so because in many
instances, women who leave the workforce to care for a
newborn not only forfeit their existing salaries in the
short-term, but also suffer diminished future earnings
and career trajectories in the long term.
184
Establishing
paid family leave marks a pivotal next step in the pursuit
of equality and dignity in both the workplace and the
home.
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Proposal: Ensure Financial Security for Retirees
Americans face a growing retirement crisis.
Nearly 40 million households in the United States do not
have retirement accounts. Traditionally, retirement
savings have relied upon a combination of personal
savings, Social Security, and employer-sponsored
retirement savings plans or pensions. However,
increasing numbers of employees work for a company
that does not offer a retirement plan.
185
Approximately 3.5 million private sector workers
aged 18 to 64 in New York lack access to an employer-
sponsored retirement savings program.
186
Many of these
workers face delayed retirements and reduced
standards of living, and will be forced to rely on the
state’s taxpayer-funded social safety net.
To address this growing problem and provide
input into future legislation, Governor Cuomo will create
the NY SMART Commission (“Saving More to Achieve
Richer Tomorrows”). Carl H. McCall, Chairman of the
State University of New York Board of Trustees, will
chair the Commission. Chairman McCall has deep
expertise in the financial sector, having served as
Comptroller of the State of New York, Vice President of
Citibank and Corporate Director of the New York Stock
213
Exchange. The Commission will consist of additional
experts from the financial services industry, consumer
advocates, public officials, and state regulators. The
Commission will partner with state agencies, financial
services professionals, consumer advocates, and
academics to study available options for the creation of a
state-administered retirement savings program for
workers whose employers do not offer a retirement plan.
214
215
7. CLOSE THE SKILLS GAP
AND TRAIN YOUTH
New York State has created more than 759,000
private sector jobs since December 2010.
187
The state’s
private sector job count is at an all-time historic high
with more than 7.9 million jobs.
188
To date the state-
funded economic development projects have created
more than 200,000 jobs through the Regional Economic
Development Councils and unemployment continues to
decline in every region – from 8.4 percent in December
2010 to 4.8 percent as of November 2015 – the lowest
level in 8 years.
189
However, assuming current education and labor
market trends continue into 2020, New York State will
face a shortage of as many as 350,000 workers for jobs
that require more than a high school diploma but less
than a four-year degree – commonly referred to as
“middle-skill” jobs.
190
These jobs include electricians,
dental hygienists, elevator installers and repairers,
paralegals, and radiation therapists, among many other
professions. A large number of these jobs will potentially
remain vacant because of a lack of adequately trained
216
candidates. Many manufacturing jobs also now require
workers to hold some form of rigorous post-secondary
education, either a certificate or an associate degree, in
addition to on-the-job training.
191
According to a
nationwide survey, 67 percent of employers surveyed
indicate a moderate or severe shortage of adequately
trained workers.
192
This “skills gap” is one of the greatest challenges
facing New York State’s economic development goals.
193
There are 2.5 million youth aged 16-24 in New
York State. About 1 million of them are employed;
however, approximately 170,000 or 14.5 percent are
unemployed.
194
Governor Cuomo is committed to
helping New York’s youth obtain work skills and
employment opportunities, and believes they can play a
central role in New York’s current and future economy.
That’s why he has doubled funding and has enabled a
two-thirds increase in youth participating in New York
State’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which
provides valuable work experience to low-income young
people ages 14 to 20. More than 83,000 youth have
benefitted from this program since Governor Cuomo
came to office, and he proposes an additional $31 million
to enable another 19,000 youth to participate in the
217
coming year. To ensure that our disadvantaged youth
benefit fully from New York’s growing economic
prosperity the state will further expand availability of
incentives and skills training programs for this
population and link them to services available through
different state agencies.
Proposal: Invest $5 Million to Launch Apprentice
SUNY
Advanced manufacturing jobs are booming in
New York, with some occupations projected to grow by
29.5 percent between 2012 and 2022.
195
When hiring,
employers place high value on on-the-job training in
addition to a degree. To meet the growing need for a
skilled workforce, Governor Cuomo will work with New
York’s community colleges to develop one of the largest
statewide public-private apprenticeship programs in the
country to help students complete degrees while
participating in registered apprenticeships and generate
thousands of new employment opportunities for
community college graduates.
The Governor proposes Apprentice SUNY, a new
$5 million program that builds on the infrastructure
developed with the $15 million USDOL TAACCCT grant
awarded to Monroe Community College in 2013. The
218
TAACCCT grant in advanced manufacturing created
degree and certificate programs at the College in
occupational areas such as Mechatronics, a combination
of mechanics, hydraulics, control systems, electrical
technology and computer technology used in a wide
range of contemporary advanced manufacturing
facilities. While the College exceeded its three-year goal
of enrolling 3,000 students to 3,100 in 18 months, the
TAACCCT grant program benefits end at job training and
do not help students secure a job upon graduation.
Apprentice SUNY will help 2,000 students receive
classroom and practical training through new registered
apprenticeships linked to degrees that provide
participants with paid on-the-job skills training, a degree
or certificate, a portable, national industry recognized
credential, and a full-time job upon
graduation. Apprentice SUNY will work with employers
to leverage the Urban Youth Jobs Program to provide tax
credits for employing eligible youth and will establish a
new pathway to high demand jobs with competitive
wages in New York over the next five years and beyond.
Apprentice SUNY will develop a two pronged
approach to expand registered apprenticeships for 21
st
century jobs. One part of the program will serve the
219
needs of large semi-conductor manufacturers by linking
existing community college certificates and degrees with
on-the-job training opportunities at these employers.
The second part of the program includes a partnership
with regional private sector employers to develop a pilot
program that will partner employers with higher
education institutions to develop a new apprenticeship
model and access tax credits for employees through the
State Urban Youth Jobs Program. The pilot program will
consist of a new Department of Labor-approved Regional
Business Intermediary model that addresses the needs
of small and medium sized advanced manufacturers who
often find it difficult to participate in the New York State
Registered Apprentice program on their own.
Proposal: Create the $3 Million Middle-Skill Jobs Gap
Training Fund
New York State is ranked number one among all
states for having one of the best federal Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
196
adult and
dislocated worker programs that placed more than
260,000 jobseeker customers in jobs in the 2014-15
program year.
197
While New York only receives 6
percent of total available federal workforce funding,
198
New York accounts for roughly 30 percent of the nation’s
220
placements.
199
Under WIOA, Department of Labor (DOL)
oversees New York’s network of Career Centers, and
works in coordination and collaboration with local
government agencies to provide employment services
throughout the state. New York direct and funded job
training programs train more than 20,000 people each
year.
200
Several factors contribute to the state’s skills gap
challenge, including: more jobs available than the
number of individuals with the required skills to fill
those openings; geographic discrepancies between
where jobs are created and where the workers qualified
to fill them are located; and the broader shift in the
state’s economy from an industrial-focused economy to
one driven by the service-based innovation and
technology sectors.
To close the skills gap, Governor Cuomo will
dedicate $3 million of discretionary WIOA funds to
create the New York Workforce Training Fund. The Fund
will work with the Regional Economic Development
Councils to provide funding to training providers, not-
for-profit organizations, and private sector entities to
provide skills-based job training to new and incumbent
workers. The Fund will ensure that New York has a pool
221
of middle-skill workers available to meet the business
needs specific to each region, and innovation-based
businesses will continue to bring their employment
opportunities to New York.
Proposal: Modernize the New York Apprenticeship
and Training Council
2016 marks the 75
th
year of the New York State
Registered Apprenticeship program. This time-honored
training system administered through the Department of
Labor combines structured on-the-job training with
classroom instruction to ensure that workers gain
specific, job-related skills. This program has seen
significant growth over the last five years, from 3,419
newly enrolled apprentices in 2010, to nearly 5,200 in
2015.
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Governor Cuomo will build upon the success of
this model to ensure that New York has the best
prepared workforce in the nation by engaging educators
and creating innovative public/private partnerships to
modernize the system.
Under Article 23 of New York State Labor Law, the
governor appoints the New York Apprenticeship and
Training Council to advise the Commissioner of Labor on
issues related to apprenticeship, including supplemental
classroom instruction, quality standards for registered
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programs, relationships between government and the
private sector and to identify trends related to
apprentice training. In the past, we have looked to
experts, employers, and labor organizations for advice
on apprenticeships. The seven member Council is
currently comprised of three representatives each from
labor organizations and employer organizations, as well
as a single member representing the public at-large.
To ensure that registered apprenticeships in New
York State reflect the training needs of the new economy
and link to our educational institutions, the Governor
will modernize the Registered Apprenticeship Program
in New York by adding council members from public
colleges, community colleges or boards of cooperative
educational services (BOCES) who have experience
providing related instruction for apprenticeship
programs. These members will bring the higher
education skills and training perspective to the table and
advise the Commissioner on how best to leverage the
sector to train future apprentices.
Proposal: Deploy the Unemployment Strikeforce to
Western New York
In May 2014, the Governor implemented the
Unemployment Strikeforce in the Bronx to boost
223
employment through intensive job placement services
and workplace training. The Bronx has seen a dramatic
decrease in the unemployment rate, which has dropped
from 11.1 percent in November 2013, before the
Strikeforce launched, to just 6.9 percent in November
2015.
202
There are now more Bronx residents (572,000)
working than at any point in the borough’s long
history.
203
In January 2015, the Governor expanded the
Unemployment Strikeforce’s efforts to focus on nine
additional counties with
high unemployment rates:
Franklin, Jefferson, Kings,
Lewis, Montgomery,
Orleans, Oswego, St.
Lawrence, and Steuben
Counties. Over the past
year, each of those 10 counties experienced dramatic
drops in their unemployment rate – averaging more than
2.5 times the average statewide improvement.
204
To ensure continued progress, Governor Cuomo
will extend the reach of the Unemployment Strikeforce,
expanding to Western New York to focus on the cities of
Buffalo, Lackawanna, and Niagara Falls. The Strikeforce
There are now more
Bronx residents
working than at any
point in the borough’s
long history: 572,000.
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will target jobseekers in this new region that are facing
barriers to employment, such as residents in
economically distressed communities, disconnected
youth, the formerly incarcerated, long-term
unemployed, individuals on public assistance, those
lacking a high school diploma or equivalency, and
individuals with no employment experience to ensure
they have access to and the skills required for local jobs.
Proposal: Transform New York State’s One-Stop
Career Centers
The New York State Department of Labor
operates 96 One-Stop Career Centers across the state
that offer job placement services, career counseling,
resume development and vocational training to
jobseekers. Although Career Centers are state-funded
they are often co-located with local workforce and social
services agencies, often poorly branded and sometimes
difficult to find.
While the overall unemployment rate has fallen
steadily over the past four years, it remains persistently
high for underserved populations and communities.
Oftentimes, jobseekers are unaware of job training and
placement resources available at the state Career
Centers. Building upon the success in transforming the
225
DMV experience, Governor Cuomo will rebrand and
modernize the state’s 96 Career Centers. The effort will
begin with a select group of “pilot” facilities that will
serve as models for a subsequent statewide roll-out. The
offices will be attractive and easily recognizable to
businesses and jobseekers alike. They will leverage and
complement online resources as well as those provided
by other governmental entities and private providers.
To be effective, these re-imagined career centers
will be citizen-centric approach and provide the highest
levels of customer service. This includes appealing to
and supporting both traditional jobseekers as well as
underserved populations facing barriers to employment,
such as individuals with disabilities, veterans, formerly-
incarcerated persons, disconnected youth, low-income
individuals, the long-term unemployed, adults with
limited literacy, and/or immigrants.
226
Proposal: $50 Million Urban Youth Jobs Program
Governor Cuomo launched the Urban Youth Jobs
Program in 2012 to combat unacceptably high
unemployment rates among inner-city youth. The initial
launch of the program in 2012 included $62 million to
support job-training programs and $25 million in tax
credits to encourage businesses to hire unemployed,
disadvantaged youth in selected cities. Since its launch,
the program has
helped secure
more than
31,000 jobs for
youth at more
than 1,500 New
York businesses
across targeted urban communities with high youth
unemployment.
205
In response to the continued success of and demand
for this program, the Governor proposes expanding the
Urban Youth Jobs Program to $50 million to
accommodate 10,000 youth job placements and
expanding the program to employers in additional areas.
Since its launch, the Urban Youth
Jobs Program has helped secure
more than 31,000 jobs for youth
at more than 1,500 New York
businesses.
227
Proposal: Create the First State Pre-Apprenticeship
Program
Apprenticeship programs combine classroom
instruction with paid, on-the-job training. Participants
earn decent wages that increase as they gain more
experience.
206
Apprenticeship programs create an
opportunity for working age youth to obtain meaningful,
permanent employment. Pre-apprenticeship programs
give participants the necessary training and exposure to
different trades, like construction and manufacturing, as
well as direct access to positions in registered
apprenticeship programs.
207
However, disadvantaged youth have been
underrepresented in apprenticeship programs and too
often do not have the skills or opportunities to benefit
from the jobs available from state-funded projects.
Governor Cuomo will lead the nation by creating the first
State Pre-Apprenticeship Program that will leverage
state contracts to ensure that youth in need of work are
connected with businesses in need of middle skill
workers.
This initiative will first recruit approximately 100
young adults between the ages of 18 to 24. The state will
provide these youth with direct entry into a state-
228
registered apprenticeship program such as the
LaGuardia Airport reconstruction project.
229
8. PROTECTING NEW
YORK’S WORKERS
Governor Cuomo is building a better New York by
ensuring that workers have access to job opportunities
at businesses that provide safe and healthy work
environments for their employees. Since taking office,
the Governor has signed the Wage Theft Prevention Act
to increase penalties against employers who violate
workers’ rights, instituted regulations in the mold
abatement industry, and made a commitment to
aggressively enforce the state’s prevailing wage laws.
In 2015 the Governor launched the Nail Salon
Industry Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency effort
to address and prevent unlawful practices within the
industry. The Governor then successfully proposed
legislation, promulgated regulations, and advanced
administrative reforms to address problematic issues
within the nail salon industry, including wage theft,
retaliation, and unsafe working conditions, as well as
obstacles to obtaining a nail specialty license.
230
The Governor next expanded his focus beyond the
nail salon industry and created a first-of-its-kind Task
Force to Combat Worker Exploitation across multiple
industries in New York. The Governor’s Task Force to
Combat Worker Exploitation (Task Force) is comprised
of 12 state agencies and is closely supported by an
Advisory Committee of representatives from the labor,
advocacy, academia, and business communities. The
Task Force is charged with examining and ending worker
mistreatment in industries with the highest rates of labor
law non-compliance, including restaurants, home health
care, and construction. Employees in these industries
are often recent immigrants, who are isolated
geographically, work off the books, and have limited
English-language abilities.
Proposal: Protect the Rights of World Trade Center
Rescue and Recovery Volunteers
After one of the most tragic events in the history
of New York and our country, thousands of workers and
volunteers stepped in to help with the rescue, recovery,
and clean-up efforts at the World Trade Center.
208
Since
then, many of these heroes have developed health
conditions linked to the toxic dust and debris at the
231
World Trade Center that has drastically changed their
lives forever.
While affected workers were covered by their
employers’ workers’ compensation insurance,
volunteers were left out in the cold. In 2002, Congress
authorized $25 million for New York to establish the
WTC Volunteer Fund ("Fund") to provide volunteers
with medical benefits and indemnity (cash) payments to
compensate for lost wages and other non-medical
treatment needs (such as home health aides and
handicap accessible retrofits to homes).
209
While
Congress increased the funding to $50 million in 2005,
210
the Fund is expected to run out in April 2016.
In 2015, Congress reauthorized the Zadroga Act,
originally authorized in 2011,
211
to provide funding for
9/11-related health problems for volunteers and
workers for the next 75 years.
212
However, the Zadroga
Act only covers costs associated with medical treatment,
it does not cover lost wages or other non-medical
treatment needs.
To honor our heroes, the Governor will step in to
fill the gap left by the Zadroga Act and take care of our
selfless 9/11 volunteers. The Governor proposes to
commit $9 million to sustain the WTC Volunteer Fund to
232
ensure that 1,900 volunteers will continue to receive the
coverage they deserve.
Proposal: Make the Exploited Workers Task Force
Permanent
Since its inception, the Exploited Workers Task
Force has launched more than 450 comprehensive
statewide investigations into multiple industries,
identifying more than 2,700 violations, including theft of
wages, failure to protect workers with mandatory
workers’ compensation coverage, and retaliation against
workers who complain about violations of the law. The
cases affect more than 2,000 workers in New York
State.
213
To ensure that the work of these groundbreaking
initiatives continues and expands, the Governor will
make the Exploited Worker Task Force permanent. The
Task Force will also join two other worker protection
initiatives, the Joint Enforcement Task Force on
Employee Misclassification and the Nail Salon Industry
Enforcement Task Force, ensuring that their missions
and activities continue.
The permanent Task Force will partner with
advocates and business representatives to make sure
that workers understand their rights and businesses
233
understand their obligations. Additionally, the Task
Force will enhance communication, collaboration, and
training among member agencies to promote best
practices, appropriate enforcement, and inter-agency
referrals for workers who experience abuse.
Proposal: Protect Immigrant Crime Victims through
Increased Access to U-Visas
Governor Cuomo is a longtime defender of
immigrant rights and vulnerable populations. Since
taking office, he has rescinded the Secure Communities
program; required state agencies to provide
interpretation and translation services; proposed and
signed legislation that cracks down on those who commit
immigrant assistance services fraud; made national
history by making the Office for New Americans the first
state-level immigrant office created by statute; and
pushed for the adoption of the New York State DREAM
Act. Furthermore, the rights of many immigrant workers
will be protected as a result of the work of the Nail Salon
Industry Enforcement Task Force and the Exploited
Workers Task Force.
Undocumented persons are at higher risk of
exploitation at work and are often reluctant to report
violations or otherwise cooperate with law enforcement
234
out of fear of deportation.
214
Currently, there are
approximately 900,000 undocumented individuals living
in New York State, including 522,000 undocumented
workers.
215
New York State laws protect all workers,
regardless of immigration status, against workplace
discrimination, wage theft, misclassification, retaliation,
human trafficking, and other labor standards violations.
In 2002, Congress created the U Nonimmigrant
Visa (U Visa) to protect workers who assist with the
detection, investigation, or prosecution of a crime by
providing them with temporary lawful status while they
assist with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of
a crime. The U Visa is an important tool both for
protecting immigrant crime victims and for
strengthening the ability of law enforcement agencies to
investigate and prosecute crimes. U Visa holders are
eligible for lawful status for up to four years and can
receive an automatic grant of work authorization.
Holders are also eligible to adjust status to lawful
permanent resident after three years. Additionally,
immediate qualifying family members may receive
derivative visas.
216
Governor Cuomo recognizes that a U Visa is a
particularly powerful tool for agencies tasked with
235
enforcing laws that protect vulnerable undocumented
New Yorkers. In the spring of 2011, he directed the New
York State Department of Labor to certify U Visas in
agency investigations for claimants and witnesses who
met certain criteria and demonstrated that they had
been victims of qualifying crimes.
217
To help detect and
prosecute crimes, the Governor will direct the New York
State Police and the Division of Human Rights to
establish official protocols and begin receiving and
processing U Visa certifications for claimants, victims,
and witnesses. Additionally, the Governor will direct the
Office of Children and Family Services, through its
oversight of local departments of social services, to
advise districts of their responsibility as the
investigating entities, to certify U Visas, as provided for
in law.
236
237
9. KEEPING NEW YORKERS
HEALTHY
Under the Governor’s leadership, New York State
has established a reputation as a national leader in health
reform. A major component of New York’s success story
is its Medicaid reform efforts, which have gained national
recognition. When the Governor took office five years
ago, New York possessed the largest and most expensive
Medicaid program in the nation.
218
Today, Medicaid
spending per recipient has dropped to its lowest level in
13 years while savings have been reinvested into the
health care system, thereby improving quality of care
even as enrollment in Medicaid continues to grow.
219
But
the Governor’s health care agenda extends well beyond
controlling Medicaid costs.
Three crucial elements of this health care agenda
include expanding access to care, transforming the
health care delivery system to improve quality and lower
costs, and using Health Information Technology in a
strategic way to support this health care system
transformation. Over the last five years, health care in
New York State has become more affordable for families
238
and businesses because of the New York State of Health
marketplace and more affordable for taxpayers because
of the far-reaching transformation efforts of the
Medicaid Redesign Team and the related “DSRIP”
process. These crucial ongoing initiatives reached
important milestones in 2015.
220
New health care initiatives begun in 2015
included legalizing medical marijuana with the
Compassionate Care Act, providing support for
individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and their
families, and supporting family caregivers by requiring
hospitals to provide instruction on how to perform
medical tasks at home. These ongoing and new 2015
initiatives are described below.
Expanding Access to Health Care
Expanding access to health care by making
affordable health insurance available is one of the critical
accomplishments of the Governor’s health care agenda.
Through the New York State of Health, the state’s official
health plan marketplace, New Yorkers now have access
to high quality, affordable health care coverage from
more than two dozen health insurance plans.
221
As of
January 2016, more than 2.7 million New Yorkers were
239
enrolled in coverage and 92 percent of those enrolled
reported being uninsured at the time of application.
222
As a result, New
York’s uninsured
rate has fallen to
less than 6
percent as of
June 2015 - its
lowest point in
decades.
223
Additionally, the health insurance premium
rates for individuals for 2014 and 2015 were 50 percent
lower than what individuals would have paid before
creation of the marketplace in October 2013.
224
For
2016, New York State of Health has introduced an even
more affordable health insurance option for New
Yorkers whose income is at or below 200 percent of the
Federal Poverty Level, or $40,180 for a family of three -
the new Essential Plan. The Essential Plan lowers
premiums to $20 or less a month (with no deductibles
and low co-pays) and provides comprehensive benefits
for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.
225
As of January 2016, more than
2.7 million New Yorkers were
enrolled in coverage, 92 percent
of whom report being uninsured
at the time of application.
240
Transforming the Health Care Delivery System
Due to reforms implemented by the Medicaid
Redesign Team (MRT), New York is uniquely positioned
to lead the nation in health care system innovation. In
April 2014, the federal government approved a waiver
that allowed New York State to reinvest $8 billion in
savings generated by the MRT to transform New York’s
health care system and enhance services for New York’s
Medicaid members.
226
The transformation plan that is
being financed through these new federal funds is being
implemented through the Delivery System Reform
Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program. DSRIP incentivizes
coordinated care for patients among large regional
networks that include hospitals, primary care providers
and other community-based organizations – all with the
goal of improving wellness and health while controlling
health care costs. To date, New York has awarded almost
$1.7 billion to 25 of these regional provider networks
across the state to implement projects that further this
goal.
227
In 2016, DSRIP will move to the next phase of
transforming the health care delivery system in New
York by implementing pilot programs to replace
241
expensive fee-for-service payments with “value-based”
payments that reward providers for successful patient
outcomes and help to achieve one of the core DSRIP goals
of reducing avoidable hospital admissions by 25 percent
over five years.
228
Continuing Innovation in Health Information Technology
The availability of timely, accurate and
comprehensive health information is foundational to
improving New Yorkers’ health, transforming the health
delivery system, and improving health care
efficiency. Including an investment of $40 million in
2016, the state will have invested $116 million to
develop a health information technology infrastructure
capable of sharing information to support and inform
consumers, providers, payers, and other health care
stakeholders.
The first part of this investment developed the
Statewide Health Information Network of New York
(SHIN-NY), which is an interconnected, statewide health
information exchange that enables physicians and other
health care providers to share health information over a
secure network. Strict security and privacy policies
include requirements for obtaining patient consent
242
before providers are allowed to share patient-specific
information using this system. Today, health records for
more than 32 million patients are available to be shared
by healthcare providers with the consent of these
patients, far more than any other state in the country.
229
At the end of 2015, more than 90 percent of acute care
hospitals and 86 percent of community health centers
statewide are connected to the SHIN-NY.
230
The second part of this investment will create an
All Payer Database (APD), a comprehensive information
repository that will collect and integrate health care data
from all public and private payers and providers. Among
other uses, health data collected through the APD will be
used to evaluate healthcare outcomes and support value-
based payment models, and promote or incentivize
higher quality and lower cost treatments. The state will
invest $10 million in 2016 to advance the functionality of
the APD, with additional support provided by federal
funding.
Implementing the Compassionate Care Act
In July 2014, Governor Cuomo signed the
Compassionate Care Act, establishing a medical
marijuana program for New York State. The state’s
243
carefully crafted program design will allow access to
patients to help alleviate pain and enhance the quality of
life for individuals suffering from such diseases as
Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS),
Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and
neuropathies, while protecting public health and safety
through strict security requirements.
In 2015, the New York State Department of Health
awarded licenses to five organizations in different
regions of the state to grow marijuana and manufacture
it into approved forms. Each of those licensed
organizations is authorized to manufacture medical
products and sell its product at four sites, which will
provide for 20 dispensaries around the state. In addition,
this program creates a practitioner education course,
practitioner registration program, and a patient
certification system.
On January 7, 2016 the Department of Health
launched the opening of the state’s Medical Marijuana
program, just 18 months after the Governor signed the
Compassionate Care Act. Dispensaries are now open
across the state, and physicians are registering for the
program and certifying their patients who might benefit
from the treatment.
244
Supporting Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and
Family Caregivers
The 2015-2016 Budget included $25 million in
funding toward care and support services for individuals
living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias
(AD/D) and their caregivers. This investment is helping
to reduce preventable emergency department visits and
hospitalizations as well as delay or eliminate the need for
institutional placement. Under this program, the
Regional Caregiver Support Initiative awarded $1.5
million per year over five years to each of nine
organizations to support caregivers through care and
family consultations, support groups and training, and
respite services.
While caregivers may be able to manage the
everyday tasks required to maintain older persons with
chronic illnesses or disabilities in their homes, figuring
out how to address an illness or injury after a
hospitalization can be confusing and distressing.
Hospital staff often do not provide instruction or
information on what to expect and what tasks will need
to be performed.
231
245
In 2015, Governor Cuomo signed the Caregiver
Advise, Record and Enable Act, which requires that
hospitals allow patients to formally designate a caregiver
before they leave the hospital or are transferred to
another facility. It also requires hospital workers to
provide the caregiver with instruction or training on how
to perform tasks for the patient at home, such as
changing bandages or administering medication.
Ending the HIV/ AIDS Epidemic
In June 2014, the Governor announced New
York’s three-point plan to end HIV/AIDS as an epidemic
by the
end of
2020. A
primary
goal of
the
Governor’s plan is to reduce the number of annual new
HIV infections to 750, which would achieve the state’s
first-ever decrease in HIV prevalence.
232
New York
State’s successes to-date include the elimination of
mother-to-child transmission, with no new cases of
For the first time since the outbreak of
the AIDS epidemic in New York State,
there have been no new cases of
mother-to-child transmission in the
state for over a year.
246
mother-to-child transmission in this state for over a year.
This is the first time this achievement has been reached
since the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic in New York
State.
233
In addition, the state has seen dramatic
reductions in cases among injection drug users, and new
infections have been reduced significantly in almost all
categories of race and risk.
234
Proposal: New York State Certified High Quality
Foods
Public interest in safe and healthy foods
continues to grow yet consumer trust in food has eroded
significantly – for good reason.
235
The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than
48 million people in the United States suffer from
foodborne illnesses every year.
236
In addition, the
marketplace is flooded with claims such as “made with
goodness” or “natural,” many of which are neither
verified nor have real meaning. New York consumers
deserve better.
New York’s vibrant agriculture and food
industries position the state to set a national example for
providing consumers with transparent and meaningful
information about the food they purchase and eat. In
2015, the Governor created an Advisory Committee on
247
Safe and Healthy Foods to convene the nation’s top
experts in food production and food advocacy to examine
food safety and misbranding issues and to identify ways
for consumers which of New York’s food is the best
available.
The Governor will build on this work to launch
the New York State Certified High Quality Initiative – a
comprehensive plan to restore consumer confidence in
New York products, ensure that products are accurately
labeled, and identify New York producers who adhere to
best practices in food handling and environmental
stewardship.
The New York State Certified High Quality
initiative comprises five elements:
• Branding & Marketing: The state will create a
New York State Certified seal and make it
available to producers who maintain a certified
Good Agricultural Practices plan and
demonstrate good environmental stewardship.
The seal will signal to consumers which foods
are the best to buy and eat. Building on the
success of the Taste NY program, New York will
launch a full-scale advertising campaign to
inform consumers that they can trust foods that
bear this seal.
248
• Enforcement: The state will increase its ability to
enforce laws against misbranding and deceptive
business practices. This will protect not only
consumers, but the integrity of the vast majority
of honest producers as well.
• Monitoring: Inspectors from the Department of
Agriculture & Markets will conduct improved,
risk-based food safety on-site inspections and
will increase the number of food samples to test.
Further, the Department of Health Wadsworth
Center Lab and the State Food Lab will partner to
increase testing capacity.
• Training & Industry Support: The state will invest
more than $4 million to train farmers in safe
food handling practices and environmental
stewardship through the Agricultural
Environmental Management Program and the
Integrated Pest Management Program. The state
will also leverage the Taste NY and Farm-to-
School initiatives to promote consumer interest
in local, New York State Certified products.
• Investment: The state will work with the
Regional Economic Development Councils to
invest in local food distribution hubs that will
improve access to fresh and healthy food for
residents and promote local products to
restaurants and institutional buyers. New York
will also invest in farms that opt to convert to
organic grain production.
249
Proposal: Launch Statewide Effort to Increase
Awareness and Screening for Breast and Prostate
Cancer
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed
cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death
among women in New York State – responsible for
almost 15,000 diagnoses and 2,700 deaths each year.
237
Breast cancer screening has been credited with reducing
breast cancer mortality.
238
Screening can increase the
likelihood of identifying cancer at an early stage, when
treatment is most successful. As a result, a top priority
in the fight against breast cancer is to achieve earlier
detection by getting more women screened. In 2014,
about 78.6 percent of age-appropriate women in New
York State reported receiving a mammogram at least
every other year, while approximately 576,000 women
had not.
239
Excluding skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most
common cancer among men in New York State – each
year, over 15,000 men are diagnosed with prostate
cancer and over 1,700 men die of the disease.
240
The Governor is committed to increasing the
state’s breast cancer screening rate by 10 percent over
the next five years. As a result of the Governor’s
250
initiative, more than 212,000 additional women will be
screened for breast cancer by December 2020.
241
Further, 25,000 men will receive peer education and
outreach services that will encourage them to discuss
their risk for prostate cancer with their health care
providers in order to make an informed decision about
whether to be screened.
To achieve this objective, the Governor will
launch a $91 million comprehensive, statewide plan to
increase rates of breast cancer screening, help women
access the treatment they need, and educate thousands
of men about the
risks associated
with prostate
cancer. The state
will increase
women’s access to
screening facilities
and services across the state, and also work to ensure
women receive any necessary assistance in scheduling
and keeping their mammography appointments.
Additionally, peer outreach efforts will be enhanced to
help more women understand the importance of regular
The Governor is committed to
increasing the state’s breast
cancer screening rate by 10
percent over the next five
years.
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breast cancer screening and to inform men of their risks
regarding prostate cancer.
Proposal: Launch a $15 Million Public-Private
Outreach and Public Education Campaign for Cancer
To encourage more women to get screened for
breast cancer and men to be informed of prostate cancer
risks, the state will implement a two-pronged public
awareness campaign that focuses on underserved
communities.
Every person has unique circumstances that
influence whether or not they get screened regularly for
breast or prostate cancer. To encourage more women to
get mammograms, and men to discuss their risks for
prostate cancer with their health care providers, the
state will fund 10 community-based peer education
programs throughout the state. Peer educators that are
trusted community members will deliver culturally-
relevant cancer screening messages. Breast cancer peer
education programs have been found to increase cancer
screening rates and are recommended by the
Community Preventive Services Task Force.
242
The state will also partner with the Healthcare
Education Project to raise breast cancer awareness
through a media campaign that will target low income,
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underserved populations and encourage them to get
screened. The campaign will address commonly cited
patient barriers, including fear of the test, and women
not knowing they should be screened. In conjunction
with this campaign, the Department of Health will
establish a website containing a breast cancer hotline
and additional means of connecting women with the
component programs in the Governor’s breast cancer
initiative. The state will complement these efforts with a
$5 million education and public awareness media
campaign across the state over the next five years.
Proposal: Increase Access to Breast Cancer Screening
The Community Preventive Services Task Force,
an independent panel of experts appointed by the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
recommends various actions that can help women
overcome obstacles to obtaining breast cancer screening
appointments. These actions include modified hours of
operation at screening facilities to accommodate patient
needs, reducing the time or distance women must travel
to get screened, and providing assistance for scheduling
and traveling to mammography appointments.
243
In
addition to these general recommendations, a recent
253
survey conducted by the Department of Health
determined that approximately one-third of hospital-
based mammography facilities in New York do not offer
alternative hours of services (early morning, evening or
weekend).
244
Based upon these recommendations and
feedback, the Governor is proposing the following four
initiatives to help additional women schedule and travel
to their mammograms.
Currently, New York State employees receive four
hours of annual leave for breast cancer screening. Many
private sector employees do not have access to this type
of benefit. The state calls upon private sector employers
to provide their employees with four hours annual leave
for breast cancer screening and is happy to announce
that the following employers have already agreed to
provide this leave to their staff:
• Eastman Kodak Company
• Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
• D'Addario & Company, Inc.
• Lago Resort & Casino
• M&T Bank
• The Pike Company
• Paychex, Inc.
• Nazareth College
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• Wilmorite Management Group, LLC
• Dixon-Schwabl Inc
• LeChase Construction Services LLC
• Hueber-Breuer Construction Company, Inc.
• Eric Mower & Associates
• Le Moyne College
To increase women’s access to mammography
services, the Department of Health will require hospital-
based screening facilities that already offer
mammograms to offer service hours at least once a week
during the early morning, evening or weekend. This
action will assist women who have difficulty scheduling
their mammograms during the typical 9am-5pm work
day.
To provide access to mammography services to
homebound patients or those who otherwise lack access,
the state will invest $59.5 million to help community
providers purchase and operate mobile mammography
vehicles. Mobile mammography services will be targeted
in areas with a high number of unscreened women per
FDA-approved mammography facility and will provide
convenient, high-quality screening services for women
who may have difficulty getting to a fixed location for an
appointment.
255
Many women make a mammography
appointment and fail to arrive or get screened and do not
follow up for further consultation or treatment. To
address this issue and provide coordinated care to
women across New York, the state will invest $11.6
million to hire additional health care workers at cancer
treatment and other health care facilities to identify and
conduct outreach to patients due for breast cancer
screening, address barriers to facilitate screening
completion such as transportation, and assist with
securing any subsequent needed diagnostic follow-up
and treatment services.
Proposal: Dedicate $5 Million in Venture Capital
Funding for Cancer-Related Research and
Technology
Governor Cuomo has prioritized the state’s fight
against cancer since taking office in 2011, investing over
$29 million in cancer research alone. These investments
include: $5 million to prevent, treat and cure breast
cancer; $3 million to improve our knowledge about the
prevention, detection and treatment of prostate cancer;
and almost $21 million to advance scientific discoveries
in stem cell biology that aim to address cancer.
256
Developing viable digital health and cancer
screening technologies can be costly. Equally challenging
for businesses are the high costs of bringing cancer
treatments to the market.
245
To assist with these
hurdles, the state will invest $5 million from the New
York State Innovation Venture Capital Fund (NYSIVCF)
to support the commercialization of promising cancer-
related technologies. Funding could support products
that help increase the number of women screened for
breast cancer, in addition to innovations that improve
the diagnosis or treatment of breast and prostate cancer.
Up to ten companies will receive state
investments of $500,000 to $1 million to support
research that has entered the early stages of the
commercialization process. To support New York
Ventures in identifying and evaluating investment
opportunities, the state will establish an Advisory Board
consisting of top oncologists, researchers and bioscience
investors. This investment initiative will increase the
opportunity for more businesses to commercialize their
early innovations in cancer research.
257
Proposal: Extend the Upper Age of the Current HIV
Testing Guidelines Beyond 64
New York State law requires hospitals and
primary care providers to offer an HIV test to persons
ages 13 to 64. For older or younger patients, hospitals
and providers must assess these patients for risk before
offering them a test. There is no science supporting the
current age limit of 64.
246
In fact, many older adults
beyond the age of 64 are at risk of HIV and other STD
infections. In fact, half of all people living with diagnosed
HIV infection in this state are age 50 and older,
247
and
approximately 200 cases of HIV are diagnosed each year
in persons age 60 and older.
248
To address this problem,
the Governor will introduce new legislation to extend the
upper age for the offer of an HIV test beyond the age of
64.
Proposal: Broaden HIV Testing and Treatment
Consent Laws for Minors
Under current state law, minors can consent to
STD and HIV testing and to treatment for STDs without
parental or guardian consent. However, treatment
without parental consent for HIV is not explicitly
permitted in statute, even in cases where the young
person has been abandoned or abused by his parents.
258
Young persons (those between 20-29) have the highest
rate of newly diagnosed HIV infection in New York
State.
249
Once diagnosed, young people often face
additional barriers that can prevent or delay access to
care, including denial and fear of their HIV infection,
misinformation, HIV-related stigma, low self-esteem,
lack of insurance, homelessness, substance use, mental
health issues, and lack of adequate support systems.
250
Because of these factors many young people need to have
the ability to consent to their own HIV treatment. The
proposal to expand minor consent ensures more young
people have optimal health outcomes for themselves and
do not transmit the virus to others.
In addition to consenting for health care, young
people should have the ability to consent for HIV related
preventive services. Young people at high risk who are
negative for HIV should be able to consent to pre-
exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) just as they can for other
reproductive or sexual health related services so they
can remain negative.
The Governor will address both prevention and
access to care by introducing new legislation to allow
minors determined to have capacity to give informed
consent for HIV treatment and prophylaxis and to be
259
granted expanded confidentiality protections on
explanation of benefits forms.
Proposal: Link Individuals to HIV Treatment and
Improve Viral Suppression
Viral suppression is the ultimate goal for persons
with HIV, as it improves health and virtually eliminates
the possibility of further transmission of HIV.
251
However, thousands of HIV-infected New Yorkers are
not linked to care and as a result do not achieve viral
suppression.
252
In 2014, a change in state law allowed
medical providers to receive information from the
Department of Health on HIV-infected patients. The
Department of Health can now match HIV data with
Medicaid data to identify HIV-positive Medicaid
recipients who are not being treated. The state then can
notify providers and Medicaid managed care plans of
these individuals, thereby linking them to treatment.
A significant component of the Governor’s plan is
to identify individuals who remain undiagnosed or out of
care for purposes of engagement and retention in care.
The Governor will introduce new legislation that
expands the existing statute to allow HIV -related
information to be shared with care coordinators and care
managers. This expansion will increase the state’s ability
260
to identify HIV-positive individuals, connect them with
treatment, and suppress the development of their virus.
Proposal: Remove Limitations on the State’s
Expanded Syringe Access Program
Since the 1990s, there have been dramatic
reductions in HIV cases among injection drug users. In
1990, drug users represented 54 percent of newly
diagnosed cases; in 2013, it was less than 3 percent.
253
This success is attributed to the implementation and
expansion of syringe exchange and the Expanded Syringe
Access Program (ESAP). ESAP reduces the transmission
of blood borne diseases, including HIV and hepatitis, by
enhancing access to sterile syringes. As of April 2015,
there were more than 3,000 ESAP-registered providers
in New York State.
254
Under the existing statute, a maximum of ten
syringes may be sold or furnished to a person 18 years of
age or older without a prescription. However, limiting
the number of syringes available for purchase may
encourage individuals to re-use or share their syringes –
a behavior that leads to transmission of HIV and
hepatitis.
255
To further the state’s efforts to reduce HIV and
hepatitis transmission among injection drug users, the
261
Governor will propose legislation to lift the ten-syringe
limit, which in turn will increase the visibility and scope
of ESAP. This legislation also will allow for syringe
exchange and for ESAP participants to provide syringes
to other injectors who otherwise would reuse syringes
or share contaminated supplies. Finally, this legislation
will lift a current ban on advertising by pharmacies and
will allow them to publicize the availability of syringes
without a ceiling on the number that can be purchased.
Proposal: Increase Funding and Expand Services for
Children’s Mental Health
Mental and behavioral health problems among
children are a large and growing challenge. While
existing mental health problems become increasingly
complex and intense as children transition into
adolescence
256
even very young children are affected.
Addressing mental health problems early is critical to
children’s success in school and beyond.
To more effectively address these problems, the
Governor proposes $7.5 million in new funding, growing
to $30 million in 2017-18 , to establish six new children’s
mental health services in the state’s Medicaid program.
These services will become available starting January 1,
2017 and include services related to:
262
• Crisis Intervention;
• Community Psychiatric Support and Treatment;
• Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services;
• Non-physician Licensed Practitioners;
• Family Peer Support Services; and
• Youth Peer Training and Support Services.
These new services will place an emphasis on
early intervention for children experiencing mental or
behavioral health challenges before they rise to the level
of needing high intensity clinical services in treatment,
emergency rooms and hospital settings that are more
costly and detrimental to home and community based
living outcomes.
The introduction of these six new children’s
services also represents a critical first step in preparing
the children’s behavioral health system for integration
into Medicaid managed care. One of the obstacles to
delivering effective mental health and substance abuse
services for children and adolescents in New York is that
these services have been delivered in a fragmented and
inefficient manner. Integrating these services into the
Medicaid managed care program will ensure intense
care coordination of physical, mental and behavioral
263
conditions by case managers with significant mental
health experience.
Proposal: Implement the Developmental Disabilities
Transformation Panel Recommendations
New York’s Office for People With Developmental
Disabilities (OPWDD) provides services for 130,000 New
Yorkers with developmental disabilities. The work of
OPWDD plays a crucial role in the quality of life of
individuals with developmental disabilities and plays a
critically important role in supporting the families who
are caring for developmentally disabled loved ones.
The Governor is leading the transition of service
delivery for those with developmental disabilities from a
traditional system of supports provided in group
residential and day programs to a more individualized
and flexible service model that seeks to maximize
individuals’ opportunities to live and work as
independently as possible.
OPWDD invested $65 million in federal funds as
part of this long-term transformation effort in 104
initiatives that seek to promote improved outcomes for
individuals with developmental disabilities related to
employment, transition supports and establishing
community partnerships. To help guide this far-reaching
264
redesign, OPWDD in 2015 convened a Transformation
Panel comprised of individuals receiving services,
parents and industry experts. To implement important
recommendations of the Transformation Panel, the
Governor will direct OPWDD to undertake the following
initiatives:
• Allocate $120 million in new funding for new
services to support up to 6000 individuals with
developmental disabilities.
• Ensure that residential placements will be
devoted to individuals currently living at
home based on need, which will provide relief
for caregivers who are unable to continue the
care they have been providing to their child.
• Invest $15 million in capital for supportive
housing options, which will both create more
opportunities for people with developmental
disabilities to live in affordable housing in the
community.
• Design a flexible home-based service model
to allow people to get the hours of support that
work best for them and the ability to modify
these services as their needs change.
• Provide more flexibility in day services
options for people, including more
opportunities for employment, through creation
265
of a day service model that offers caregivers the
security of a dependable schedule but also
allows for internships, volunteerism and part-
time work.
• Create value-based reimbursement models
that offer providers incentives for achieving
good outcomes for individuals which have been
developed in concert with individuals, families,
providers and other stakeholders.
Proposal: Combat Opioid Overdose
Almost two million New Yorkers and their loved
ones struggle with the effects of substance use disorder
(SUD)
257
, and heroin and opioid addiction is growing
especially quickly among New Yorkers under the age of
25. New York’s substance use disorder treatment system
has seen a 126 percent increase in admissions over the
last ten years among people aged 18 to 25 who are
abusing opioids.
258
In 2014, the state launched the Combat Heroin &
Prescription
Drug Abuse
Campaign to
educate New
Yorkers about
the risks of
More than 1,500 lives have been
saved from opioid overdose in
the past year.
266
heroin and prescription opioid use and to provide them
with helpful resources. In 2014, the Governor adopted a
range of strong measures aimed at reducing addiction to
heroin and other opiates when he signed into law 12
pieces of legislation that dramatically improved access to
SUD treatment services in New York State.
259
One of the key elements of the Governor’s 2014
Opioid Heroin legislative package called for increasing
access to the lifesaving overdose reversal drug, Naloxone
by authorizing healthcare professionals to issue non-
patient specific prescriptions for Naloxone to certified
training programs and pharmacies. There are now more
than 250 registered opioid overdose prevention
programs in this state, with more than 85,000
individuals trained to administer Naloxone, who can take
advantage of this law. Through their efforts, more than
1,500 lives have been saved in the past year.
260
To expand access to this life saving drug and help
prevent opioid overdose deaths in New York State, the
Governor will partner with CVS/pharmacy to help
prevent opioid overdose deaths in New York State.
CVS/pharmacy will provide individual training and
naloxone statewide to their customers without requiring
them to present a prescription. The state hopes to add
267
an additional 1,000 pharmacies statewide in early
2016. The Governor will also introduce legislation that
permits any pharmacist to administer the drug in the
event of an overdose.
Proposal: Prevent Opioid Addiction Relapse
Opiate and heroin addicted individuals are at
increased risk for an overdose following a period when
they are in treatment, or incarcerated and then released,
due to their lowered resistance during the time away
from active use.
261
Vivitrol contains one of the three FDA
approved medications that can help patients to stabilize
and resist relapse. Vivitrol works by fighting the
intoxicating effects of heroin, prescription opioids and
alcohol.
262
The Governor will authorize the first Vivitrol
treatment pilot in State Corrections to help inmates
avoid relapse upon release. The pilot will build on an
existing collaboration between the Department of
Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and an
Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
(OASAS) licensed drug treatment program located in
New York City-based Edgecombe Correctional facility.
The pilot will specifically focus on individuals in the five
268
boroughs who have violated their parole by relapsing on
alcohol, heroin or other opioids.
Proposal: Combat Dangerous “Synthetic” Drugs
Over the last year, there has been an explosion of
synthetic drugs – herbal mixtures that produce
hallucinogenic experiences and are marketed as “legal”
substances. During the three-month period April 1 to
June 30, 2015, New York State saw more than 1,900
emergency department (ER) visits and 680 poison
control center calls due to reports of adverse health
effects associated with synthetic cannabinoid use; this
represents more than a tenfold increase over the same
time period in 2014, when there were more than 150
emergency department visits and 50 poison control
center calls reported.
263
In November 2015, the Department of Health
enacted emergency regulations combating the sale of
synthetic drugs in the state. The tougher regulations
expand the existing list of banned substances to include
new chemical compounds that drug producers have
created since Governor Cuomo first targeted so-called
synthetic marijuana in 2012. But one of the challenges in
combating synthetic drugs is that the chemicals
269
comprising them are not easily detected in standard drug
tests.
264
To overcome this challenge, New York State will
pilot the use of a portable, hand-held high-tech device
which can instantly analyze an unknown substance and
detect whether it contains any combination of these
dangerous synthetics. The Governor will provide $2
million in funding for this pilot program to purchase
portable detection units for law enforcement agencies
across the state.
Proposal: Control Rapidly Rising Prescription Drug
Costs
Rapidly rising costs for prescription drugs pose
one of the biggest risks to maintaining quality affordable
health care for New Yorkers. The Governor proposes a
series of proposals to help insulate New York taxpayers
from having the Medicaid program absorb the full effect
of these prescription drug price increases, while creating
disclosure requirements on manufacturers that will
create more transparency about the business practices
of the manufacturers of these specialty prescription
drugs. Both proposals are aimed at certain specialty
brand name prescription drugs that are prohibitively
expensive yet crucial for the treatment of certain
diseases. Specialty drugs represent 1 percent of all
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prescriptions, but 31 percent of the total cost of
prescription drugs. The treatment regimen for some of
the most expensive specialty drugs can cost as much as
$750,000 per year.
For select specialty drugs that are so expensive it
becomes difficult to offer the drug to all Medicaid
patients who could potentially benefit from it, the
Governor proposes that the Department of Health
effectively cap the price of these drugs by requiring drug
manufacturers to provide a minimum level of rebates to
Medicaid. The state will determine the amount of the
minimum rebate through an actuarial study.
The Governor also proposes that manufacturers
of the same select specialty drugs provide the
Department of Health with such information as the
actual cost of developing, manufacturing, producing, and
distributing the drug; research and development costs of
the drug, marketing, and advertising costs for the drug,
prices for the drug that are charged to purchasers
outside the United States; and the average profit margin
of each drug over the prior five year period. These
disclosure requirements will provide transparency
about the business practices of the specialty drug
271
manufacturers and put a spotlight on the problem of
rising pharmaceutical drug prices.
Proposal: Strengthen the Home Health Care
Workforce
As New York State’s population ages, more
individuals are relying on long-term care, and want to
receive that care in their own homes, rather than going
to a nursing home. Home health care is a fundamental
support needed for people to remain independently in
their homes and integrated in their communities. Home
health aides provide help with basic daily activities that
many of us take for granted—bathing, dressing, meal
preparation—that elderly and people with disabilities
may not be able to do on their own. However, home
health aides are prohibited from helping with other
activities such as medication administration or
assistance with medical equipment.
The Governor is proposing legislation to
authorize Advanced Home Health Aides (AHHAs) to
perform specified advanced tasks under the supervision
of a licensed registered professional nurse employed by
a home care services agency, hospice program or
enhanced assisted living residence. Performed under
supervision by a registered nurse, advanced home health
272
aides will be able to assist patients and allow them to live
with dignity in their homes and provide support to
family caregivers who are responsible for caring for their
loved ones.
Proposal: Ensure the Safety of Child Products
The Child Safe Products Act seeks to regulate the
use of chemicals in the manufacture of children’s
products. New York has been a national leader in
protecting consumers from using unsafe products. To
ensure that we protect our children from unsafe
products, the Governor will work with the Legislature to
adopt the Child Safe Products Act which will phase out
the use of specific chemicals of concern in children's
products.
Proposal: Expand Farm to School Partnerships to
Help Farmers and Students
New York public schools serve 400 million meals
annually to nearly three million children.
265
According to
a 2012 survey, nearly three-quarters of New York school
food service directors agree that locally procured foods
are healthier for students; yet one quarter of them have
never procured locally and want to learn how.
266
To
273
increase the amount of high quality food that reaches our
children’s school lunch trays, the Governor launched the
$350,000 New York State Farm to School Competitive
Grants Program in 2015 to increase the capacity of six
schools to purchase from local farms.
To expand on these efforts, at the
recommendation of the Anti-Hunger Task Force, the
Governor proposes a second $250,000 round of grants
and will expand “NY Thursdays,” a program that
increases local sourcing in public school food programs
through commitments by school districts to source local
food for school lunches every Thursday.
274
10. ETHICS REFORM
Governor Cuomo has been fighting for ethics
reform since taking office in 2011. In his first year as
Governor, he led the effort to enact the comprehensive
Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011 to increase
transparency and accountability in Albany. This robust
set of reforms required state officials to make
unprecedented disclosures of their income, assets, and
external clients; created a public database of all
lobbyists; strengthened lobbying restrictions; and
275
required public officials to forfeit their pensions when
convicted of a felony related to public office. It also
established a new Joint Commission on Public Ethics
(JCOPE) to oversee the Executive, the Legislature, and
lobbyists.
The 2015-2016 State Budget included additional
measures to further advance ethics reform, including
new requirements to ensure that public officials disclose
the details of all outside income in excess of $1,000 –
including the source of the income and the actual
services performed – and whether there is any
connection to the state government or the office they
hold. The budget significantly expanded the Lobbying
Law to cover municipalities with a population of 5,000 or
more, from 50,000 previously. The Budget also
introduced Per Diem reform that will prevent fraud by
establishing stronger claim verification requirements
New Yorkers deserve a government they can trust.
Governor Cuomo has been fighting for ethics
reform since taking office in 2011.
276
and creating a publicly accessible website showing
members’ reimbursement and travel. Campaign funds
have been barred for personal use, and the requirement
to disclose independent campaign expenditures has
been expanded from 30 to 60 days before Election Day.
The Governor also increased the JCOPE budget by 27
percent and provided for funding to modernize the
Commission’s technology systems.
This year, Governor Cuomo proposes the most
ambitious ethics and good government reform package
ever to restore New Yorker’s confidence in their
representatives. The Governor will propose closing the
“LLC Loophole,” limiting outside income for members of
the New York State Legislature, devising a system for
publicly financing campaigns, enacting comprehensive
reforms to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) to
increase transparency, requiring any legislators
convicted of corruption to forfeit their New York State
pensions, strengthening the enforcement powers of
JCOPE, and enacting new ethics and campaign finance
reporting requirements. The Governor also proposes
authorizing an expert commission to prepare for a
constitutional convention and proposes voting reforms
to institute early voting and automatic voter registration
277
to enable more New Yorkers to have their voices heard
on Election Day.
Proposal: Close the LLC Loophole and Increase
Campaign Disclosure
In order to preserve open, free, and fair elections
that are not captured by wealthy public interests, state
law limits the amounts that both corporations and
individuals may donate directly to state candidates.
267
However, because of a quirk in the way that present
election law is interpreted, wealthy individuals and
corporations are able to use Limited Liability Companies
(“LLCs”) to avoid New York’s campaign donation limits.
This “LLC Loophole” in campaign finance law has
allowed special interests to circumvent both
contribution limits and disclosure requirements. The
Governor proposes closing the LLC Loophole for all
elected officials. It is our responsibility to even the
playing field so that rich and poor New Yorkers alike
have their voices heard in our political process.
278
Currently, campaigns must disclose campaign
contributions only
twice a year and at
certain intervals before
elections. In our digital
era, money and news
move lightning-fast yet
laws on campaign
contributions have not
caught up to the reality
of our times. To provide
greater transparency in
campaign contributions, the Governor proposes that
candidates disclose campaign contributions to the Board
of Elections every 60 days.
Proposal: Limit Outside Income for Legislators
The Legislature’s part-time structure allows
professionals from diverse industries and backgrounds
to serve the public. This offers the distinct advantage of
legislators who are not career politicians but, instead,
have a diverse set of interests and experiences. To strike
the right balance, the Governor proposes that New York
The Governor proposes
closing the LLC Loophole
for all elected officials. It
is our responsibility to
even the playing field so
that rich and poor New
Yorkers alike have their
voices heard in our
political process.
279
State adopt limits on outside income for legislators akin
to the limits our federal government places on
legislators’ outside income. The proposal will limit state
legislators’ outside income to 15 percent of their base
salary.
Proposal: Adopt a Voluntary Public Campaign
Financing System
Current election laws favor wealthy donors and
special interests. Simply put, there is no incentive for
candidates to rely on ordinary, everyday people for
campaign donations. In the 2006 elections, for example,
candidates in New York relied less on small donors ($1-
$250) than in all but three other states nationwide.
268
The only comprehensive way to fix this problem and
restore the voices of all New Yorkers is to adopt a
voluntary public financing system for political
campaigns that focuses on matching funds from small
donors. To accomplish this goal, the Governor proposes
a voluntary public campaign financing system.
Proposal: Enact Other Campaign Finance Reforms
Unlike federal law, New York allows unlimited
contributions to party “housekeeping” accounts by
individuals and corporations. These accounts are
280
supposed to be used for non-campaign party activities,
but they serve as a backdoor for big money to influence
political races. Our current system also allows
intermediaries of campaign contributors, known as
“bundlers,” to pass large groupings of individual
contributions to campaigns and gain political influence
without disclosing their identities. The Governor
proposes to fix both issues by placing a $25,000
contribution limit on housekeeping accounts and
requiring bundlers’ identities to be disclosed.
Proposal: Promote Transparency through New
Reforms to FOIL
The New York Freedom of Information Law
(FOIL) governs the public’s right to access government
records and provides transparency for citizens into the
workings of state government. The Governor proposes a
comprehensive reform of FOIL to improve transparency
and promote openness in state government. But
transparency cannot just be limited to the Executive, and
therefore the Governor proposes that FOIL apply equally
to the Legislature. Additionally, the Governor proposes
that both FOIL and the state’s open meetings law apply
to both JCOPE as well as the Legislative Ethics
Commission to further ensure transparency and
281
accountability and enhance public confidence in our
government.
Proposal: Require Legislators Convicted of
Corruption to Forfeit Pensions
It is only fair to taxpayers that public servants
who are convicted of corruption should not continue to
collect a pension earned during public service.
Legislators who violate their duty to the people of New
York should not continue to be paid by the people of New
York in any way. The Governor proposes the adoption of
a joint resolution that will require pension forfeiture
after a legislator is convicted of a crime related to their
public office, regardless of when that legislator was
elected to office.
Proposal: Increase JCOPE Transparency and
Enforcement and Strengthen Ethical Requirements
for Lobbyists
The JCOPE Review Commission issued a report in
2015 that detailed multiple changes to enable JCOPE to
do its job better.
269
In response, the Governor proposes
a package of much-needed changes to JCOPE to increase
transparency and enhance its enforcement powers.
282
All public officers are required to file Financial
Disclosure Statements (FDS), but good government
groups and the public alike have called for strengthening
these disclosure requirements. Governor Cuomo
therefore proposes legislation that would authorize
JCOPE staff to seek documents in support of statements
made on the FDS, increase enforcement authority against
public officers who fail to comply with JCOPE audits, and
create District Attorney oversight over those who
willfully submit deceptive financial information on the
FDS. This legislation would also eliminate the categories
of value on the FDS to require public officers to report
actual amounts. Finally, this legislation would impose
financial penalties for all violations of the Public Officers
Code of Conduct contained in Section 74 of the Public
Officers Law, and would create “accessory liability” to
allow JCOPE to fully prosecute persons who aid and abet
violations of the Public Officers Law.
Proposal: Convene a Constitutional Commission
As Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “the
ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President or
senators and congressmen and government officials, but
the voters of this country.” The New York Constitution
283
provides that, every 20 years, New Yorkers must vote by
referendum on whether to hold a convention to amend
the state constitution.
270
The next referendum will take
place in 2017, and the stakes could not be higher. From
ethics enforcement to the basic rules governing day-to-
day business in Albany, the process of government in
New York State is broken. Governor Cuomo believes a
constitutional convention offers voters the opportunity
to achieve lasting reform in Albany. The Governor will
invest $1 million to create an expert, non-partisan
commission to develop a blueprint for a convention. The
commission will also be authorized to recommend fixes
to the current convention delegate selection process,
which experts agree is flawed.
Proposal: Early Voting in 139 Locations
New York has 19.8 million residents.
271
Only 11.7
million New Yorkers are registered to vote.
272
In the last
non-presidential election year, only 29 percent of
registered voters participated – less than one in three.
273
In the last presidential election, only 53.6 percent of
registered voters participated.
274
New York ranked 44th
in the nation for voter turnout in the 2012 presidential
284
election.
275
Research has shown that scheduling conflicts
with work or school and being too busy are some of the
main reasons voters cite for not participating.
276
As
Lyndon Johnson said, “The vote is the most powerful
instrument ever devised by man for breaking down
injustice.” Governor Cuomo is committed to making
reforms that ensure fairness and increase participation
in New York’s democratic system.
According to the Brennan Center, early voting
leads to shorter lines on Election Day, early identification
and correction of registration errors, and greater access
to voting.
277
Currently, New Yorkers can vote early via
absentee ballot, but only if s/he meets certain
qualifications such as being absent from his or her
county on Election Day or being unable to get to the polls
due to a disability. For many working New Yorkers, it can
be difficult to get to the polls on Election Day.
285
Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia
already allow voters to cast ballots in person, before
Election Day.
278
To increase voter participation,
Governor Cuomo proposes legislation that will allow
New Yorkers to vote early in all elections. This legislation
will require every county to offer residents access to one
early voting polling place that will allow residents to vote
for 12 days leading up to Election Day. Voters will have
at least eight hours on weekdays and five hours on
weekends to cast early ballots. Counties must have one
early voting polling site
for every 50,000
residents and the bi-
partisan county boards of
elections will determine
the specific location of
early voting polling
places, subject to
standards of convenience
and accessibility. Early voting will increase participation
and make our elections more inclusive and democratic.
Proposal: Automatic Voter Registration
To increase voter
participation, Governor
Cuomo proposes
legislation that will
allow New Yorkers to
vote early in all
elections.
286
Our voter registration system is outdated and
makes it difficult for people to participate. Paper
applications can introduce errors to the voter rolls, and
inaccurate registrations sometimes lead to voters being
turned away at the polls. Governor Cuomo is committed
to modernizing the voter registration system. Voter
registration should be a presumption, not a hurdle.
This year, the Governor will make New York the
third state in the nation—and the first on the East
Coast—to adopt automatic voter registration at the
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
279
Citizens can
already register to vote at the DMV, but the current
process is unnecessarily onerous, requiring a potential
voter to include additional voting information in their
application for a DMV service. Under the new system,
unless a DMV user opts out, the information used in any
DMV application will be automatically sent to county
boards of elections to register the applicant or update
registration information. New Yorkers who do not wish
to register to vote can simply check an "opt out" box. This
change will help maintain accurate voter rolls and
facilitate New Yorkers' participation in elections.
287
Proposal: Embrace Good Government and
Transparency
For years, good government groups have
clamored for more transparency in state finances.
Governor Cuomo therefore proposes legislation that will
allow concerned taxpayers from across the state to
access more information about where and how money
flows from the state to private citizens.
The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) and the
Attorney General (AG) already have various powers to
undertake audits and investigations regarding the use of
state funds. However, under current practice, OSC and
the AG do not coordinate when they are auditing state
vendor contracts with private businesses. This should
change. The Governor’s legislation would therefore
direct the AG, OSC, and the Office of General Services to
conduct a study and make recommendations regarding
initiatives that would better enable the public to track
state contracts.
Proposal: Reform Lobbying Laws
Our lobbying laws must be strengthened to close
existing loopholes and enhance enforcement. This
legislation will require political consultants who advise
288
elected officials to register as lobbyists, and will repeal
the exclusion for activities of commission salespersons
from the definition of “lobbying.” Further, the Governor
proposes legislation that will impose a $10,000 penalty
on a lobbyist who fails to comply with an audit by JCOPE,
impose financial penalties for already-illegal “contingent
fee agreements” for lobbyists, and require mandatory
electronic filing so that all lobbyists would also be
subject to federal wire fraud charges for misstatements.
289
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New York State Department of Labor. Chart 1: Private Sector Job
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New York State Department of Labor. Table 2: Number of
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The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is a
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Reflects an estimated annual average derived from NYSDOL
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201
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Reflects an estimated annual average derived from NYSDOL
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205
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206
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210
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211
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212
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california
FY 2017 Executive Budget
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Contents
Director’s Message ...................................................................... 315
FY 2017 Executive Budget
1. Financial Plan Overview....................................................... 319
2. Revenue Actions and STAR ................................................. 331
3. Investing in New York ........................................................... 349
Program Overview
4.Economic Development .........................................................355
5. Education.................................................................................... 365
6.Environment and Energy .......................................................377
7.Health Care .................................................................................. 389
8.Higher Education ......................................................................403
9.Human Services .........................................................................417
10.Local Government ..................................................................427
11.Mental Hygiene .......................................................................441
12.Public Safety .............................................................................457
13.State Workforce ......................................................................465
14.Transportation ........................................................................473
Additional Information
15.Legislation Required for the Budget ..............................487
16. The Citizen’s Guide to the Executive Budget............. 499
315
DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
New York State’s finances are in their best shape in
decades. Under the direction of Governor Cuomo, and as
a direct result of his policies, the massive deficits that
used to plague the budgeting process have been
eliminated and turned into operating surpluses used to
lower taxes and bolster reserves to the highest levels on
record.
Debt outstanding at the end of FY 2016 is on track to
be lower than when the Governor took office in 2011,
representing the first time in modern times that total
State debt has declined for four consecutive years. State
debt measured as a percent of personal income has
decreased from 6.0 percent in FY 2010 to 4.6 percent
today – the most favorable debt to income ratio since
the 1960s. During this period of declining debt, the State
has still made major capital investments through use of
settlement funds and prudent debt management. This
Budget continues making targeted capital investments
for housing, health care, transportation and economic
development, while the ratio of debt to personal income
is expected to improve even further.
316
For the sixth year in a row, the Executive Budget is
balanced while limiting spending growth to two
percent. The Governor’s two percent State spending cap
has changed the very nature of the State Budget
process. For decades, revenue projections would define
the level of State spending. This practice has ended
under Governor Cuomo. No longer do we spend every
dollar that we bring in, instead leaving more money in
the hands of the people.
Because of the State's two percent cap, spending
growth has been constrained to sustainable levels that
do not outpace the growth in personal income,
improving New York’s livability and competitiveness.
The spending cap allows the financial plan to better
weather financial volatility. The cycle of boom and bust
spending is over – no longer does the State ramp up
spending in the good years, requiring cuts to programs
in the bad years.
Finally, the fiscal discipline required by the State
spending cap is driving innovation in government. New
York State agencies are working more closely together
than ever before, streamlining processes and
eliminating waste, while improving services on which
people depend. New Yorkers have every right to expect
317
their government to be efficient and effective, and
government must honor the responsibility of being
entrusted with public resources.
Governor Cuomo has instituted fundamental
reforms that have reduced the cost of both State and
local government. From eliminating unsustainable
inflators in major State programs, to lowering pension
costs for all levels of government, to helping counties
comply with the property tax cap by relieving them of
future Medicaid growth, the finances of government in
New York State are on more solid ground.
The financial markets and employers have taken
notice of New York’s financial turnaround. Private
sector investment is up, and New York now has the
most private sector jobs in its history. Standard and
Poor’s, Fitch, and Moody’s, recognized New York’s
outstanding financial performance by upgrading the
State to its highest credit rating since 1972. The State
now enjoys the second highest investment-grade credit
rating possible from all three raters on its general
obligation bonds, and S&P rates the State's Personal
Income Tax Bonds and Sales Tax Bonds at AAA, the
highest rating possible.
318
With our finances in order, this Budget makes a
significant investment in education, providing a record
level of support to our schools. It lowers taxes for small
businesses and provides tax credits to support
education and encourage employers to hire urban
youth. It prudently uses an additional $2.3 billion
windfall from monetary settlements with financial
institutions for time-limited investments. New York is
taking on long-overdue infrastructure projects that for
generations were held back by lack of confidence and
imagination.
During the last five years, Governor Cuomo has
rebuilt the State’s fiscal house. Now, under his bold
leadership, we are rebuilding the State itself. It is in the
very nature of New Yorkers to believe in the possibility
of a brighter tomorrow – we are indeed built to lead.
Today, we step towards that future with confidence.
319
1. FINANCIAL PLAN
OVERVIEW
Overview
Governor Cuomo has led a bipartisan effort with the
Legislature to enact five timely, fiscally responsible
budgets. The passage of the FY 2016 Budget marked the
first time since 1978 that New York has enacted five
consecutive on-time budgets. The Governor’s budgets
embrace the principle that State spending must grow
more slowly than the overall economy to leave more
money in the hands of the people and to discipline the
government to use its resources prudently. This
principle has been put into practice with the
establishment of the two percent spending benchmark
at the State level, and with the two percent property tax
cap at the local level.
The effort to rein in State government spending is
working. In the 50 years prior to Governor Cuomo
taking office, the annual State Budget grew faster than
income 60 percent of the time (or three out of every five
budgets), and spending over the entire period grew at
320
an average rate of approximately 7.0 percent, compared
to income growth of 6.2 percent. With the adoption of
the two percent spending benchmark, the unsustainable
trend has been reversed. Since 2011, State spending has
grown more slowly than income each year – and will
again with the FY 2017 Executive Budget.
Importantly, the fiscal actions of the past five years
have reduced volatility from the budget-making
process. Rather than including large spending increases
in good economic times that cannot be sustained when
the economy slows, the past five budgets have been
disciplined, sustainable and affordable in the long term.
The budgets of the last five years have instituted
fundamental reforms that have reduced the cost of State
and local government in New York. These reforms
include:
• Limiting the annual growth in State Operating
Funds to two percent;
• Eliminating unsustainable inflators in major
programs;
• Negotiating landmark collective bargaining
agreements that provide fair and affordable
wages and benefits;
• Creating a new tier of fair and affordable pension
benefits, which is expected to save the State and
321
local governments more than $80 billion over 30
years;
• Relieving localities of the growth in the Medicaid
program, and all its administrative costs, as a
way to help counties remain with tax cap;
• Controlling and targeting new borrowing to keep
debt service affordable and within the State’s
debt limit; and
• Setting aside more than $1 billion in reserves to
reduce debt and meet unforeseen “rainy day”
needs.
The combination of spending restraint and the
accompanying budget reforms have led to measurable
improvements in the State’s financial position.
• General Fund deficits totaling tens of billions of
dollars have been eliminated and turned into
operating surpluses used to bolster reserves to
the highest levels on record.
• Total State debt has declined in each of the last
three fiscal years, and will decline again in FY
2016. This is the first instance in modern times
that New York’s debt has declined for four
consecutive years. Debt outstanding at the end of
FY 2016 is on track to be lower than when the
Governor took office in 2011. State debt
measured as a percent of personal income has
decreased from 6.0 percent in FY 2010 to 4.6
percent – the most favorable debt to income
ratio since the 1960s – and is expected to decline
annually over the plan period, even as the State
makes targeted capital investments for housing,
322
health care, transportation, and economic
development.
• The accumulated GAAP-basis deficit of $3.5
billion inherited when the Governor took office
has been eliminated.
In the summer of 2014, all three major credit rating
agencies, Standard and Poor’s, Fitch, and Moody’s,
recognized New York’s outstanding financial
performance by upgrading the State to its highest credit
rating since 1972. The State now enjoys the second
highest investment-grade credit rating possible from all
three raters on its general obligation bonds (S&P rates
the State’s Personal Income Tax Bonds and Sales Tax
Bonds at AAA, the highest rating possible).
FY 2017 Executive Budget Highlights
• The Executive Budget continues the disciplined
approach to fiscal matters that has defined the
Governor’s first five budgets. It proposes
recurring savings through targeted reforms, as
well as continuation of the spending controls and
cost-containment put in place in prior years.
Agency operations are generally expected to
remain at current levels across the Financial Plan
period. The projections for receipts and
disbursements continue to be based on
conservative assumptions.
323
• The Budget again limits the annual growth in
State Operating Funds spending to two percent
or less, consistent with the spending benchmark
adopted in FY 2012. In addition, the Governor is
expected to propose, and the Legislature is
expected to enact, balanced budgets in future
years that continue to limit annual growth in
State Operating Funds to two percent or less.
• An additional $2.3 billion windfall from
monetary settlements with financial institutions
is again set aside primarily for one-time
investments and reserves. The FY 2017
Executive Budget proposes using these
settlement proceeds for investments that
supplement State activities, including
transportation ($900 million), homeless and
affordable housing ($640 million), and economic
development ($255 million). In addition,
settlements are used to increase funding for the
Environmental Protection Fund ($120 million),
create a toll credit for regular users of the
Thruway ($340 million), support the Empire
State Poverty Reduction Initiative ($25 million),
and promote municipal consolidation ($20
million).
324
• The combination of effective budget
management and adherence to the two percent
spending benchmark in future fiscal years would
produce surpluses, based on current projections.
The Budget proposes a small business tax
reduction plan and several new and expanded
tax credits, which are sized to absorb much of
the surplus that would otherwise be expected to
occur if the State is successful in adhering to the
two percent spending benchmark in future
years. The following table summarizes the multi-
year impact of the Executive Budget Financial
Plan on General Fund operations.
325
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326
• Consistent with the Governor’s approach in
balancing his first five budgets, all of which
emphasized spending restraint, the Executive
Budget reduces spending in FY 2017 by $2
billion compared to prior projections. The
reductions reflect reestimates to spending based
on updated information, specific cost-
containment proposals, and the prepayment of
FY 2017 expenses from excess resources
available in FY 2016.
o Agency Operations. Since the Governor took
office in January 2011, State Executive
agency operating costs have been held
constant through ongoing State agency
redesign and cost-control efforts. These
efforts have included closure and
consolidation of facilities to reduce excess
capacity; strict controls on attrition and
hiring; enterprise-wide consolidation of
procurement, information technology, and
workforce management functions; and a
range of operational measures to improve
efficiency. The FY 2017 Executive Budget
generally holds Executive agency operations
at a fixed level of spending over the Financial
Plan period. Projected cost of employee
health insurance and worker compensation
has been increased based on market
conditions.
327
o Local Assistance. The Budget contains $64.3
billion in Aid to Localities funding. Medicaid
and School Aid are the State’s largest local aid
programs, comprising over 40 percent of the
State Operating Funds budget. School Aid is
increased by $2.1 billion over the next two
school years, including a $991 million (4.3
percent) increase for the 2016-17 school year
(SY 2017), bringing total aid to $24.2 billion
in SY 2017. Medicaid will grow at the indexed
rate of 3.4 percent, consistent with the
statutory index (“Global Cap”), to $17.7
billion. In total, State-funded Medicaid will
increase to $18.0 billion, including spending
outside the Global Cap. In addition, the State
continues to provide a substantial amount of
capital funding to improve and restructure
the State’s health care delivery system.
General Fund savings in the Executive
Budget are expected from, among other
things, aligning financial responsibility for
City University of New York (CUNY) Senior
Colleges with CUNY’s governance (Currently,
New York City appoints one-third of the
CUNY board but provides virtually no
financial support to Senior Colleges). The
Budget proposes reinvesting $240 million
from this proposal to fund a potential
retroactive labor agreement with CUNY
employee unions. Other Executive Budget
savings include: targeted reforms to STAR,
medical malpractice, and early intervention;
the reinstitution of New York City’s
contribution to the annual growth in
Medicaid costs in recognition of the financial
328
capacity derived from the City’s exemption
from the Property Tax Cap; and updated cost
estimates for a range of State programs,
reflecting the impact of cost containment and
spending controls enacted in prior years.
o Debt Service. Savings are expected through
the prepayment of FY 2017 debt service in
the current year, continued use of
competitive bond sales, refundings, and
proactive management of debt issuances.
• The forecast for tax receipts has been revised
over the multi-year Financial Plan based on
collections experience and an updated economic
forecast. Other significant resource adjustments
include downward revisions to expected Federal
resources to fund the mental hygiene system;
savings realized from the refunding in 2014 of
bonds funded exclusively from State sales tax
receipts paid to STARC; and tax receipt changes
from the proposed changes to the STAR
program.
• The Budget proposes tax reductions for small
businesses, a new Education Tax Credit to
encourage private investments in education, an
expansion of the Urban Youth Jobs Program Tax
Credit, and a new Thruway toll credit. In
addition, the Budget extends several tax credits.
329
Annual Spending Growth
The Executive Budget holds FY 2017 annual
spending growth in State Operating Funds to 1.7
percent, below the two percent spending benchmark.
All Funds spending, which includes spending from
capital funds and Federal funds, is expected to increase
by 1.2 percent from the level estimated for FY 2016,
excluding extraordinary aid.
330
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331
2. REVENUE ACTIONS AND
STAR
Overview
The FY 2017 Executive Budget continues efforts to
improve New York’s business climate and lower taxes
on small businesses, simplify the tax code, and improve
the fairness of the tax system.
The Budget builds upon five years of tax relief
accomplishments, including: the enactment of a
property tax cap; the property tax freeze credit; the
lowest middle class income tax rate in 60 years;
elimination of the MTA payroll tax for more than
700,000 small businesses and the self-employed;
creation of a new family tax relief credit; tax cuts for
small businesses and manufacturers; reforms to
unemployment insurance and workers compensation
insurance; new START-UP NY tax free zones; and the
most important overhaul of corporate taxes in seven
decades including a reduction in corporate rates.
332
The additional tax relief proposed in the Executive
Budget is made possible by continued adherence to the
two percent spending limit.
Tax Cuts and Credits
The Executive Budget presents five tax cuts and
credits that will provide $444 million in direct tax relief
by FY 2018, growing to $594 million when fully
annualized.
• Lower Taxes on Small Businesses. Small
businesses are the backbone of the State’s
economy, accounting for 43 percent of all private
sector jobs in New York. The Budget includes
reforms that will improve competitiveness for
small businesses, promote continued growth
within the small business sector, and help
further the expansion of the State’s economy.
Taxes are lowered both for small businesses who
pay via the corporate tax and those paying
through the personal income tax.
o Corporate: The Budget reduces the net
income tax rate from the current 6.5 percent
to 4 percent effective January 1, 2017 for
small businesses that file under Article 9-A.
For the purpose of this tax cut, the definition
of “small business” is a business with less
than 100 employees, with net income below
$390,000. To avoid a “cliff” and stay
consistent with how the dual rates are
333
treated under current law, the lower tax rates
would be available to small businesses with
net income below $290,000, and the rate is
phased up to the standard rate applicable to
businesses with net income of $390,000 or
more. Small businesses have traditionally
paid a lower rate than large corporate
taxpayers, but their current advantage would
disappear as corporate tax rates were
lowered effective January 1, 2016. This
change preserves the small business tax
advantage in the new lower-tax environment.
As an example, a small business taxpayer
with $285,000 in net income currently pays
$18,525 at a tax rate of 6.5 percent. Under
this proposal, the same taxpayer would pay
$11,400 when their corporate tax rate falls to
4 percent.
o Personal Income Tax: For small businesses
whose members pay taxes via the personal
income tax, the Budget provides new and
expanded tax cuts. The existing 5 percent
sole proprietor and farm business income
AGI subtraction, available to taxpayers with
small business income of $250,000 or less, is
increased to 15 percent. As an example, a
farmer or sole proprietor with net business
income of $240,000 in the current year and
an effective tax rate of 6 percent would
exempt 5 percent of his net income to save
$720. Under the proposed 15 percent
exemption, the savings would grow to
$2,160. In order to create tax parity between
small business types, the Budget also
expands this 15 percent AGI subtraction to
334
include members of partnerships, S-
corporations, and LLCs as long as at least
some of their business income is derived
from a business entity with less than $1.5
million in NY gross receipts, and their total
business income from these sources is below
$250,000. As an example, if a taxpayer is a
member of a qualifying partnership with net
business income of $200,000, at an effective
tax rate of 6%, she would currently pay
$12,000 in tax. Under this proposal, 15
percent of her income would be exempted,
lowering her tax bill by $1,800.
• Enhance the Urban Youth Jobs Program Tax
Credit. This program encourages businesses to
hire unemployed, disadvantaged youth, ages 16
to 24, living in the cities and towns with the
highest poverty and unemployment rates. The
annual allocation is increased from $20 million
to $50 million for hiring years 2016 and 2017, of
which $10 million annually may be allocated
statewide.
• Establish Thruway Toll Tax Credits. To lower
the cost of traveling the New York State Thruway
for commuters and other heavy users, and to
lower the cost of bringing products to market for
businesses, the Executive Budget provides a
nonrefundable credit for Thruway tolls paid
electronically. Drivers of passenger vehicles who
spend at least $50, annually, and businesses and
commercial account holders who spend between
$100 and $9,999 in Thruway tolls, annually,
would receive a tax credit worth 50 percent of
tolls paid. For farmers, the Budget provides a
335
100 percent nonrefundable credit, regardless of
usage, for farm vehicle use on the Thruway. Over
the three years, drivers will save $340 million.
• Establish the Parental Choice in Education
Act. The Executive Budget promotes educational
choice and philanthropy, and provides support
for teachers in recognition of their personal
spending for their classrooms. The new credits
provide $150 million in tax relief annually
through the Parental Choice in Education Act. An
aggregate total of $50 million is dedicated to a 75
percent nonrefundable credit for charitable
contributions to educational scholarship
organizations that provide support to low
income students seeking to attend a nonpublic
school or a public school outside of the student’s
district. Corporation franchise and individual
taxpayers may claim this credit, up to a
maximum annual credit of $1 million. Another
$20 million is dedicated to a credit for
contributions to public education entities, school
improvement organizations, and local education
funds, based on the same parameters as the
credit for contributions to educational
scholarship organizations. The Act also
establishes a refundable tax credit worth an
aggregate $70 million, against the personal
income tax, for up to $500 in tuition costs per
pupil for families with New York Adjusted Gross
Income below $60,000. Finally, recognizing that
many teachers spend their own money on
materials for their classroom, the Act creates a
refundable credit equal to the cost of
instructional supplies purchased by a public,
charter, or private school educator, up to a
336
maximum of $200, with an aggregate cap of $10
million.
• Establish Additional Alcohol Beverage Tax
Tasting Exemptions and Production Credits.
The beer, wine and spirits industry has created
over 1,600 jobs since mid-2011. Further, wine,
beer, cider and liquor tastings are a tourist
attraction, helping bolster travel and exploration
of New York products. Alcoholic beverages used
in tastings are currently exempt from the sales
and use tax. The Budget expands benefits for this
industry by also: exempting any product used in
on-site tastings from the alcoholic beverage tax;
amending the beer production credit to also
include New York wine, liquor and cider
production; and by conforming provisions of the
Tax Law with the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Law to eliminate confusion and uncertainty.
Tax Simplification Actions
• Simplify the Taxation of Remarketed Rooms.
The Budget streamlines the collection of sales
tax on remarketed hotel rooms. The purchase of
hotel room occupancies by room remarketers
such as Travelocity or Hotels.com would be
exempt from the sales tax when those purchases
are made from hotels for later resale to
consumers. Currently, room remarketers collect
the full amount of tax at the time of final sale to
the consumer, then request a refund from the
Department of Taxation and Finance for the
amount of tax already remitted to the hotel.
337
Enforcement Initiatives
• Expand Jeopardy Assessments to the
Cigarette and Tobacco Tax. The Department of
Taxation and Finance currently has the authority
to issue a jeopardy (i.e. accelerated) assessment
when a delinquent sales tax vendor is at-risk of
fleeing the State. The Budget expands this
authority to the assessment of cigarette and
tobacco products. Currently, inter-state and
international bootlegging operators are avoiding
the payment of taxes by fleeing the State before
their assets can be seized through the normal
assessment process. This provision will support
the efforts of the Governor’s Cigarette Strike
Force, which was established in 2014 to curtail
bootlegging and its effects.
Tax Law Extenders
• Extend the Empire State Commercial
Production Tax Credit for Two Years. This tax
credit covers 20 percent of qualified commercial
production costs in New York State that exceed
the average of the three prior years’ costs, plus
five percent of costs above $500,000 in the
Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District
(MCTD), and above $200,000 outside the MCTD.
• Authorize an Additional $8 Million for the
Low-Income Housing Credit in Each of the
Next Five Fiscal Years. To help expand
affordable housing in New York, this program
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provides credits to develop qualifying low
income housing projects. The Executive Budget
authorizes the Division of Housing and
Community Renewal to allocate an additional $8
million for the program in each of the next five
fiscal years, beginning April 1, 2016. Credits are
awarded in equal installments for a ten-year
period. The total amount of credits to be
awarded from this new authorization will be
$400 million over a multi-year period.
• Extend the Hire-A-Vet Credit for Two Years.
To support veterans in their return to the
workforce, the Budget extends this credit for an
additional two years, adding the 2016 and 2017
hiring periods. The program provides a
refundable tax credit to employers equal to 10
percent of wages paid to a qualified veteran (up
to $5,000) and 15 percent of wages paid to a
disabled veteran (up to $15,000).
• Extend the Clean Heating Fuel Credit for
Three Years. To support efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and to mitigate the
effects of climate change, the Executive Budget
modifies and extends, for an additional three
years, the Clean Heating Fuel credit. The current
credit is equal to one cent per percent of
biodiesel per gallon of biofuel purchased by an
eligible taxpayer. This proposal amends the
credit to apply only to biofuel blends that are
comprised of more than five percent biodiesel.
The credit is currently scheduled to expire on
December 31, 2016.
• Extend the Alternative Fuels Tax Exemptions
for Five Years. The existing exemptions for e85,
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CNG, hydrogen and B-20 from the sales,
petroleum business and motor fuel taxes are
extended for five years.
• Extend the Excelsior Jobs Program for Five
Years. The Excelsior Jobs Program claims period
is extended through 2029, allowing Empire State
Development the ability to continue to offer a 10
year benefit period for the next several years.
Unused credits from previous years will be used
to fund the extension.
• Extend the Credit for Companies that Provide
Transportation to Individuals with
Disabilities for Six Years. The credit for
companies who provide transportation to
individuals with disabilities is extended for an
additional six years. The current credit,
scheduled to expire on December 31, 2016,
offsets up to $10,000 in costs associated with
upgrading vehicles, or purchasing qualifying new
vehicles, to accommodate the transportation of
disabled individuals.
• Permanently Extend the Non-Custodial
Earned Income Tax Credit. The non-custodial
parent earned income tax credit is permanently
extended, providing parity with the existing
permanent earned income tax credit. The
current credit is scheduled to expire on
December 31, 2016. The credit complements the
regular EITC by allowing a lower credit for
parents who pay child support for a qualifying
child with whom they do not reside.
• Permanently Extend Tax Shelter Reporting
Requirements. The requirement for taxpayers
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to provide the Department of Taxation and
Finance with copies of federal tax shelter reports
is permanently extended.
• Make Permanent and Update Certain
Modernization Provisions of the Tax Law. The
tax modernization provisions relating to
electronic filing, payment requirements, sales tax
compliance tools, and preparer penalties are
made permanent.
• Extend Tax Preparer E-File Failure Penalties.
Expiring and expired tax preparer e-file failure
penalties are extended and tax law sections
regarding the regulation of tax preparers are
consolidated.
School Tax Relief (STAR) Program Actions
• Convert the STAR Benefit into a Tax Credit for
New Homeowners. The STAR program is
simplified by transforming the exemption into a
refundable personal income tax credit, allowing
school districts to collect revenue without having
to wait for reimbursement from the State. The
change will only apply to first-time homebuyers
and homeowners who move. Under current law,
school districts collect reduced revenue as a
result of the STAR exemptions, and the State
compensates them for the cost of the exemption.
There is no change to the amount of the STAR
credit for taxpayers, only the mechanism used to
claim the credit.
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• Convert New York City Personal Income Tax
STAR Credit into a State Personal Income Tax
Credit. Currently, eligible NYC taxpayers apply
for a NYC STAR Personal Income Tax credit on
their NYS tax forms. The State reimburses the
City for the lost revenue. The Executive Budget
gives eligible taxpayers a credit against their
State PIT, as opposed to their City PIT, thereby
eliminating the need for the State to reimburse
the City government. This simplification effort
has no impact on the taxpayer and no impact on
revenues for the City of New York.
• Cap Annual Growth in Basic and Enhanced
Exemption Benefit at Zero Percent. The
Executive Budget maintains FY 2017 STAR
exemption benefits at no more than their FY
2016 levels, rather than allowing them to grow
by up to two percent. The significant reduction in
property tax growth resulting from Governor
Cuomo’s property tax cap and the existence of
the Property Tax Freeze program has diminished
the necessity of growing the STAR benefit.
• Allow Late Filing of Enhanced STAR Renewal
Applications and Senior Exemptions for Cases
of Hardship. The Budget allows late filing of
Enhanced STAR renewal applications for cases of
hardship (such as a serious personal illness or
hospitalization for the taxpayer or an immediate
family member), as late as the last day of the
interest-free period for payment of school taxes.
Additionally, the local option under the senior
exemption in RPTL 467 is expanded to allow a
late filing of renewal applications for hardship
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up to the last day of the interest-free period for
payment of school taxes.
• Make Participation in Income Verification
Program (IVP) Mandatory. Under current law,
participation in IVP is optional and seniors who
are not enrolled have to re-apply for their
Enhanced STAR benefits annually. The Budget
makes participation in the Income Verification
Program (IVP) for Enhanced STAR recipients
mandatory, therefore eliminating the annual
need to re-apply. IVP allows seniors who are re-
applying for Enhanced STAR to authorize the
assessor to have their incomes verified in
subsequent years by the Department of Taxation
and Finance. This change will make it easier for
qualified senior citizens to keep their Enhanced
STAR exemptions.
• Make Direct STAR Payments to Property
Owners in Appropriate Cases. The Budget
would allow the Commissioner of Taxation and
Finance to directly reimburse a STAR-eligible
property owner who didn’t receive the STAR tax
savings to which she was entitled due to an
administrative error, and where no other
remedy is readily available.
Other Revenue Actions
• Authorize Combative Sports. The Executive
Budget proposes to legalize and regulate
combative sporting events in New York State.
Currently, only New York State bans such events.
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• Amend State and Local Tax Law to Comply
with Newly-Adopted Federal Tax Regulations
on Aviation Fuel. All petroleum business tax
revenue imposed on aviation fuel is directed to a
new dedicated airport fund effective April 1,
2017 and the local sales tax on such aviation fuel
is repealed, effective December 1, 2017.
• Conform to New Federal Tax Filing Dates. NYS
law is conformed to new federal tax filing
deadlines for certain business taxpayers. Recent
Federal legislation changed the federal tax filing
deadline for partnerships from April 15 to March
15, and from March 15 to April 15 for
corporations.
• Eliminate Charitable Giving as a Factor in
Determining Domicile for the Estate Tax. The
Department of Taxation and Finance’s long-
standing administrative practice of not using
qualifying charitable gifts of time or money as a
means of determining domicile for purposes of
calculating New York State estate tax liability is
codified.
Gaming Initiatives
• Extend Certain Tax Rates and Certain
Simulcasting Provisions for One Year. The
pari-mutuel tax rate and other racing-related
provisions are extended for one year.
• Extend the Video Lottery Gaming (VLG)
Vendor’s Capital Awards Program for One
Year. VLG operators are provided one additional
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year to earn qualifying capital awards, which
encourage facility upgrades and improvements.
• Extend Monticello Video Lottery Terminal
Rates for One Year. The higher commission rate
for the Monticello Video Lottery Terminal
Facility is extended for one additional year.
• Amend the Upstate New York Gaming and
Economic Development Act for Technical
Changes. The Tax Law is amended to clarify that
the reduced tax rate paid by a Video Lottery
Terminal facility that competes with a
commercial gaming facility in the same region
only applies to the pro-rated portion of the year
when the competing commercial gaming facility
is open, and not for the whole of such opening
year. Additionally, the Budget clarifies that host
county payments are based solely on the net
gaming income of the specific commercial
gaming in that host community.
• Provide for an Additional Commission for
Certain Video Lottery Terminal Facilities.
The intention of the Upstate Gaming and
Economic Development Act of 2013 was for a
Video Lottery Terminal Facility competing with a
commercial gaming facility to pay the same
percentage share of net gaming income to
support education. However, since the Finger
Lakes facility is not in the same gaming region as
the proposed LAGO facility, even though it is less
than 30 miles away, no such relief from the
Gaming Act would be provided to Finger Lakes.
The Budget corrects this inequity.
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• Increase Purse Surcharge and Regulatory Fee
to Support Racehorse Health and Safety.
Under current law, one percent of purse
enhancements is redirected from the VLT
program to fund costs associated with
recommendations made by the Task Force on
Racehorse Health and Safety report and 0.5
percent of regulatory fee is imposed on
thoroughbred, harness, off-track pari-mutuel
betting and simulcast racing. To fully fund the
recommendations of the Task Force and to
enhance Gaming Commission’s capacity to
promote equine health and safety, the Budget
increases the amounts to 1.6 percent and 0.6
percent, respectively.
• Adjust Timing of Reimbursement to Gaming
Commission of Per Diem Costs for Harness
Racing Judge and Starter. Licensed harness
tracks are required to pay the per diem costs for
one associate judge and one starter at each
harness track facility. Currently, the Gaming
Commission is required to notify the facility of
the per diem costs before the month begins,
which the track pays on the last business day of
the month. However, actual costs and race days
are not known until well after the month has
concluded, leading to a lengthy reimbursement
process. The reimbursement timing
requirements of harness tracks are adjusted to
establish a more efficient requirement process.
• Remove Restriction for a Single Lab Testing
Provider. Section 902 of the Racing Law dictates
that drug testing for race horses shall be
conducted by a “state college within this state
346
with an approved equine science program.”
Morrisville State College is the only college that
fulfills this statutory requirement. This
restriction is eliminated to allow the Gaming
Commission to entertain bids from other
facilities which might provide lab testing
services at a lower price.
Fee Actions
• Extend Waste Tire Fee. In order to avoid cuts to
essential programs, the Budget extends the
Waste Tire Fee, which is scheduled to expire
December 31, 2016. This $2.50 fee, which has
been in place since 2003, funds the abatement of
waste tire sites and supports approximately 140
Department of Environmental Conservation
employees involved in critical solid and
hazardous waste cleanup activities.
• Redirect DMV Funds to Dedicated Highway
and Bridge Trust Fund. The DMV Seized Assets,
Compulsory Insurance, Internet Point Insurance
Reduction Program and the Motorcycle Safety
Funds are consolidated into the Dedicated
Highway and Bridge Trust Fund (DHBTF). This
will increase efficiency and transparency by
reducing the overall number of DMV fund
sources, and improve programmatic flexibility.
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FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2017 FY 2018
Tax Cuts and Credits (1) (444) (1) (444)
Provide a Corporate and Personal Income Tax Small Business Tax
Cut
- (298) - (298)
Enhance the Urban Youth Opportunity Program Tax Credit - (30) - (30)
Establish Thruway Toll Tax Credits - (113) - (113)
Establish Education Tax Credits - - - -
Establish Additional Alcohol Beverage Tax Tasting Exemptions and
Production Credits
(1) (3) (1) (3)
Tax Simplification Actions - - - -
Simplify the Taxation of Remarketed Rooms - - - -
Enforcement Initiatives - - - -
Expand J eopardy Assessments to the Cigarette and Tobacco Tax - - - -
Tax Law Extenders 17 9 16 6
Extend the Empire State Commercial Production Tax Credit for Two
Years
- - - -
Authorize Additional Credits of $8 Million for the Low-Income
Housing Credit for Each of the Next Five Fiscal Years
- (8) - (8)
Extend the Hire-A-Vet Credit for Two Years - - - -
Extend the Clean Heating Fuel Credit for Three Years - - - -
Extend the Alternative Fuels Tax Exemptions for Five Years (1) (1) (2) (4)
Extend the Excelsior J obs Program for Five Years - - - -
Extend the Credit for Companies who Provide Transportation to
Individuals with Disabilities for Six Years
- - - -
Permanently Extend the Non-Custodial Earned Income Tax Credit - - - -
Permanently Extend Tax Shelter Reporting Requirements 18 18 18 18
Make Permanent and Update Certain Modernization Provisions of
the Tax Law
- - - -
Extend Tax Preparer E-File Failure Penalties - - - -
School Tax Relief (STAR) Program Actions 240 409 - (185)
Convert the STAR Benefit into a Tax Credit for New Homeowners -
Credit Portion
- (98) - (98)
Convert the STAR Benefit into a Tax Credit for New Homeowners -
Spending Savings
98 194 - -
Convert New York City Personal Income Tax STAR Credit into a
State Personal Income Tax Credit - Credit Portion
- (87) - (87)
Convert New York City Personal Income Tax STAR Credit into a
State Personal Income Tax Credit - Spending Savings
87 284 - -
Cap Annual Growth in Basic and Enhanced Exemption Benefit at
Zero Percent
56 112 - -
Allow Late Filing of Enhanced STAR Renewal Applications and
Senior Exemptions for Cases of Hardship
(1) (1) - -
Make Participation in Income Verification Program (IVP) Mandatory - 5 - -
Authorize the DTF Commissioner to Make Direct Payments of STAR
Tax Savings to Property Owners in Appropriate Cases
- - - -
Other Revenue Actions 1 1 1 1
Authorize Combative Sports 1 1 1 1
Amend State and Local Tax Law for Consistency with Federal Tax
Regulations on Aviation Fuel
- - - -
Conform to New Federal Tax Filing Dates - - - -
Eliminate Charitable Giving as a Factor in Determining Domicile for
the Estate Tax
- - - -
Gaming Initiatives - - (1) 2
Extend Certain Tax Rates and Certain Simulcasting Provisions for
One Year
- - - -
Extend the Video Lottery Gaming (VLG) Vendor's Capital Awards
Program for One Year
- - - -
Extend Monticello Video Lottery Terminal Rates for One Year - - (3) -
Amend the Upstate New York Gaming and Economic Development
Act for Technical Changes
- - - -
Provide for an Additional Commission for Certain Video Lottery
Terminal Facilities
- - - -
Increase Purse Surcharge from 1.0%to 1.6%and Regulatory Fee
from 0.5%to 0.6%
- - 2 2
Adjust Timing of Reimbursement to Gaming Commission of Per
Diem Costs for Harness Racing J udge and Starter
- - - -
Remove Restriction for a Single Lab Testing Provider - - - -
Fee Actions - - 6 24
Permanently Extend Waste Tire Fee - - 6 24
Redirect DMV Funds to Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund - - - -
257 (25) 21 (596) TOTAL REVENUE ACTIONS and STAR
REVENUE ACTIONS and STAR
(millions of dollars)
General Fund All Funds
348
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3. INVESTING IN NEW YORK
The State has received a total of $8.3 billion from
financial settlements with banks and insurers in FY
2015 and FY 2016, well beyond typical levels and what
was budgeted in the Financial Plan. Using these
resources, the FY 2016 Enacted Budget earmarked $5.4
billion for one-time purposes, including $4.6 billion for
capital projects to support economic development and
bolster some of the state’s most vital infrastructure. The
FY 2017 Executive Budget programs the remaining $2.3
billion of available settlement funds for critical time-
limited priorities.
Putting Settlement Revenues to Work
The FY 2017 Executive Budget directs $2.3 billion in
unallocated settlement funds to additional projects that
will grow the economy over the long-term and position
every region of the state for growth. Settlement funds
will support transportation, housing, environmental
infrastructure, economic development and other capital
investments. These resources will support a wide array
350
of projects, from large-scale infrastructure projects and
complex program enhancements, to smaller
strategically critical needs in project funding. Specific
investments include:
• Thruway Stabilization Plan ($700 million).
The Budget invests $700 million in Thruway
infrastructure, on top of last year’s commitment
of $1.285 billion. This two-year investment of
nearly $2 billion will support both the New NY
Bridge project and other transportation
infrastructure needs on the rest of the Thruway
system across the State. Further, it will enable
the Thruway to freeze tolls for all drivers until at
least 2020.
• Thruway Toll Reduction Plan ($340 million).
The Budget effectively cuts tolls in half for New
York residents and businesses who utilize the
Thruway most often by creating a three-year
nonrefundable credit for Thruway tolls paid
electronically. The toll reduction would benefit
nearly one million passenger, business and farm
vehicles. Drivers of passenger vehicles who
spend at least $50, annually, and businesses and
commercial account holders who spend between
$100 and $9,999, annually, in Thruway tolls
would receive a tax credit worth 50 percent of
tolls paid. For farmers, the Budget provides a
100 percent nonrefundable credit, regardless of
usage, for farm vehicle use on the Thruway. The
program would begin on January 1, 2016 and
sunset December 31, 2018. Over the three years,
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drivers will save $340 million, paid for with
settlement funds.
• Transportation Capital Plan ($200 million).
The Budget funds an unprecedented $22 billion
multi-year transportation capital plan to
upgrade critical roads, bridges and other vital
transportation infrastructure throughout the
New York, especially Upstate. $200 million in
settlement funds will be allocated to DOT to help
fund the plan. The $22 billion plan includes $1
billion each for the BRIDGE NY and PAVE NY
programs to replace, rehabilitate, pave and
maintain state and local bridges and roads. It
also includes $500 million for the Extreme
Weather Infrastructure Hardening program,
which will make investments in roadways across
the state susceptible to flooding and other
extreme weather related events.
• Homeless and Affordable Housing ($640
million). The Budget commits $640 million in
settlement funds towards the $20 billion
comprehensive multi-year investment in
affordable housing and services for individuals
and families who are homeless or at risk of
homelessness. Funding will be used to expand
efforts to create, improve, and ensure homeless
and affordable housing opportunities through a
statewide multiagency housing program, and to
support the State’s emergency homeless
response.
• Environmental Protection ($120 million). The
Budget uses $120 million of settlement funds to
support capital projects within the
Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Overall
352
funding for the EPF is increased to $300 million –
the highest amount ever and more than twice the
Fund’s level when the Governor first took office.
The EPF offers wide ranging benefits to
communities around the state and plays an
important role in preserving the state’s natural
resources and habitats. It funds land acquisition,
farmland protection, waterfront revitalization,
municipal recycling, and local government
assistance to improve wastewater treatment
plants and municipal parks. It supports the
stewardship of public lands, including state
parks and millions of acres of public lands
throughout the state. Beginning in FY 2017, the
EPF will also support programs for greenhouse
gas management and resiliency.
• Economic Development ($255 million). The
Budget includes $170 million in settlement funds
to support Upstate Revitalization Initiative
projects to help continue to restore economic
opportunity to regions across Upstate New York.
An additional $30 million is provided through
Empire State Development capital
appropriations, for a total of $200 million. This
program, modeled on the Buffalo Billion
initiative and the existing structure of the
Regional Economic Development Councils
(REDCs), targets investment to economically-
distressed Upstate regions. These additional
funds are available to the four regions (North
Country, Capital District, Mohawk Valley and
Mid-Hudson) that were eligible for the first
round of the Upstate Revitalization Initiative but
were not a 2015 Best Plan Awardee. An
additional $85 million of settlement funds will
353
support other critically-needed economic
development or infrastructure projects in the
Budget to continue driving growth across New
York State.
• Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative
($25 million). The Budget includes $25 million
of new funding to significantly expand the anti-
poverty initiative, begun in 2015. Planning
grants totaling $5 million will be available in ten
communities with high concentrations of
poverty. In addition, $20 million will be available
for grants to match private sector and
foundation funding.
• Municipal Consolidation ($20 million). $20
million in settlement funding is used to advance
and enhance programs that encourage local
municipal government consolidations. These
programs will help lower the cost of government
and reduce the burden placed on property
taxpayers.
354
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4. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The FY 2017 Executive Budget continues Governor
Cuomo’s focus on the revitalization of Upstate regions,
job-creating programs and investing in key capital
projects across the State. This aggressive job-creation
agenda leverages the success of Governor Cuomo’s
regionally-focused economic development strategy to
create jobs, strengthen and diversify economies, and
generate economic opportunity across the State.
Overview
In the last five years, Governor Cuomo has
completely redesigned the State’s economic
development strategy through his Regional Economic
Development Councils (REDC). Economic revitalization
has been fast tracked by replacing New York State’s
traditional top-down development strategy with an
innovative approach that enables regional stakeholders
to develop long-term plans based on regional priorities
and unique assets. The REDCs have awarded nearly $4
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billion for job creation and community development
projects that will create or retain over 200,000 jobs.
As part of this regional economic strategy, the
State’s unprecedented $1 billion investment in the
Buffalo area economy is helping to create thousands of
jobs and spur new investment and economic activity.
START-UP NY, the groundbreaking initiative
established in 2013 to transform SUNY and private
college and university campuses and communities
across the State into tax-free zones, is attracting new
businesses and encouraging existing businesses to
expand. To date, a total of 155 businesses have been
approved for START-UP NY participation and are
projected to create over 4,200 net new jobs and nearly
$221 million in investment.
Through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI)
$1.5 billion was awarded to three Upstate regions –
Central New York, the Finger Lakes and the Southern
Tier. Each region received $500 million over a multi-
year period to support transformative investments that
build upon its assets and leverage private sector capital
to create jobs and strengthen regional economies.
The Executive Budget builds upon this framework of
success and continues the Upstate Revitalization
357
Initiative (URI) to inject an additional $200 million of
State resources to drive revitalization in the North
Country, Capital District, Mohawk Valley and Mid-
Hudson regions. It also makes additional investments
through the successful public-private partnership
model developed by the SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (SUNY
Poly CNSE) targeted at leading-edge technologies and
industries of the future.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
• Continue Upstate Revitalization. The Budget
includes an additional $200 million to support
Upstate Revitalization Initiative projects that will
further bolster economic opportunity to regions
across upstate New York. Modeled on the Buffalo
Billion initiative and the existing structure of the
Regional Economic Development Councils, this
initiative will target investment within a set of
economically-distressed upstate metropolitan
areas and their surrounding regions. By focusing
investment on infrastructure projects as well as
quality of life initiatives, Upstate New York is
becoming a better place to live, work, and visit.
These additional funds are available to the four
regions (North Country, Capital District, Mohawk
Valley and Mid-Hudson) that were eligible for
the first round of the Upstate Revitalization
358
Initiative but were not selected as a 2015 Best
Plan Awardee.
• Support for Nano Utica. The Budget includes
$200 million to support a cutting edge, 360,000
square foot wafer fabrication facility to be
constructed at the Nano Utica site in Marcy. This
project is expected to generate more than 1,000
new jobs and attract over $2 billion in private
investment.
• Support Regional Economic Development
Councils. In 2011, Governor Cuomo established
ten Regional Economic Development Councils
(REDCs) to develop long-term regional strategic
economic development plans. Since then, the
REDCs have awarded nearly $4 billion in State
funding through a competitive process to spur
job creation based on regional priorities. This
new strategy has resulted in 200,000 new or
retained jobs in New York.
The Executive Budget includes core capital
and tax-credit funding that will be combined
with a wide range of existing agency programs
for a sixth round of REDC awards. The Budget
continues to make resources available from
other State agencies to support community
revitalization and business growth consistent
with the existing Regional Council plans through
the Consolidated Funding Application process.
The core funding includes:
o $150 million to fund high value regional
priority projects; and
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o $70 million in State tax credits – set aside
from the Excelsior Jobs tax credit program to
fund regional priority projects.
• Invest in Strategic Initiatives. The Budget
authorizes new funding for the following key
economic development projects:
o New York Power Electronics
Manufacturing Consortium. The Budget
includes an additional $33.5 million towards
the State’s $135 million multi-year
commitment, to support the New York Power
Electronics Manufacturing Consortium to
develop and commercialize the use of wide
bandgap power electronic devices.
o Clarkson-Trudeau Partnership. An
additional $12 million is included in the
Budget to support the partnership between
the State, Clarkson University and the
Trudeau Institute to form a world-class
biotech enterprise and further establish the
North Country Region as a premier center of
biotechnology research and development.
o Brookhaven National Laboratory. The
Budget provides $50 million over 5 years to
support research facilities at the Brookhaven
National Laboratory in Stony Brook,
including $10 million in FY 2017.
o Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing
Innovation Hub. $100 million over 10 years
is provided to support the development of
the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing
Innovation Hub at Riverbend, including $10
million in FY 2017.
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o Albany Nano G450C. An additional $60
million over 4 years is allocated to fulfill the
State’s investment at the Albany Nano G450C
facility, including $15 million for FY 2017.
o Olympic Regional Development Authority
(ORDA) Capital Improvements. The Budget
includes $10 million in new capital funding
for ORDA, including $7.5 million for critical
maintenance and energy efficiency upgrades
to the Olympic and ski facilities, and $2.5
million appropriated from the Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation budget
as part of the New York Works initiative.
o Economic Development Initiatives. The
$99 million New York Works Economic
Development Fund Program will provide
capital grants to support projects that
facilitate an employer’s ability to create new,
or retain existing jobs, or fund infrastructure
investments necessary to attract new
businesses or to expand existing businesses.
• Launch Another Round of NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020. To build upon the success of the
initial Challenge Grants, the Budget includes
$110 million to launch a new round of NYSUNY
2020 and NYCUNY 2020. Priority will be given to
plans that use technology to improve academic
success, leverage public-private partnerships
through the START-UP NY program, and better
connect students to the workforce.
• Support New York Open for Business. To
continue the enhanced marketing effort to
demonstrate the benefits of investing and doing
business in New York and to promote the State’s
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tourism assets, $50 million will be appropriated
through Empire State Development for the Open
for Business initiative.
• Expand and Promote Tourism. In FY 2017, the
State’s economic development agencies will
implement a $50.5 million tourism campaign to
attract visitors from around the world, a $5
million increase in funding from FY 2016. The
program includes a fourth round of $13 million
in competitive funding through the Market NY
initiative to support tourism marketing plans
and projects that best demonstrate regional
collaboration among counties to promote
regional attractions.
Other Budget Actions
• Javits Center Expansion. The Governor’s 2016
economic development agenda includes a
proposal to dramatically expand and improve
the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, by 1.2
million square feet, resulting in five times more
meeting and ballroom space. The project will
include construction of a truck marshaling
facility capable of housing hundreds of tractor-
trailers simultaneously to improve pedestrian
safety and local traffic flow. The Budget includes
legislation which would authorize design-build
contracting for this project to accelerate project
delivery and reduce cost.
• Empire Station Complex. Governor Cuomo also
proposes to create the Empire Station Complex, a
$3 billion transformation of Penn Station and the
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historic James A. Farley Post Office into a world-
class transportation hub. The complex will
feature significant passenger improvements,
including first-class amenities, natural light,
increased train capacity and decreased
congestion, and improved signage to
dramatically enhance the travel experience. The
project will be expedited by a public-private
partnership in order to break ground in 2016
and complete substantial construction within the
next three years. The Budget includes legislation
which would authorize design-build contracting
for these projects to accelerate project delivery
and reduce cost.
• Fund the Innovation Hot Spots and
Incubators Program. The Executive Budget
authorizes $5 million in new funding to continue
to foster innovation by offering start-up
companies valuable business support services to
help commercialize academic research and
promote further collaboration between business
and academia.
• Continue Commitment to Critical Economic
Development Investments. The Budget
includes nearly $46 million to support ongoing
economic development initiatives including the
New York State Economic Development Fund,
the Minority- and Women-Owned Business
Development and Lending Program, the Urban
and Community Development Program, the
Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, tourism
marketing initiatives, and international trade
efforts.
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• Support High Technology Grants. The
Executive Budget authorizes over $35 million to
support ongoing university-based matching
grants and other high technology and research
and development programs administered by the
Department of Economic Development’s Division
of Science, Technology and Innovation.
• Excelsior Jobs Program. The Budget includes
legislation that extends the Excelsior Jobs
Program claims period five years from 2024 to
2029 to provide Empire State Development with
the ability to continue offering a ten year benefit
period to eligible companies.
• Department of State (DOS) Agency
Modernization. As the State’s general recording
officer, DOS is responsible for keeping all
corporate filing certificates and documents. The
Budget contains $3.7 million of one-time funding
for DOS to convert all of these corporate
documents to electronic images. Digitization will
improve ease of access for official corporate
documents available to businesses and the
general public while streamlining business
processes and alleviating DOS staffing pressures.
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5. EDUCATION
The FY 2017 Executive Budget reflects the
Governor’s strong commitment to education through a
$2.1 billion increase in education aid over the next two
years. The Budget also commits to fully restoring the
GEA for every district by the SY 2018.
The Budget provides support for several key
initiatives, including $340 million to continue the
Empire State Prekindergarten program, an expansion of
prekindergarten for three-year-old children, the
conversion of high-need schools into community
schools, and increased funding for charter schools.
Together, these initiatives will continue to transform
public education across the State. Important initiatives
from prior years are also sustained, including significant
investments in prekindergarten and from the Smart
Schools Bond Act.
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Overview
Public education in New York represents a
significant commitment of State and local resources.
With total State and local spending levels exceeding $60
billion, education is the largest area of State spending
and the largest component of local property taxes. This
is a reflection of New York State’s long-standing
commitment to provide all students with the
opportunity for a strong, rigorous education. In the last
four years alone, the Governor has enacted budgets
with school aid increases totaling $4.3 billion. The FY
2016 Budget included an additional $1.4 billion (6.1
percent) increase, bringing school aid funding to its
highest level ever at $23.5 billion.
The Executive Budget continues the progress made
during this administration to strengthen educational
offerings and increase access across New York. Building
upon the State’s first investment in full-day
prekindergarten for three-year-olds, the Budget
provides additional funding to expand prekindergarten
access for three-year-olds in the most vulnerable
districts. In addition, the Budget reflects the Governor’s
commitment to support the conversion of failing
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schools into community schools. These initiatives, along
with programs already underway, will continue to
transform public education across the State—reaching
students earlier, providing more flexibility, and
ensuring that students have access to highly effective
teachers, programs and schools.
Support for Public Education
Statewide increases in school spending, State
support for education, and school property taxes have
combined to far outpace the rate of inflation over the
last ten years. New York public schools spend more per
pupil ($19,818) than any other state and 85 percent
above the national average.
Several recent initiatives have focused on improving
the State’s ability to expand educational opportunities
for young students and ensure all students are college
or career ready. These major initiatives include:
• Prekindergarten Programs. The State
currently spends over $785 million on public
prekindergarten programs for three- and four-
year-olds, serving nearly 120,000 students
statewide. The FY 2015 Enacted Budget
committed $1.5 billion over five years to support
the phase-in of full-day prekindergarten for four-
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year-olds, with the majority of funds being used
to support the State’s prekindergarten expansion
in New York City. In addition, in December 2014,
New York received a $25 million grant award
($100 million over four years) from the United
States Department of Education to expand access
to full-day prekindergarten in high-need school
districts. Following that, the FY 2016 Enacted
Budget included $30 million to support the first
State-funded full-day prekindergarten program
for three year olds, while also allowing expanded
access for four-year olds.
• Smart Schools Bond Act. In November 2014,
the Smart Schools Bond Act Referendum
proposed by Governor Cuomo was approved by
voters. The Smart Schools Bond Act provides $2
billion in funding to schools to reimagine our
classrooms and provide New York’s students
with the technological resources, skills, and safe
learning environments necessary to succeed in
the evolving 21st century economy. Bond
proceeds will fund enhanced education
technology, including infrastructure
improvements to bring high-speed broadband to
schools and their surrounding communities and
the purchase of classroom technology for use by
students. Additionally, the Smart Schools Bond
Act will enable long-term investments in full-day
pre-kindergarten through the construction of
new prekindergarten classroom space, the
replacement of classroom trailers with
permanent classroom space, and high-tech
school safety programs.
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Summary of Spending
Category
SY 2016
(millions)
SY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollar
(millions) Percent
Total
Education Aid
23,233 24,224 991 4.3
Category of Increase
Change
(millions)
Reimbursement for Expense-Based Aids / Other 408
Additional Foundation Aid 266
Gap Elimination Adjustment Restoration 189
Community Schools Aid 100
Empire State Prekindergarten Program for Three-Year-Olds 22
Early College High Schools 4
QUALITYstarsNY 2
Total School Aid Increase 991
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
The Executive Budget reflects the Governor’s
continued commitment to improved student outcomes
and builds upon the foundational work of prior years,
including the implementation of recommendations of
the New NY Education Reform Commission’s Final
Action Plan.
In FY 2017, School Aid will continue to represent the
largest State-supported program, accounting for
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roughly 29 percent of total General Fund spending. For
SY 2017, the Budget recommends $24.2 billion in total
education aid.
School Aid
The Executive Budget provides a $2.1 billion
increase in education aid over the next two years. The
Budget also commits to fully restoring the GEA for every
district by the SY 2018. For SY 2017, this growth
consists of a $991 million (4.3 percent) increase in
formula-based aids and competitive grants. The
increase reflects a Foundation Aid increase of $266
million and a $189 million Gap Elimination Adjustment
(GEA) restoration, including fully restoring the GEA for
approximately 200 higher need districts.
Empire State Prekindergarten
The Budget includes an additional $22 million
investment in prekindergarten to expand high quality
half-day and full-day prekindergarten programs to
three-year-olds in the highest need school districts. This
funding builds upon the State’s first investment in full-
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day prekindergarten for three-year-olds included in the
FY 2016 Enacted Budget.
The State will also provide $5 million to support the
implementation of QUALITYstarsNY, a quality rating
and improvement system intended to ensure that we
offer our youngest children the highest quality
programs possible. This is an increase of $2 million
from the State’s first investment in QUALITYstarsNY in
the FY 2016 Enacted Budget.
Community Schools
The Budget continues the Governor’s push to
transform New York’s 144 failing schools. Pursuant to
SED regulations, a school is identified as “failing” if it
has been in a monitored or “accountability status” for
the previous three school years and has been among the
bottom five percent in the State in English Language
Arts (ELA) and math performance or has a graduation
rate below 60 percent.
The FY 2016 Budget committed $75 million to
support the turn-around efforts in schools identified as
“persistently failing,” meaning they have been in the
lowest accountability status for a decade. The FY 2017
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Executive Budget provides an additional $100 million to
expand this initiative, $75 million of which is
specifically allocated amongst 17 school districts with a
failing or persistently failing school. The remaining $25
million will be available to other high-need school
districts statewide that do not have a failing or
persistently failing school. Schools will be able to use
these funds for community school coordinators, before-
and after-school mentoring services, summer learning
activities, health and dental care referrals and
connections, and other strategies to maximize student
achievement.
Charter Schools
The Executive Budget increases statewide funding
for charter schools by $27 million so that they can
continue to innovate, recruit high-quality teachers and
staff, and provide a strong educational option for
students and families. Further, the Executive Budget
unfreezes the charter school tuition formula in New
York City to allow local funding amounts to be reflective
of the current economic environment. In addition, the
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Budget makes permanent the calculation of rental aid
for New York City charter schools.
Early College High Schools
New York has more than 65 early college high
school programs with more than 7,000 students
enrolled. These programs allow students to get a jump
start on college by providing opportunities to earn
college credit. To build upon the success of the existing
programs, the FY 2017 Executive Budget commits $4
million to expand the State’s early college high school
and career and technical education programs.
Other Budget Actions
• Establish the Parental Choice in Education
Act. The Executive Budget promotes educational
choice and philanthropy, and provides support
for teachers in recognition of their personal
spending for their classrooms by creating three
new tax credit programs totaling $150 million
under a Parental Choice in Education Act.
o The Education Scholarship and Program
Tax Credit. This program provides $50
million in credits to support scholarships for
low- and middle- income students to attend a
non-public school or a public school outside
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of their district, and $20 million in credits to
support public school educational
improvement programs such as
prekindergarten and after-school activities.
Corporation franchise and individual
taxpayers who make donations will receive a
nonrefundable credit equal to 75 percent of
their authorized contributions, up to a
maximum annual credit of $1 million.
o The Family Choice Education Tax Credit.
This credit provides $70 million in
reimbursements to families with incomes
below $60,000 per year for eligible tuition
expenses paid to elementary and secondary
schools in New York State. Families would be
eligible to claim a credit of up to $500 per
student.
o The Instructional Materials and Supplies
Credit. Recognizing that many teachers
spend their own money on materials for their
classrooms, the Act creates a refundable
credit equal to the cost of instructional
supplies purchased by a public, charter, or
private school educator, up to a maximum of
$200, with an aggregate cap of $10 million.
• Extend Mayoral Control of New York City
Schools. The existing governance structure for
New York City schools is extended for an
additional three years, until June 30, 2019.
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• Supporting Non-Public School Programs.
Approximately 400,000 elementary and
secondary students attend more than 1,600 non-
public schools in New York State. The Executive
Budget increases aid by approximately four
percent to $174 million to reimburse non-public
schools’ costs for State-mandated activities. The
Budget also provides $125 million in
extraordinary aid, first authorized in June 2015,
to reimburse non-public schools for the costs of
performing State-mandated services in prior
years.
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6. ENVIRONMENT AND
ENERGY
The FY 2017 Executive Budget increases funding for
the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), maintains
State funding for core environmental, parks and
agricultural programs, expands outdoor recreational
opportunities, and provides a new round of capital
funding for environmental facilities and wastewater
infrastructure. State agency and public authority
funding will continue to make New York a leader in the
clean tech economy, reduce emissions that contribute to
climate change, and allow the transformation of our
electric power transmission system to a distributed
smart grid network.
Overview
The State’s environmental, energy and natural
resource agencies support and regulate land use
planning and preservation, recreation and tourism,
agricultural development, protection of water
resources, food safety, and energy programs.
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The Department of Environmental Conservation’s
(DEC) mission is to conserve, improve and protect New
York’s natural resources and environment and to
prevent, abate and control water, land and air pollution
in order to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the
people of the State and their overall economic and
social well-being. DEC is responsible for administration
and enforcement of the State’s Environmental
Conservation Law.
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation (OPRHP) provides enjoyable and safe
recreational and interpretive opportunities for New
York State residents and visitors and functions as a
steward of our valuable natural, historic and cultural
resources. OPRHP operates the State park system that is
comprised of 180 State parks and 35 historic sites. In
2014, the system welcomed a record 62 million visitors
to these sites.
Together, DEC and OPRHP oversee 5.1 million acres
of open space statewide, including 2.6 million acres in
the Adirondack Park and nearly 300,000 acres in the
Catskill Forest Preserve.
The Department of Agriculture and Markets
(Ag&Mkts) is charged with wide-ranging
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responsibilities including food safety inspection,
agricultural economic development, farmland
protection, animal and plant health surveillance, and
the control of agricultural runoff (nonpoint source
pollution) that can lead to the contamination of water.
The Department of Public Service (DPS), the staff
arm of the Public Service Commission (PSC), regulates
the rates and services of public utilities – an industry
with an estimated $35 billion in annual revenue. DPS
oversees the siting of major utility infrastructure, and
provides oversight on cable franchise agreements and
telecommunications service. Additionally, in
conjunction with the New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority (NYSERDA), DPS oversees
the State’s energy efficiency and renewable energy
programs.
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) supplies
power statewide through two large hydroelectric
facilities and more than 1,400 miles of transmission
lines.
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Protecting the Environment
In Governor Cuomo’s first term, more than $16
billion was committed to environmental and energy
programs for infrastructure, resiliency, and clean
energy. This investment directly benefits the State’s
economy and was the boldest commitment to the
environment by any first term New York Governor in a
generation. In 2015, the Governor continued this
commitment by establishing a $200 million clean water
infrastructure grant program, extending the State
Superfund program, which funds the cleanup of
hazardous waste sites, by $1 billion, and unveiling the
NY Parks 2020 initiative, to invest $900 million in State
parks by 2020.
The Governor’s commitment to open space
protection and improved access to wildlife-related
recreation was reflected in the acquisition of the former
Finch Pruyn Lands, the largest addition to the
Adirondack Forest Preserve in a century. In addition,
the enactment of the NY Open for Fishing and Hunting
initiative streamlined and reduced hunting and fishing
license fees and provided for dozens of new and
improved ways to access the State’s natural resources.
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The FY 2017 Executive Budget increases support for
critical environmental protection and energy programs.
Funding for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF),
which provides dedicated funding to communities
throughout New York to improve the environment, will
be increased by $123 million, to $300 million. This
represents the highest level of funding since the
creation of the EPF, and exceeds the previous high by
$45 million. Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has
more than doubled funding for the EPF, increasing
annual funding by a total of $166 million. Reflecting the
Governor’s commitment to combat climate change and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the EPF for the first
time will include a new climate change mitigation and
adaptation account to provide funding for adaptive
infrastructure, greenhouse gas management, and
resiliency planning programs.
The Budget also includes $135 million of new capital
appropriations for DEC, OPRHP, Ag&Mkts, and the
Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). This
infusion of capital funds will accelerate capital
infrastructure projects statewide, spur the creation of
jobs, and leverage private sector and Federal
investment. Further, the Budget provides $100 million
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of new funding for clean water infrastructure grants to
support drinking water and waste water capital
improvements across the State.
Summary of Spending (All Funds)
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
( millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions)
Percent
Total Environment
and Energy Spending
1,467 1,534 67 4.6
Department of
Agriculture and
Markets
120 105 (15) (12.5)
Department of
Environmental
Conservation
922 998 76 8.2
Office of Parks,
Recreation and
Historic Preservation
323 326 3 0.9
The Budget increases capital funding for the
environment, and maintains funding at current levels
for agricultural, environmental and parks operating
programs.
• Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Primarily due to a transfer of agricultural
marketing responsibilities ($12.4 million) to
Empire State Development, along with the
discontinuation of one-time local assistance
program funds and the completion of one-time
capital spending, total funding for Ag&Mkts is
decreased by $15 million.
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• Department of Environmental Conservation.
Total spending for DEC is increased by $76
million, reflecting increases in the EPF and other
capital program spending.
• Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation. Total funding for OPRHP is
increased by $3 million, reflecting growth in
capital spending.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
• Environmental Protection Fund. The Budget
includes appropriations of $300 million for the
EPF, the highest level of funding in the program’s
history and an increase of $123 million from FY
2016. Appropriations include $33.8 million for
solid waste programs, $76.8 million for parks
and recreation, $156.9 million for open space
programs, and $32.5 million for a new climate
change mitigation and adaptation program. The
increase will provide record funding for critical
environmental programs such as land
acquisition, farmland protection, invasive
species prevention and eradication, water
quality improvement, and an aggressive
environmental justice agenda. Further, this
funding level will allow for the creation of new
programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and adapt to climate change. Funding to support
the increase in FY 2017 will come from monetary
settlement funds. No funding from Regional
Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) proceeds will
be used to support the EPF.
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• Clean Water Infrastructure. Recognizing the
growing infrastructure needs across the State,
the Budget includes an additional $100 million
two-year commitment for municipal drinking
water and waste water infrastructure grants, for
a total $250 million commitment including
reappropriations. These funds will be used in
conjunction with the Environmental Facilities
Corporation’s (EFC) revolving loan program.
• Infrastructure Investment. The Budget
provides $135 million of new capital
appropriations that will address a backlog of
environmental capital needs and spur job
creation and economic development.
Specifically:
o $90 million is allocated to OPRHP to support
health and safety projects and critical
infrastructure rehabilitation.
o $40 million is allocated to DEC to address a
variety of capital needs including public
access projects to connect hunters, anglers,
bird watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts
to un-tapped State owned lands. This funding
will also provide for investments in
information technology, and in health and
safety repairs to State infrastructure,
including dams, wetland restoration, State
lands and fish hatcheries.
o $2.5 million is allocated to the Department of
Agriculture and Markets to improve and
rehabilitate the State fairgrounds.
o $2.5 million is allocated for ORDA
infrastructure, supplementing $7.5 million of
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capital appropriations in the Authority’s
budget.
• Expand Access to New York Grown
Agricultural Products. Building on last year’s
success, the Budget includes $1.1 million for the
“Taste NY” program. This program is branding
and expanding New York’s food and beverage
industry by making the wide variety of foods and
beverages grown and produced in the State
readily available and recognizable to New
Yorkers and the public across the globe. In 2015,
Taste NY achieved the Governor’s goal of tripling
gross sales of participating vendors, with sales of
New York products jumping to $4.5 million.
Taste NY products are now available in over 30
retail locations statewide, and in 2015 over 1.3
million people attended 43 Taste NY events. The
Budget also includes $350,000 for the
FreshConnect farmers’ market program, which
benefits farmers’ and consumers alike, by
awarding competitive grants to create and
expand farmers markets in underserved
communities. To increase the availability of
locally grown hops for the State’s growing craft
brew industry, the Budget continues $40,000 for
a program to evaluate and test hop varieties in
New York.
• Maintain Core Agriculture and Markets Local
Assistance Funding. Funding for core
agricultural programs that protect health and
safety, provide education, and support the
promotion of New York State products will
continue. These programs include the Migrant
Childcare program, Cornell Veterinary
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Diagnostic Laboratory, Cornell Pro-Dairy, the
Wine and Grape Foundation, and Farm Family
Assistance.
• Agricultural Marketing Orders. The Budget
includes legislation that will transfer
administration of agricultural marketing
programs (known as marketing orders) from
Ag&Mkts to Empire State Development (ESD).
This transfer will enable the State’s agricultural
associations involved with the marketing
programs to utilize ESD’s marketing expertise to
better increase awareness and promotion of the
State’s agricultural products.
• NYS Certified High Quality Initiative. Utilizing
Ag&Mkts, ESD, EPF, and other capital resources,
the Budget will support implementation of the
NYS Certified High Quality initiative. This
program will fund marketing, branding, food
safety, environmental management, and
economic development initiatives to create the
safest food system in the nation. A unique label
will be created that identifies food from a New
York producer who uses best practices in food
safety, food handling, and environmental
stewardship.
• Transfer the Canal Corporation to NYPA. The
Budget includes legislation that transfers the
New York State Canal Corporation from the New
York State Thruway Authority to the New York
Power Authority (NYPA). This transfer will
enable the canal system to benefit from NYPA’s
experience in managing our State’s water assets
while ensuring the continued efficient operation
of the canal system. NYPA operates seven hydro-
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electric plants throughout the State, including
three located within the canal system. NYPA and
the Canal Corporation already share services on
the canal system, and this transfer will only
strengthen this partnership.
• Clean Energy Workforce Opportunity
Program. In order to educate the next
generation of clean energy workers, this new
$15 million fund will expand clean technology
and renewable energy programs offered by
SUNY. In partnership with clean energy
businesses located on or near SUNY campuses,
the fund will allow these schools to offer
additional courses, hire new faculty, and
purchase or upgrade the advanced machinery
and lab equipment necessary to teach students
the skills to succeed in the green energy
workforce.
• Department of Public Service Operations. The
Budget includes legislation that will enable the
Department of Public Service (DPS) to more
effectively utilize its resources by streamlining
the review and approval of utility service rates
changes requested by municipally owned gas
and electric utilities. The Budget also includes
legislation that will allow for more
comprehensive reviews of highly technical and
complex rate cases by extending the length of
time the Public Service Commission has to
approve utility sought rate increases, from
eleven to fifteen months.
• Make the Waste Tire Fee Permanent. In order
to avoid cuts to essential programs, the Budget
permanently extends the Waste Tire Fee, which
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is scheduled to expire December 31, 2016. This
$2.50 fee, which has been in place since 2003,
funds the abatement of waste tire sites and
supports approximately 140 Department of
Environmental Conservation employees
involved in mission critical solid and hazardous
waste cleanup activities.
• Reduce Navigation Law Reimbursement. To
provide nearly $1 million in annual savings, the
Executive Budget includes legislation which
reduces the reimbursement provided to local
municipalities for the costs of voluntary patrols
of the State’s waterways from 50 percent to 25
percent.
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7. HEALTH CARE
The FY 2017 Executive Budget builds upon the
Medicaid Redesign Team’s historic reforms that are
achieving better health care outcomes at a more
sustainable cost. The Budget supports more effective
models of care, sustains the State’s health benefit
exchange, encourages regional collaborations among
providers and communities, promotes the State’s
Prevention Agenda, and continues investments in health
care infrastructure and caregiver supports.
Overview
The Department of Health’s (DOH) mission is to
ensure high quality health services are available to all
New Yorkers. Consistent with this mission, DOH
manages comprehensive health care and long-term care
coverage for low- and middle-income individuals and
families through the Medicaid, Child Health Plus (CHP),
and Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC)
programs.
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In addition to its health insurance programs, DOH
protects public health, supervises public health
activities throughout the State, and operates health care
facilities including Helen Hayes Hospital, four veterans’
nursing homes, and the Wadsworth Laboratories. The
Department also regulates all health care facilities in the
State.
The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General,
established as an independent entity in 2006, preserves
the integrity of the Medicaid program by conducting
and coordinating fraud, waste and abuse control
activities for all State agencies responsible for Medicaid-
funded services.
The State Office for the Aging (SOFA) promotes and
administers programs and services for New Yorkers 60
years of age and older. The Office oversees community-
based services provided through a network of county
Area Agencies on Aging and local providers.
Assuring Quality Health Care for All New
Yorkers
New York’s Medicaid program is the State’s largest
payer of health care and long-term care. Over six million
individuals receive Medicaid-eligible services through a
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network of more than 60,000 health care providers and
more than 16 managed care plans. Total Federal, State
and local Medicaid spending is expected to be $63
billion in FY 2017.
Prior to 2011, Medicaid spending had grown at an
unsustainable rate while failing to deliver quality
outcomes for New Yorkers, despite years of attempted
cost containment. In 2009, according to a
Commonwealth State Scorecard of Health System
Performance, New York State ranked 22nd among
states in quality of health care measures and worst
among all 50 states in avoidable hospitalization.
Recognizing the need to control spending growth
and improve health care results, Governor Cuomo
commissioned the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT), a
new and inclusive approach to developing health care
policy. Comprised of individuals representing virtually
every sector of the health care delivery system, and
with widespread public input, the MRT advanced
proposals that create models of care to significantly
improve health outcomes and tie future spending to a
rational measure of growth – the 10-year rolling
average of the Medical Consumer Price Index (currently
estimated at 3.4 percent).
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The MRT’s innovative and collaborative work has
bent the cost curve for the Medicaid program and has
saved the State and Federal governments over $17
billion each, through FY 2016. In addition, these efforts
have significantly improved the health care landscape.
In the Commonwealth Fund’s 2015 Scorecard of Health
System Performance, New York State improved
virtually across-the-board, achieving a rank of 13
among states in overall health system performance and
climbing 24 spots to 26th among all 50 states in
avoidable hospitalization.
Building on this success, and through further
collaborations, New York is positioned to continue the
transformation of health care for all payers and
recipients. The Executive Budget advances this
transformation through continued investments that will
help introduce integrated models to improve care
delivery and positive health outcomes at lower cost
through New York’s Medicaid waiver.
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Summary of Spending
(All Funds Unless Otherwise Noted)
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions)
Percent
Medicaid (Total All
Funds)*
63,656 63,308 (348) -0.5
Medicaid (Global Cap) 17,104 17,692 588 3.4
Department of Health
Spending (Excluding
Medicaid and BHP)
4,052 4,183 131 3.2
Essential Health Plan 1,660 2,461 801 48.2
Office of the Medicaid
Inspector General
53 51 (2) -3.8
Office for the Aging 224 225 1 0.5
*The decline in the Medicaid All Funds number is primarily associated with shift
of Medicaid funds to the Essential plan and a year to year reduction in
supplemental Federal Medicaid payments to localities that reflects the approval
of multiple years of Federal payments in FY 2016.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
The Executive Budget reflects the continuation of
the Medicaid spending cap enacted in FY 2012 and
recommends funding consistent with its provisions. The
Budget achieves modest savings from public health and
aging programs through program reforms, enterprise-
wide efficiency measures, and general cost-control
efforts.
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Health Care Transformation
The success of the MRT and other State initiatives
demonstrates that through constructive collaboration,
unsustainable spending trends can be reversed while
improving care delivery and health outcomes. The
Federal government has recognized the success of New
York’s efforts and the saving that has been generated. In
April 2014 the Federal government awarded New York
State an $8 billion, 5 year Medicaid waiver. In the first
two years, $1.7 billion has been awarded under the
waiver. This includes $963 million to 25 Performing
Provider Systems (PPSs) statewide so that these
consortiums of regional providers can implement
approved Delivery System Reform Incentive Payments
(DSRIP) program transformation projects; $280 million
for Health Homes and other reform initiatives; and $500
million for financially distressed safety net hospitals
whose viability is critical to achieving ongoing reforms.
Over the next year these PPSs will increase their
participation in value-based payment arrangements,
continue to receive performance based payments
reflecting their system transformation, clinical
management and population health improvements and
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progress towards the goal of reducing avoidable
hospital use by 25 percent over the next five years.
In addition, the State will continue its
implementation of the State Health Innovation Plan
(SHIP) under the terms of a $100 million Federal award.
Implemented over four years, this plan will provide
statewide access to high quality and coordinated care.
The intent is to build upon Medicaid reform efforts and
translate these efforts to achieve similar outcomes
across New York’s entire health care system.
The Budget also maintains $2.5 billion in capital
investments to make infrastructure improvements and
provide additional tools to stabilize health care
providers to further advance transformation goals.
Medicaid Redesign
The Executive Budget continues the implementation
of MRT recommendations. These reforms represent the
most comprehensive Medicaid reform in State history,
with initiatives designed to improve the full spectrum of
health care delivery. A cost neutral package of new MRT
initiatives is proposed to make critical investments in
health care delivery and support health care
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transformation. This package includes increased
payments to essential community providers and new
payments to enhance population health improvements.
These investments are balanced by savings resulting
from targeted Medicaid integrity initiatives to eliminate
fraud and abuse, improvements in benefits design,
greater pharmaceuticals controls, and compliance with
the Federal spousal support law.
The Budget also re-institutes the New York City
contribution toward financing the growth in Medicaid
expenses, effective October 1, 2016. The contribution
level is increased by 3.6 percent in FY 2017 and 5.8
percent in FY 2018, with annual growth of about two
percent thereafter. The Medicaid cap was introduced as
a means of helping counties remain within the two
percent property tax cap. Since 2012, all local
governments and school districts, except New York City,
have been subject to the State’s Property Tax Cap.
Because of this exception, the City’s property tax levy
has been growing at a significantly higher rate each year
than what is allowed under the tax cap. In 2016, the
City’s levy is approximately $3.5 billion more than if it
had been held to the property tax cap’s growth limits.
This makes New York City uniquely positioned to
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assume responsibility for a portion of its Medicaid
growth.
New York Health Benefit Exchange
In 2013, in accordance with the ACA, the Governor
issued Executive Order #42 to establish a New York
Health Benefit Exchange. The Exchange – NY State of
Health – serves as a centralized marketplace to shop for,
compare, and enroll in a health plan. The health plans
offered through NY State of Health are, on average, 50
percent less expensive than those available in 2013
prior to the creation of the marketplace. To date, over
2.7 million New Yorkers have enrolled in coverage
through the marketplace. The Executive Budget
includes $484 million in total funding for the operation
of the NY State of Health.
Public Health and Aging Programs
DOH and SOFA administer programs that support
New York’s public health and senior care systems. The
Executive Budget provides more than $350 million for
local government activities, makes new investments
and reduces costs by restructuring programs and
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implementing administrative efficiencies. These actions
will save an estimated $87.4 million in FY 2017 and
$106.6 million in FY 2018. Key items include:
• Access Federal Health Services Initiative
Funding. Through the Child Health Plus
program, states have the option to receive
Federal funding to support health initiatives that
benefit CHP eligible children. To receive
additional Federal funding, the Executive Budget
shifts a portion of the Medical Indemnity Fund
(MIF) and support for Poison Control Centers to
CHP. This initiative will result in $36.2 million in
annual State savings, primarily associated with
shifting eligible MIF costs and reducing annual
State support payments.
• Focus Excess Medical Malpractice Funding.
The State currently provides a second layer of
medical malpractice coverage to qualified
physicians and dentists, which supplements
their primary individual coverage. This program,
however, has become over-subscribed and has
strayed from its original intent to enable
community hospitals to attract doctors in high-
risk specialties. The Budget will modify the
existing program and prioritize funding to
support doctors in high-risk specialties and high
risk areas. This initiative will result in $25
million in State savings annually.
• Reform Early Intervention (EI) Program. The
EI program provides a comprehensive array of
therapeutic and support services to children
under the age of three with confirmed
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disabilities (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy) or
developmental delays. The program serves
approximately 68,000 children annually and is
jointly financed by Federal, State and local
governments. The Budget includes a series of
program improvements that will result in a net
State savings of $5.0 million in FY 2017 and
$20.3 million in FY 2018. These actions also
provide fiscal and administrative mandate relief
to counties and generate cumulative local
savings of more than $105 million over five years
without impacting service levels. They include:
o Increase Insurance Reimbursement. While
over 40 percent of EI recipients have health
insurance coverage, only two percent of total
service claims are reimbursed by health
insurers. This reform would require insurers,
including Child Health Plus (CHP) plans to
pay medically appropriate claims, abide by
existing prompt payment requirements, and
send payments to the billing provider.
o Streamline Eligibility Determinations. The
State will take advantage of options under
revised Federal regulations to achieve
program efficiencies by requiring initial
screenings for children who may not require
more costly comprehensive medical
evaluations and by using medical and other
records to establish eligibility where
appropriate.
o Increase Administrative Reimbursement.
To more appropriately reimburse providers
for their costs, the Budget increases the
administrative component of provider rates
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by 1 percent. The administrative component
of EI rates has not been modified since 1994
despite changes in program and
reimbursement requirements for providers.
• Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative.
The Budget includes $25 million of new funding
to significantly expand the anti-poverty
initiative, begun in 2015. Planning grants
totaling $5 million will be available in ten
communities with high concentrations of
poverty. In addition, $20 million will be available
for grants to match private sector and
foundation funding. In addition, the Budget
continues the $4.5 million increase enacted in
FY2016 to the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition
Assistance Program to allow the program to
respond to the emergency food needs of hungry
New Yorkers, increasing support for the program
to $34.6 million.
• Continue Support for the Spinal Cord Injury
Research Program (SCIRP). SCIRP supports
peer-reviewed research efforts designed to
develop, test and validate therapies for the
treatment of spinal cord injuries. The Budget
continues SCIRP funding at $8.5 million annually.
• Continue Alzheimer’s Caregiver Supports. The
Budget continues the $25 million investment in
care and support services for individuals living
with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
and their caregivers.
• Maintain Aging Supports. The Budget
continues the $3 million increase in both the
Community Services for the Elderly Program and
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the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
(LTCOP).
• Better Target Naturally Occurring
Retirement Community (NORC/NNORC)
Funding. NORC programs provide support
services to older persons in designated
community residential settings statewide, but
largely in metropolitan areas. As the housing
preferences of older persons change, some
existing NORC locations may no longer meet the
statutory requirements for funding. This
initiative would specifically target funding to
those NORC/NNORC programs that continue to
meet statutory requirements. This initiative is
estimated to save the State $951,000 annually.
• Implementation of the Human Services Cost
of Living Adjustment (COLA). The Budget
includes $1.2 million to support the statutory
cost of living adjustment for not-for-profits that
provide services on behalf of DOH and SOFA.
Other Initiatives
• Ending the AIDS Epidemic. New York’s
successful strategic investments in the
prevention and care for individuals with
HIV/AIDS places the State in the position of
being able to advance a plan for the end of the
HIV/AIDS epidemic. The FY 2017 Executive
Budget reflects the initial installment of a $200
million multi-year commitment of new funding
toward HIV/AIDS efforts, which is in addition to
the $2.5 billion in public funding that the State
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currently directs toward addressing the health
care needs of those living with the disease.
Specifically, these funds will be used to expand
the availability of affordable housing and
housing assistance for those living with HIV and
identify undiagnosed persons, link them with
treatment and facilitate access to necessary
medications to keep them HIV negative to
prevent spreading the disease.
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8. HIGHER EDUCATION
The FY 2017 Executive Budget strengthens the
ability of New York’s public system of higher education
to excel academically and act as an economic engine. A
renewed NYSUNY 2020 program and new strategic
investments will yield further academic gains, create
employment opportunities, and connect graduates to
jobs. The Budget also realigns financial support for
CUNY senior colleges commensurate with its
governance structure.
Overview
Each year, New York State’s higher education
institutions educate over 1.2 million students. The State
University of New York (SUNY) and the City University
of New York (CUNY) administer 47 four-year colleges
and graduate schools that provide 396,000 full- and
part-time students with an array of undergraduate,
graduate, and first professional educational
opportunities. SUNY and CUNY also support 37
community colleges, serving 333,000 students. In
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addition, 532,000 students attend the more than 100
private colleges and universities across the State. Over
the past 10 years, total enrollment at New York’s
institutions of higher education has increased by
127,000 (11 percent).
The State University Construction Fund (SUCF), City
University Construction Fund (CUCF), and the
Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY)
administer and oversee a capital program for over
3,000 academic, research, hospital, dormitory, and
multi-use facilities, which make up the physical
infrastructure of the university systems.
To help students obtain and afford a college
education, the Higher Education Services Corporation
(HESC) provides students and families with various
types of financial aid services. HESC oversees numerous
State-funded aid programs, including the Tuition
Assistance Program (TAP), the Aid for Part Time Study
program, and 18 scholarship and award programs.
Together these programs provide more than $1 billion
in financial aid to over 360,000 students. HESC also
partners with the Office of the State Comptroller in
administering the College Choice Tuition Savings
program.
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The State Education Department administers over
$100 million in funding for higher education including
opportunity programs that help support the success of
disadvantaged students and aid to private colleges.
Higher Education: Developing a Modern
Workforce
SUNY/CUNY Senior Colleges
In 2011, Governor Cuomo signed groundbreaking
legislation implementing the NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program. This five-year
program, which is scheduled to end on July 1, 2016,
strengthened New York State’s system of higher
education by introducing a rational and predictable
tuition plan, a commitment to maintain State financial
support, a competitive grant program making our State
universities incubators of academic excellence and
economic growth, and assistance to make college
affordable for students with limited income.
The rational tuition policy replaced an era of
unpredictable and sometimes extreme tuition increases
by allowing each SUNY and CUNY campus to raise
tuition by $300 per year for five years. The program
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enabled families to plan for college expenses, while
making it possible for the public university systems to
add faculty, reduce class sizes, expand program
offerings, and improve academic performance.
NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020 also maintain
higher education affordability by augmenting the State’s
TAP program. Using a portion of the additional tuition
revenue, students who receive TAP awards and attend
SUNY State-operated colleges or CUNY senior colleges
also receive financial aid in the form of tuition credits
ensuring students with limited economic resources
continue to have access to educational opportunities.
In addition, NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
launched a competition-based challenge grant program.
This program has made New York’s public universities
incubators of academic excellence and economic growth
at the center of the State’s regionally based economic
revitalization strategy. These grants leverage State
capital funding to incentivize bottom-up, individualized,
long-term economic development plans on campuses
and their surrounding communities.
Governor Cuomo built upon these initiatives by
launching START-UP NY, the groundbreaking initiative
established in 2013 to transform SUNY and private
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college and university campuses and communities
across the State into tax-free zones. This program is
attracting new businesses and encouraging existing
businesses to expand. To date, a total of 155 businesses
have been approved for START-UP NY participation and
are projected to create over 4,200 net new jobs and
nearly $221 million in investment.
In 2015, to promote student success and
institutional excellence, the Governor began the process
of shifting State support from an enrollment-driven
formula to one that bases a portion of state aid on
performance. SUNY and CUNY received $30 million in
new investment and performance funds allocated to
campuses based on their performance improvement
plans that identify and implement best practices from
around the systems. These plans include goals to
improve outcomes in student access, completion, and
post-graduation success.
Community Colleges
Several recent initiatives have combined to help
modernize our community college system. In 2013, the
Next Generation NY Job Linkage Program was
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established to connect students to careers by having
community colleges partner with regional employers to
provide students with improved opportunities for post-
graduation employment in a field related to their
education. This initiative provides $5 million in
incentive funding to reward community colleges based
on the success of their students in job placement and
academic performance.
To further align community college offerings with
regional needs, in 2015 SUNY created regional planning
councils to ensure that community colleges collaborate
with neighboring colleges as well as stakeholders from
state agencies, local governments and business. In
addition, a new Community College Community Schools
program was launched to provide our most
disadvantaged students the tools and support they need
to persevere and graduate.
Making College More Affordable
Governor Cuomo has made several strategic
investments to make college more affordable and to
encourage the best and brightest students to build their
future in New York State and help to fill critical jobs. For
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the first time in 14 years, New York State increased the
maximum TAP award, from $5,000 to $5,165.
The Governor also created a new scholarship
program for the top 10 percent of students in each high
school. These students receive full tuition scholarships
to any SUNY or CUNY college or university if they
pursue a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM) career and work in New York for five years.
The FY 2016 Budget included the new Get on Your
Feet Loan Forgiveness Program to provide Federal
student loan relief to New York residents who graduate
from college and continue to live in the state for the first
two years out of school if their income is not high
enough to cover their student debt burden without
significant financial hardship. Recognizing that the
rising cost of college and sub-optimal student outcomes
make college choice more critical than ever, New York
created a standard financial aid award letter for colleges
and universities to provide students and their families
with information on the total costs of education and the
success of other students after graduation.
Finally, both SUNY and CUNY have played key roles
in implementing the New NY Education Reform
Commission’s recommended action plan to improve the
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quality of New York’s education system. In particular,
the university systems have taken action to raise
admission requirements and strengthen the curriculum
for teacher preparation programs.
Summary of Spending (General Fund)
Category
Academic
FY 2016
(millions)
Academic
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions)
Percent
SUNY State-Operated
Campuses*
2,646 2,676 30 1.1
CUNY Senior Colleges* 1,217 1,232 15 1.2
SUNY and CUNY Debt
Service
1,187 1,188 1 0.1
HESC Financial Aid
Programs
1,066 1.134 68 6.4
Community Colleges 735 729 (6) (0.8)
SED Programs 106 106 0 0
SUNY Hospitals
Subsidy**
88 69 (19) (21.2)
Subtotal 7,045 7,134 89 1.3
NYC Share of CUNY
Senior Colleges
0 (485) (485) --
CUNY Retroactive Salary
Increases
0 240 240 --
General Fund Total 7,045 6,889 (156) (2.2)
*Includes funding for campus operations and employee fringe benefits.
**Returns to the FY 2016 Executive Budget funding level.
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Strategic Investments in Higher Education
The Executive Budget renews the NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 program for another five-year period
and makes strategic investments including $30 million
to implement SUNY and CUNY performance
improvement plans, creation of a $15 million Clean
Energy Workforce Opportunity Program to develop a
new clean-tech workforce development program on
SUNY campuses, and $110 million for another round of
NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020 capital challenge
grants.
In a continued effort to modernize our community
college system, the Executive Budget establishes a new
Apprentice SUNY: NY State Advanced Manufacturing
Apprenticeship Program for community colleges to
develop one of the largest statewide public/private
partnership apprenticeship programs in the country.
The Budget also expands the Community College
Community Schools program to provide more support
services to ensure student success, and supports the
advancement of undocumented immigrants by enabling
them to apply for State college tuition assistance under
a DREAM Act initiative.
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Finally, the Executive Budget will rationalize funding
for CUNY senior colleges by having the City of New York
pay a share of financial support that aligns with the
City’s participation in the governance of CUNY.
Major Initiatives
• Renew NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020. To
maintain an affordable and stable system of
funding New York’s public university systems,
the Budget extends the NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 program for an additional five
years. A new rational tuition plan will allow
SUNY and CUNY to increase the New York
resident tuition rate up to $300 per year,
provided they demonstrate considerable efforts
to reduce spending and justify tuition increases
based on inflationary indices. Additional revenue
generated by a tuition increase would be used to
support investments in faculty, instruction and
tuition credits for TAP-eligible students. The
renewed NYSUNY 2020 plan also continues the
Governor’s commitment to provide a consistent
level of support for SUNY and CUNY. In addition,
the Budget includes $110 million for a new
round of NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
capital challenge grants, $55 million for each
university system. Funding will continue to be
awarded through a bottom-up competitive
process by which campuses develop plans for
improving academic outcomes, finding
efficiencies, and promoting innovation and
economic development.
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• Expand SUNY and CUNY Performance
Initiatives. The Budget continues the process of
shifting state support from an enrollment-driven
formula to one that bases a portion of State aid
on performance. SUNY and CUNY will receive a
new investment of $30 million to implement
campus performance improvement plans that
identify and implement best practices from
around the systems to improve outcomes in
student access, completion, and post-graduation
success. The Executive Budget also includes $5
million for the Next Generation NY Job Linkage
Incentive Fund.
• Establish a Clean Energy Workforce
Opportunity Program. The Budget builds
SUNY’s capacity to educate the next generation
of green energy workers. The $15 million Clean
Energy Workforce Opportunity Program will
enable SUNY to work with clean energy
companies to develop a new jobs training and
certification program that will make New York a
leader in clean tech workforce development. The
funding will be used to hire new faculty and
purchase cutting-edge equipment that will be
used in these new academic programs.
• Create Apprentice SUNY: NY State Advanced
Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program. To
meet the growing need for a skilled workforce,
the Budget provides funding for New York’s
community colleges to develop one of the largest
statewide public/private partnership
apprenticeship programs in the country,
generating thousands of new employment
opportunities for community college graduates.
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In partnership with NYSDOL, this new $5 million
program will leverage the resources and capacity
of the community colleges by building on the
infrastructure developed with the $15 million
USDOL Trade Adjustment Assistance Community
College and Career Training grant awarded in
2013. Apprentice SUNY will help 2,000 students
receive classroom and practical training through
new registered apprenticeships linked to
degrees that provide new participants with paid
on-the-job skills training, a degree or certificate,
a portable, national industry-recognized
credential and a full-time job upon graduation.
• Expand Community College Community
Schools. To help more students and their
families have the support they need to reach
their educational goals, the Budget includes $1.5
million to provide three additional Community
College Community Schools grants. This
program, which begun in 2015, helps community
colleges to address student needs such as child
and elder care, transportation, health care
services, family counseling, and employment
assistance.
• Make the Dream of Higher Education
Available to All. The Executive Budget supports
the advancement of undocumented immigrants
by enabling them to apply for State college
tuition assistance under a DREAM Act. This
initiative continues the State’s tradition of
welcoming immigrants and honoring their
contribution to our culture and economy.
• Realign Funding and Governance for CUNY
Senior Colleges. The Budget adjusts financial
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responsibility for CUNY senior colleges to better
align with CUNY governance. New York City’s
share of public support for CUNY senior colleges
is only two percent, yet the City controls 30
percent of appointments to the CUNY Board of
Trustees. This governance and funding structure
dates back to a time when New York City was
experiencing a fiscal crisis and was unable to
support CUNY senior colleges. As New York City
is no longer in a fiscal crisis – it ended 2015 with
a multi-billion dollar surplus and billions in
reserves – the Budget resumes the practice of
sharing CUNY senior college expenses with the
City. Commensurate with the percentage of
CUNY appointments, the Budget requires that
the City of New York assume a 30 percent share
of CUNY senior college net operating and debt
service expenses, totaling $485 million in the
2016-17 City fiscal year.
Enactment of this cost sharing arrangement
will enable the State to provide $240 million
from the General Fund to CUNY to support
retroactive salary increases needed to ensure
fair and affordable agreements with CUNY’s
labor unions.
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9. HUMAN SERVICES
The FY 2017 Executive Budget increases the
minimum wage, makes an unprecedented $20 billion
investment in affordable housing, homeless housing and
homeless services, provides funding for core supportive
services for needy populations, and provides funding
for child care subsidies that allow low-income
individuals to seek or maintain employment.
Overview
New York’s human services programs promote the
safety and well-being of the State’s most vulnerable
residents.
The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
(OTDA) and the Office of Children and Family Services
(OCFS) oversee programs that support and provide
assistance for financial assistance to elderly and
disabled persons who are unable to work, supportive
services to public assistance recipients to prepare for
and secure employment, child support enforcement,
child care subsidies to assist low-income working
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families, juvenile justice, and child and adult protective
services.
Programs funded through the Department of Labor
(DOL) protect workers and promote workforce
development. DOL also operates the State’s
Unemployment Insurance System.
Programs funded through Homes and Community
Renewal (HCR) preserve and create affordable housing.
Programs funded through the Division of Human
Rights (DHR) protect civil rights in the areas of
employment, housing, public accommodations,
education and credit.
Programs funded through the Office of National and
Community Service (NCS) support community service
grants that provide youth education, assistance to
individuals with disabilities, public health services, and
disaster preparedness.
Programs funded through the Division of Veterans’
Affairs (DVA) connect veterans, members of the armed
forces, and their families to various economic, medical,
and social benefits and services available as the result of
active duty military service.
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Providing Opportunity for All New Yorkers
Since the enactment of the Federal Welfare Reform
Act of 1996, the State’s public assistance caseload has
declined by approximately one million recipients. The
FY 2017 caseload is estimated at 557,000 recipients.
New York’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
program supplements Federal SSI benefits to low-
income elderly, blind, and disabled persons. The FY
2017 caseload is estimated at 712,000 recipients.
New York State’s child welfare programs are
monitored by OCFS and administered by 58 local social
services districts (LSSDs). The LSSDs are responsible for
conducting direct investigations of alleged child abuse,
as well as providing services to prevent foster care
placements for at-risk youth by keeping them with their
families, and for foster care services when out-of-home
placement is necessary.
The Child Welfare Services program supports
approximately 156,000 child protective services
investigations with more than 45,000 cases receiving
protective and preventive services. Federal funds
support approximately $486 million of statewide
program costs. The State supports 62 percent of non-
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federal costs, and LSSDs finance the remaining 38
percent. This funding approach, authorized in FY 2003
through Child Welfare Financing Reform, provides an
incentive to use preventive services to keep families
safely intact and to avoid unnecessary foster care
placements. The front-end investment is paying
dividends, as the foster care caseload has dropped by 47
percent, from 34,900 to approximately 18,500 in FY
2016.
The Executive Budget proposals provide for core
supportive services for needy families, while limiting
spending growth and implementing measures to
improve program performance.
In Juvenile Justice, the State continues
implementation of the Close to Home initiative. Under
this initiative, in FY 2013, New York City youth
requiring a non-secure placement were transferred
from OCFS to New York City custody to receive services
closer to their home community. New York City also
worked with OCFS on a plan to take custody of its youth
that require a limited secure placement. The limited
secure phase of Close to Home began in November 2015
and will be fully implemented in FY 2017.
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Summary of Spending (All Funds)
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FYY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions)
Percent
Human Services 8,899 8,837 (62) (0.7)
OTDA 4,989 5,024 35 0.7
OCFS 3,162 3,016 (146)* (4.6)
DOL 492 467 (25) (5.1)
HCR 210 286 76 36.2
DVA 17 15 (2) (11.8)
NCS 15 15 0 0
DHR 14 14 0 0
*$100 million of this change reflects a decrease in General Fund support for
child care subsidies that results from an equal increase in Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) fund support for child care subsidies in
OTDA.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
Labor
• Increase the Minimum Wage. Governor Cuomo
has consistently fought to increase the minimum
wage in New York State. The FY 2014 Budget
increased the minimum wage from $7.25 to
$8.00 effective December 31, 2013; to $8.75
effective December 31, 2014; and to $9.00 on
December 31, 2015. The Executive Budget builds
upon these previous increases and includes
provisions to further increase the minimum
wage to $10.50 in New York City and $9.75 in the
remainder of the State, effective July 1, 2016,
gradually increasing the minimum wage to
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$15.00 in New York City on December 31, 2018
and across the rest of the State on July 1, 2021.
This would bring the minimum wage more in
line with the cost of living and the wage required
to lift a family out of poverty. The Budget reflects
that the phased-in increase towards a $15
minimum wage has already been put in place for
the State workforce and SUNY employees.
The current minimum wage represents less
than one-third of the average hourly wage in the
State, which is almost $29. Eight states and the
District of Columbia currently have a higher
minimum wage than New York. A reasonable
minimum wage increases the standard of living
for workers, reduces poverty, and results in
fairer business practices. Since low-income
individuals spend a larger percentage of their
income on basic needs than higher-income
earners, salary increases in low-wage
occupations lead to increased demand for goods
and services and help spur economic growth.
• Paid Family Leave. Bonding with a new child or
caring for a seriously ill family member should
not cost employees their entire savings or
job. The Budget includes legislation creating a
paid family leave program. Under this program,
employees will be eligible for twelve weeks of
paid family leave when caring for an infant or ill
family member. The maximum paid benefit will
grow to 50 percent of the State's Average Weekly
Wage by 2021. This program will be funded
entirely through a nominal payroll deduction on
employees.
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• Workers' Compensation Reforms. New York's
Workers’ Compensation program delivers
medical and lost wage benefits to thousands of
injured workers. As currently structured, this $7
billion program is complicated and cumbersome,
delaying claim settlements and payments, and
increasing costs to employers. The Budget
includes legislation to reform the program to
benefit both workers and employers. Major
reforms will:
o Redesign current operations to ensure the
system will provide more timely and
appropriate medical and wage replacement
benefits to workers;
o Create a new pooling agreement freeing
employers’ committed reserves;
o Provide broader and more accessible options
for medical care by expanding the list of
eligible providers;
o Make hearings more accessible through
flexible scheduling and use of virtual
hearings; and
o Continue support for the World Trade Center
Volunteer Fund.
Housing
• 100,000 Unit Affordable and Homeless
Housing and Services Initiative. The Executive
Budget establishes a $20 billion, comprehensive
five year investment in affordable housing and
housing opportunities and services for the
homeless. The program will invest $9.7 billion to
establish 94,000 units of affordable housing, $2.6
billion for 6,000 units of supportive housing and
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will also establish 1,000 new emergency shelter
beds. Over 15 years, the plan will result in
20,000 units or shelter beds, including 18,000
new supportive housing units.
Human Services
• Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction. New
York is one of only two states in which the age of
juvenile jurisdiction ends on a youth’s 16th
birthday. This means that all 16 and 17 year olds
are processed in the adult criminal court system,
and not through the Family Courts, regardless of
the nature of their offense.
On December 22, 2015, as part of the
continued efforts to protect youth involved in
the criminal justice system, the Governor issued
Executive Order #150 directing the Department
of Corrections and Community Supervision
(DOCCS), in collaboration with OCFS, to
implement a plan to gradually remove minors
from adult prisons in the State.
Beginning in August 2016, 16 and 17 year
olds will be housed at Hudson Correctional
Facility, currently a DOCCS operated facility that
is undergoing transformation to appropriately
house and serve younger offenders. Youth will
receive specialized programming geared toward
younger offenders and individuals presenting
with mental health needs will have access to
services provided by staff from the Office of
Mental Health.
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The FY 2017 Executive Budget reflects the
next steps to juvenile justice reforms by
advancing legislation to raise the age of juvenile
jurisdiction to age 17 on January 1, 2018 and to
age 18 on January 1, 2019. Additional reform
measures include comprehensive diversion,
probation, and programming services for 16 and
17 year old youth who will be involved in the
juvenile justice system.
• Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative.
The Budget includes $25 million of new funding
to significantly expand the anti-poverty
initiative, begun in 2015. Planning grants
totaling $5 million will be available in ten
communities with high concentrations of
poverty. In addition, $20 million will be available
for grants to match private sector and
foundation funding.
• Increase Support of Child Care Provider
Inspection Activities. The Budget includes a
$10 million State Operations appropriation to
support child care provider inspection activities
necessary to comply with the Federal Child Care
and Development Block Grant Act of 2014.
• Implementation of the Human Services Cost
of Living Adjustments (COLA). The Budget
includes $1.4 million to support the 0.2 percent
statutorily required Cost of Living Adjustment at
OCFS not-for-profits, for foster and adoptive
parents, and the Nutrition Outreach and
Education Program (NOEP) administered by
OTDA.
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• Invest Annual Adoption Savings in Post-
Adoption and Preventive Services. In
accordance with Federal law, the Budget will
invest adoption assistance savings of $5 million
into post adoption and preventive services for
children at risk of entering foster care. The $5
million savings results from a greater Federal
share of adoption assistance costs as income is
no longer a factor in determining eligibility for
Federal adoption assistance.
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10. LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The FY 2017 Executive Budget continues Governor
Cuomo’s commitment to reducing property taxes,
improving local government efficiency, and assisting
distressed local governments, while maintaining core
local government assistance.
Overview
New York’s local government assistance programs
provide general purpose aid to municipalities, as well as
targeted grant programs and incentives for local
government efficiency and consolidation actions. The
Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) program
provides unrestricted, general purpose aid to cities,
towns, and villages.
Grant and incentive programs that provide funding
related to municipal shared services, efficiencies, and
consolidations include: the Citizens Reorganization
Empowerment Grants, Citizen Empowerment Tax
Credits, Local Government Efficiency Grants, and the
Local Government Performance and Efficiency Program.
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Other programs provide aid to specific local
governments, including Aid to Municipalities with Video
Lottery Gaming Facilities (VLT Impact Aid),
Miscellaneous Financial Assistance, and Small
Government Assistance.
The Financial Restructuring Board for Local
Governments assists distressed municipalities by
conducting Comprehensive Reviews to develop
recommendations for restructuring and improving
fiscal stability. The Board may offer grants or loans to
help implement its recommendations.
Addressing the Property Tax Burden
New York residents face some of the highest
property tax burdens in the nation. Since taking office
Governor Cuomo has focused on fighting this burden by
capping property taxes, improving local government
efficiency, restructuring distressed local governments,
and relieving mandates.
In his first year in office, Governor Cuomo advanced
and secured approval of one of the strongest property
tax caps in the country. In the first three years under the
tax cap, property taxes grew an average of just 2.2
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percent per year – less than half the average annual
growth from 2000 to 2010. It is estimated that if these
growth trends continue, the typical taxpayer will have
saved more than $2,100 in local property taxes by 2017.
To provide further relief, the Governor proposed the
Property Tax Freeze. Enacted in 2014, the Property Tax
Freeze provides New York homeowners an average of
$525 in direct relief over three years, bringing the
combined average savings from the property tax cap
and the Property Tax Freeze to $2,625. The Freeze
program also encourages local shared services,
cooperation agreements, mergers, and efficiencies. In
the first year (2014 for school taxes and 2015 for local
government taxes), homeowners with incomes at or
less than $500,000 who reside in a school district or
local government that stayed within the tax cap
received a State tax credit equal to the increase in their
property taxes. In order for their homeowners to get the
tax credit in the second year, school districts and local
governments must have continued to stay within the tax
cap and have submitted an approved Government
Efficiency Plan that demonstrates savings through
shared services, cooperation agreements, mergers, or
efficiencies.
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As a result of the Property Tax Cap and the Property
Tax Freeze program, local taxpayers will have saved
more than $17 billion through 2016. To ensure that this
savings continues, at the end of the 2015 Legislative
session, the Governor and Legislature extended the
property tax cap through 2020.
In June, 2015, an additional program was enacted to
provide direct relief to struggling New York taxpayers –
the Property Tax Credit. The program is progressively
structured so that taxpayers with lower incomes
receive a higher benefit.
Credits will be remitted in the fall of each year, close
to when the majority of New York homeowners have to
pay their largest property tax bill – their local school
district property taxes. All STAR-eligible homeowners
with incomes below $275,000 who live in school
districts that comply with the property tax cap will be
eligible to receive the credit. In the first year, 2016, the
program will be coupled with the third and final
installment of the Property Tax Freeze credit. Upstate
homeowners will receive $185 from the program, while
taxpayers in Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam,
Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties will receive
$130 from the new program. Beginning in 2017, the
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program will provide property tax relief based on a
percentage of a homeowner’s STAR benefit, with lower
incomes receiving a larger percentage. When the
program is fully phased-in for benefits provided in
2019, it will provide $1.3 billion of property tax relief
and an average credit of $530.
Improving Local Government Efficiency
One of the drivers behind New York’s high local
government cost and property tax burden is its
duplicative and overlapping local government structure.
To address this problem, the State provides a variety of
grant and incentive programs for local governments.
As part of the FY 2016 Budget, Governor Cuomo
advanced and secured approval of the Municipal
Restructuring Fund, a program that provides funding to
help local governments implement transformational
projects that contribute to lower operating costs and
reduced property tax burdens on a permanent basis.
Representatives from the Department of State met with
local leaders at regional roundtables and held a Local
Government Innovation Conference in Albany in order
to best structure the program to ensure that it meets
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the needs of local governments. Applications for grants
will be accepted beginning in early 2016.
In addition to the Municipal Restructuring Fund
grants, the Budget continues funding for other
programs that improve local government efficiency.
This support will empower local governments and
school districts to implement actions that reduce the
property tax burden on their taxpayers.
• Citizens Reorganization Empowerment
Grants. These grants provide funding of up to
$100,000 for local governments to cover costs
associated with planning and implementing local
government reorganization activities, such as
consolidations and dissolutions. Expedited
assistance is given to local governments that
have received a citizen petition for consolidation
or dissolution. This program shares a $35 million
appropriation with the Citizen Empowerment
Tax Credits.
• Citizen Empowerment Tax Credits. For cities,
towns, or villages that consolidate or dissolve,
these tax credits provide an annual aid bonus
equal to 15 percent of the newly combined local
government’s tax levy. At least 70 percent of
such amount must be used for direct relief to
property taxpayers. This program shares a $35
million appropriation with the Citizens
Reorganization Empowerment Grants.
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• Local Government Efficiency Grants. These
competitive grants provide funding to help cover
costs associated with local government efficiency
projects, such as planning for and/or
implementing a functional consolidation, shared
or cooperative services, and regionalized
delivery of services. The maximum
implementation grant award is $200,000 per
municipality/$1 million per grant consortium,
and the maximum planning grant award is
$12,500 per municipality/$100,000 per grant
consortium. A $4 million appropriation supports
this program.
• Financial Restructuring Board Awards. Grants
and/or loans of up to $5 million per municipality
may be awarded by the Financial Restructuring
Board for Local Governments. There is $80
million in Local Government Performance and
Efficiency Program reappropriations available
for these awards.
Restructuring Distressed Local Governments
The Financial Restructuring Board for Local
Governments was created in 2013 to help distressed
local governments restructure and regain solvency
before the strict enforcement of a control board is
needed. The ten-member board is chaired by the Budget
Director and includes the State Comptroller, the
Attorney General, the Secretary of State, and six other
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members appointed by the Governor. Of these six
appointees, one is recommended by the Temporary
President of the Senate, and one is recommended by the
Speaker of the Assembly.
Any eligible county, city, town, or village may
request a Comprehensive Review from the Board. The
Review will assess the local government’s operations,
finances, and management structure. Based on this
information, the Board may make recommendations on
restructuring municipal operations to improve the local
government’s finances and efficiency. In addition, the
Board can offer grants and/or loans of up to $5 million
per municipality through the Local Government
Performance and Efficiency Program to implement the
recommendations. To receive the aid, the local
government must agree to fulfill the terms of the
recommendations.
The Board has undertaken Comprehensive Reviews
for twelve local governments: the cities of Rochester,
Albany, Utica, Jamestown, Elmira, Lockport, and Fulton,
the villages of Alfred, Owego, Hoosick Falls, and Wilson,
and the Town of Fishkill. Additional Comprehensive
Review requests are expected.
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Relieving Local Government Mandates
Governor Cuomo made mandate relief a priority and
has eliminated dozens of burdensome requirements,
including many of the most expensive. These important
reforms are helping local governments manage their
budgets and reduce the burden placed on property
taxpayers. Reforms that have been advanced by the
Governor and enacted include:
• Medicaid Relief. The State has eliminated
growth in the local share of Medicaid, saving
counties $800 million over five years (FY 2015-
2019). For FY 2015 and beyond, the cost of
Medicaid to counties subject to the property tax
cap will not increase – all growth in the Medicaid
program for these counties is being absorbed by
the State. The State is also assuming Medicaid
administrative responsibilities for counties. This
will result in greater efficiencies and help
achieve State and Federal health care reform
initiatives.
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• Pension Reform. In recent years, pensions have
been one of the fastest growing costs for local
governments and school districts. In 2012, a new
pension tier was created in the State pension
system that will save the State, local
governments, and school districts more than $80
billion over the next 30 years. In 2013, local
governments and school districts were given the
option to have a more stable pension
contribution rate, which has greater
predictability and allows for access to the
savings from the 2012 reforms.
• Binding Arbitration. After decades of local
government calls for change to the binding
arbitration process with police and fire unions,
reforms were enacted in 2013 to require
arbitrators to give significant weight to a
distressed local government’s ability to pay and
to consider the property tax cap when making
awards. This will help ensure that awards reflect
the high burden already faced by property
taxpayers in these communities. The Budget
extends these reforms for three years.
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Summary of Spending
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FY2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions) Percent
AIM – Cities Outside
NYC
647.1 647.1 0 0
AIM – Towns and
Villages
67.6 67.6 0 0
Total AIM 714.7 714.7 0 0
Citizens
Empowerment Tax
Credits and Grants*
1.9 2.4 0.5 29
Local Government
Efficiency Grants*
9.3 5.5 (3.8) (40)
Local Government
Performance and
Efficiency Program*
9.9 16.7 6.8 68
VLT Impact Aid 29.3 29.3 0 0
Miscellaneous
Financial Assistance
16.2 0.8 (15.4) (95)
Village Per Capita Aid 2.0 0.0 (2.0) (100)
Small Government
Assistance
0.2 0.2 0 0
Buffalo/Erie Efficiency
Grants**
1.6 0.0 (1.6) (100)
* For FY 2017, Citizens Empowerment Tax Credit and Grants, Local Government
Efficiency Grants, and the Local Government Performance and Efficiency Program
are being funded out of the Special Infrastructure Account instead of the General
Fund.
** Spending will be reduced to zero as the programs reach completion.
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Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
• Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The
Budget provides $100 million for a new initiative
to fund transformative housing, economic
development, transportation, and community
projects designed to attract and retain residents,
visitors, and businesses to downtowns. Ten
communities that are currently experiencing
population loss and/or economic decline will be
able to submit revitalization plans for their
downtown area, developed in collaboration with
policy and planning experts.
• Municipal Consolidation Competition. To
further encourage local government
consolidation, the Budget creates a new $20
million consolidation competition designed to
empower counties and other local governments
to pursue opportunities for consolidation, shared
services, and other changes that permanently
reduce the property tax burden. This
competition is designed to bring forth
aspirational consolidation ideas that will change
the structure of local government.
• Continue Restructuring Programs. The Budget
continues funding to support the Municipal
Restructuring Fund, the Local Government
Performance and Efficiency Program, Citizen
Empowerment Tax Credits, Citizens
Reorganization Empowerment Grants, and Local
Government Efficiency Grants. These programs
will be funded through the Special Infrastructure
Account, as authorized in the FY 2016 Budget.
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• Maintain Local Government Aid. The Budget
maintains most local government aid programs
at FY 2016 levels, including: $715 million in
unrestricted AIM funding to cities, towns, and
villages; $29.3 million in VLT Impact Aid; and
$217,300 in Small Government Assistance.
Legislative adds, such as Miscellaneous Financial
Assistance and Village Per Capita Aid, are
discontinued.
Overall Fiscal Impact on Local Governments
The Executive Budget results in a year-to-year net
positive local impact of $1.3 billion for municipalities
and school districts for their fiscal years ending in 2017.
This net local benefit is primarily the result of a
statewide school aid increase of $991 million, including
competitive school grants, and the continuation of the
State’s Medicaid growth takeover with adjustments to
the program. The benefit is primarily offset by an
impact to New York City related to rationalizing funding
and governance for CUNY senior colleges while
providing CUNY contract funding.
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Impact of the FY 2017 Executive Budget on Local Governments
(Local Fiscal Year Ending in 2017)
($ in millions)
Total NYC
School
Districts
(non-NYC) Counties
All
Other
School Aid 963.0 364.0 599.0 0.0 0.0
Other Education (95.1) (185.1) 90.0 0.0 0.0
Revenue Actions (13.0) (13.0) 0.0 0.0 0.0
Medicaid 349.5 145.9 0.0 203.6 0.0
Health 20.9 12.5 0.0 8.4 0.0
Mental Hygiene (1.5) (2.0) 0.0 0.5 0.0
Municipal Aid (1.6) 0.0 0.0 0.0 (1.6)
Environment (0.9) (0.1) 0.0 (0.8) 0.0
Other (2.8) 0.0 0.0 (2.8) 0.0
Subtotal FY 2017
Executive Budget
Actions
1,218.5 322.2 689.0 208.9 (1.6)
Wastewater
Infrastructure Funds
50.0 0.0 0.0 TBD TBD
New Competitive
School Grants
28.0 TBD TBD 0.0 0.0
Municipal
Consolidation
Competition
20.0 0.0 0.0 TBD TBD
Grand Total FY
2017 Executive
Budget Actions
1,316.5 322.2 689.0 208.9 (1.6)
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11. MENTAL HYGIENE
The FY 2017 Executive Budget supports the
expansion of community-based care, strengthens the
oversight of services for vulnerable persons, and makes
investments to ensure that individuals are served safely
in the most integrated and cost-effective setting
possible.
Overview
The Mental Hygiene agencies and associated not-for-
profits provide services to individuals with mental
illness, developmental disabilities, and addictions.
These agencies are comprised of the Office of Mental
Health (OMH), the Office for People with Developmental
Disabilities (OPWDD), the Office of Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), the Developmental
Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC), and the Justice
Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs
(Justice Center). The Mental Hygiene agencies support
services for more than 1 million individuals, including
more than 700,000 people with mental illness, 245,000
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people with chemical dependencies or gambling
problems, and 130,000 individuals with developmental
disabilities.
Caring for New York’s Vulnerable Citizens
The State’s Mental Hygiene system provides care
and services for individuals in institutional facilities,
community residences and community settings. The
State operates institutional and community-based
services and research facilities, and oversees
residential, outpatient, employment, clinic, habilitative,
and treatment programs operated by not-for-profit
provider agencies that help individuals live in the
setting they desire and lead full and productive lives.
The Budget reflects the Governor’s ongoing efforts
to fundamentally improve the protection and care of
vulnerable individuals. Strategic investments are
funded by programmatic efficiencies and system-wide
solutions to reduce State operations costs in service
delivery, purchasing, business services, information
technology, and other areas. To ensure that individuals
receive appropriate services, the Budget increases
funding for community-based programs, and redirects
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funding from high-cost institutional services to more
effective lower-cost program models that provide
expanded services to more people.
Proposed actions for the Mental Hygiene agencies
include enhancing community mental health services,
right-sizing and improving State-operated inpatient
services, investing in behavioral health provider
systems to help avoid more costly inpatient services,
enhancing employment opportunities for individuals
with disabilities, improving the investigatory process
for abuse and neglect complaints, placing cost controls
on State agency operations, and maximizing payments
from third-party payers.
The Executive Budget proposals result in Mental
Hygiene system spending of $8.2 billion in FY 2017,
reflecting annual spending growth of $260 million (3.3
percent). However, due to technical adjustments such as
interactions with the Department of Health (DOH)
Global Cap, and recognition of the previous year’s costs
for a 53rd Medicaid cycle, the 27th Institutional payroll,
and non-centralized billings for ITS services, projected
spending decreases by $219 million.
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Summary of Spending (All Funds)
Category FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollar
(millions) Percent
OPWDD 4,039.3 4,213.9 174.6 4.3
OMH 3,296.1 3,369.1 73.0 2.2
OASAS 592.4 603.6 11.2 1.9
Justice Center 41.8 42.7 0.8 2.0
DDPC 4.2 4.2 0.0 0.0
Subtotal 7,973.8 8,233.4 259.6 3.3
53
rd
Medicaid Cycle
and 27
th
Payroll
168.6 0.0 (168.6) N/A
NPS Transfer to OITS 27.3 0.0 (27.3) N/A
Adjustments* (908.6) (1,191.1) (282.5) N/A
Total 7,261.1 7,042.3 (218.8) (3.0)
*Adjustments reflect spending of $909 million in FY 2016 and $1.1 billion in FY
2017 for OPWDD services that are reflected in DOH Medicaid spending.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
OPWDD
Over the past five years, Governor Cuomo has taken
substantial steps to ensure the continued health and
safety of individuals with developmental disabilities,
and to improve the overall quality, availability and cost-
effectiveness of community-based, person-centered
services. This Budget continues the long-standing
commitment to support individuals with developmental
disabilities in the most appropriate community-based
settings, and reflects a 4.3 annual percent spending
increase. Specifically, the Executive Budget will:
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• Continue to Improve the Quality and Variety
of Services. Over the past 18 months, OPWDD
has made significant progress in providing
services to people with intellectual and/or
developmental disabilities through new resource
investments and reallocation of existing
resources. During this time, approximately 2,600
new people received certified community
residential housing, including individuals
transitioning from their homes, institutional
facilities and school residential programs. At the
same time, 3,800 individuals were new to
employment supports; 2,300 people were
provided the opportunity to self-direct their
services; 5,500 new individuals received respite
services; and 6,400 people were new to day
service opportunities. In addition, approximately
$65 million in Balancing Incentive Program (BIP)
transformation grants were awarded to over 100
agency providers to develop systematic
improvements to delivery systems, enhance
community integration, and increase
employment opportunities for individuals with
developmental disabilities.
• Implement the Recommendations of the
Transformation Panel. In early 2015, a
Transformation Panel was formed to share and
discuss ideas to help shape the future of the
OPWDD system. Members included individuals
with developmental disabilities, parents,
providers and advocates. Their formal
recommendations will be released in 2016 and
OPWDD will develop and implement strategies
to enhance service delivery and provide high
quality community- integrated services.
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• Invest $120 Million for OPWDD New Service
Opportunities. This annual investment will
support new service opportunities for
individuals currently living at home or in
residential schools. Services will be based on
OPWDD’s person-centered processes, which
include an individualized needs assessment.
These new resources will support expanded
services throughout OPWDD’s continuum of
care, including certified and non-certified
residential opportunities, day programs,
employment, case management, and respite
services for qualifying individuals. This level of
funding will support up to 6,000 new or
expanded opportunities for individuals with
developmental disabilities to support the array
of services necessary to meet their individual
needs, including needs identified in OPWDD’s
recent Residential Request List survey. This
funding is in addition to separate investments
for the transition of individuals from
institutional settings.
• Invest $15 Million in Expanded Affordable
Housing. In FY 2017, OPWDD will provide an
additional $10 million in capital funding ($15
million in total) to support the development of
affordable housing, which will ensure the
availability of safe and accessible residential
opportunities for individuals with intellectual
and/or developmental disabilities.
• Invest $15 Million to Expand Crisis Services.
In 2014, OPWDD implemented START (Systemic
Therapeutic Assessment, Respite and
Treatment) programs in two geographic regions.
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START is a crisis and prevention response model
focused on ensuring effective treatment and
reducing dependency on higher levels of service;
OPWDD will invest an additional $15 million to
expand these services to other regions.
• Dedicate $24 Million to Transition
Individuals to More Appropriate Community-
Based Settings. Consistent with the Olmstead
Cabinet report and the Federal Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
requirements, the Budget continues to transition
individuals from developmental centers (52
individuals) and intermediate care facilities (100
individuals) to more integrated, community-
based support systems. As part of this effort,
OPWDD will utilize a combination of not-for-
profit and State-operated services to deliver
appropriate community-based services specific
to individualized needs.
OMH
The Executive Budget builds on Governor Cuomo’s
ongoing efforts to expand community services and
transition individuals to more appropriate community
settings. Specifically, the Budget will:
• Continue to Improve the Quality and Variety
of Services. With investments in community-
based services made in FY 2016, OMH has
developed new mobile crisis teams, expanded
clinic services, provided additional peer support
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services, and funded additional supported
housing units throughout the State. The
expansion in community investments since FY
2015 has resulted in 7,500 new individuals
receiving services and funded nearly 850
supported housing beds. This funding was also
used to support rental subsidies for over 14,000
supported housing units statewide. The success
of these community investments has resulted in
the reduction of over 400 unnecessary, vacant
inpatient beds.
• Invest $16 Million in Additional Community
Services. Building upon the community
reinvestments funded in the FY 2016 Enacted
Budget, this additional annual investment will be
used to expand a variety of community services
based on regional needs reflecting stakeholder
input, and is expected to reduce the need for
more costly inpatient beds.
• Expand Services for Children. The Budget
proposes to provide six new “State Plan”
Medicaid services for children: crisis
intervention, community psychiatric support and
treatment, psychosocial rehabilitation services,
family peer support services, youth peer training
and support services, and services from other
licensed practitioners. These new services focus
on earlier intervention for children experiencing
behavioral health issues, helping to keep
children with their families, thus preventing the
need for more costly, high-intensity services and
out-of-home placements.
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• Provide $50 Million to Support New
Residential Opportunities. The Budget
provides full annual support to continue ongoing
residential projects, including nearly 1,200 units
planned to open this year from the New
York/New York III homeless housing agreement
and about 800 other residential pipeline beds.
• Invest $1 Million to Implement Raise the Age.
OMH will provide additional staffing resources to
provide mental health services to support
minors who, in 2016, will be relocating from
several rehabilitation facilities to a single
separate juvenile facility. OMH will partner with
the Office for Children and Family Services
(OCFS) and the Department of Corrections and
Community Supervision (DOCCS) on this effort.
• Establish Jail-Based Restoration Programs for
Felony-level Defendants. OMH will work with
participating counties to develop restoration
units for felony-level defendants while they are
restored to competency as they await trial. The
restoration units will be operated in counties
that volunteer to participate, and will be
maintained as separate residential treatment
units within the jail. This program has been
identified as a best practice by the National
Judicial College, and has been implemented in 10
other states with well-documented success. This
program will also result in reduced operational
costs for the State and participating counties.
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• Provide Mental Health Supports for OMH
Long Term Care Patients Moving to Skilled
Nursing Facilities or Managed Long Term
Care Programs. OMH will utilize either a
Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) Program with
wrap-around community support, or a Skilled
Nursing Facility (SNF) to serve approximately
100 long-term care patients. This initiative will
ensure that the population requiring both long-
term care and mental health services will receive
care in more appropriate settings.
OASAS
The Executive Budget supports OASAS’ continued
efforts to better serve individuals with dependencies on
alcohol and chemical substances, and to provide
services to those experiencing problem gambling issues.
Specifically, the Budget will:
• Combat the Heroin Epidemic. In total, the
Budget provides $141 million, an increase of $6
million from FY 2016, to address the growing
heroin and opiate epidemic in communities
across the State. These funds will continue to
support prevention, treatment and recovery
programs targeted toward chemical dependency,
residential service opportunities, and public
awareness and education activities. Specifically,
the funding will enable OASAS to implement the
following initiatives:
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o Family Support Navigators. Navigators will
assist and inform those seeking treatment
and their families of options for insurance
coverage and OASAS treatment systems.
o On-Call Peers. Peers will be available to
assist individuals who are in need of
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment to
make the connection from hospital
emergency rooms to the OASAS treatment
system.
o Adolescent Clubhouses. These safe,
welcoming spaces will help teens and young
adults who are in recovery or are at-risk for
SUD to develop social skills that promote
long-term health, wellness, recovery and a
drug-free lifestyle.
o Recovery Community and Outreach
Centers. These facilities provide recovery
supports in a comfortable environment to
individuals and their families that are in, or
seeking, recovery from SUDs. The centers
provide information and education on how to
access treatment supports and wellness
activities, and they extend peer supports and
volunteers to assist in all areas of the Centers’
operations.
o Treatment Availability Tool. This on-line
tool will allow New Yorkers to search (in real
time) for available treatment statewide; and
o Kitchen Table Toolkit and Talk2Prevent.
New resources are offered including videos
which can be used by parents, teachers and
community members to help begin
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conversations with youth concerning the
health risks and dangerous consequences of
heroin and prescription painkiller abuse.
Talk2Prevent is designed to help New
Yorkers talk early and often with your kids
regarding alcohol and its dangers.
• Transition Behavioral Health to Managed
Care. The Budget supports a total of $7 million in
new Medicaid rate enhancements to stabilize
providers as they transition to managed care,
including those that operate Free Standing
Inpatient Alcohol Rehabilitation, Residential
Rehabilitation Services for Youth, Residential
Detox and Outpatient Detox services.
• Implement Residential Redesign. OASAS will
continue to implement a redesign of residential
treatment capacity which creates flexibility
within the system to allow providers to serve
individuals in need of short-term and long-term
treatment as they detox from heroin and
prescription painkillers.
• Increase Housing and Community Capacity.
The Budget includes $7 million in new funding
for 300 new beds scheduled to be developed
over the next two years. This includes 170 new
congregate care beds associated with the NY/NY
III program and 130 new beds in Suffolk, Albany,
and Westchester counties, and in the Southern
Tier to support the Governor’s Combat Heroin
initiative.
• Provide for Synthetic Drug Testing. The
Budget also includes $2 million in new capital
funding to purchase synthetic drug testing
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devices to be used by State Police and local law
enforcement officials. These portable, hand-held
machines can instantly analyze unknown
substances and determine if they contain any
dangerous synthetics drugs or any other
substance. This information will enable officers
to more accurately distinguish between
individuals with symptoms of drug use and those
experiencing non-drug induced psychotic
episodes, as well as enable quicker treatment of
these individuals if they are admitted to a
hospital.
Justice Center
To protect the health and safety of vulnerable
individuals in the State’s care, the Justice Center has
primary responsibility for receiving, investigating
and/or reviewing abuse and neglect allegations at
certain facilities and programs that are operated,
certified, or licensed by the following six agencies: OMH,
OPWDD, OASAS, DOH, OCFS, and the State Education
Department. The Justice Center is responsible for
ensuring the safety and well-being of the approximately
one million adults and children with physical or
intellectual disabilities and who require services or
placement from one of the over 3000 facilities or
service providers overseen by the six State agencies.
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To fulfill its mission, the agency operates 13
locations across the State, and employs investigators,
prosecutors, advocates, and others. The Justice Center
investigates nearly 10,000 reported allegations of abuse
and neglect annually, and in 2015 assumed more
investigative responsibilities in State-operated facilities.
Operational efficiencies have resulted in an accelerated
case closure process, allowing the agency to close 4,000
more cases than were opened during the year and
permanently accelerate the average case-closure
timeframe. The Executive Budget recommends $54.5
million in new appropriations, providing the necessary
funding for the agency to perform its core functions
timely and efficiently. Specific investments include the
statewide training of local law enforcement officers to
facilitate effective interviewing techniques of
individuals with special needs and disabilities.
Multi-Agency Budget Actions
The Executive Budget includes $12 million to
support the statutorily driven Cost of Living Adjustment
and Medicaid trend at not-for-profits that provide
services on behalf of OPWDD, OMH and OASAS.
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The Budget continues longstanding flexibility in the
delivery of services operated, funded, or approved by
various State agencies, including OMH, OPWDD, OASAS,
and OCFS by extending for five years the existing
requirements for certain social work and mental health
workers.
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12. PUBLIC SAFETY
The FY 2017 Executive Budget reflects an approach
to public safety that is smart, tough and fair, while
providing new resources to State and local responders
to better protect New York families and their property
during emergencies.
Overview
The State spends $4.8 billion annually to protect
New York residents. The public safety agencies assist
local communities with crime prevention, supervise
criminal offenders both in prison and in the community,
patrol the highways, protect critical State assets, and
respond to natural disasters and terrorist threats.
Focusing on Emergency Preparedness and
Crime Prevention
Emergency Preparedness
In September 2014, Governor Cuomo initiated a
counter terrorism surge in the New York City metro
area with enhanced security measures and an increased
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State Police, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
police, and National Guard presence. This year, the State
began utilizing the “See Something, Send Something”
mobile app to help New Yorkers report suspicious
activity. The Governor also proposed, through the
Department of Financial Services, new anti-terrorism
and anti-money laundering regulations to detect, deter,
and prevent illicit transactions that fuel worldwide
criminal and terrorist networks. The FY 2017 Executive
Budget builds upon these actions and strengthens
preparedness by expanding the current surge to deploy
law enforcement to critical infrastructure throughout
the state.
Criminal Justice
New York has one of the lowest crime rates in the
country, and also has the lowest imprisonment rate of
any large state. From 2005 to 2014, the crime rate in
New York declined 18 percent, with a continued decline
in the first six months of 2015. In 2014, the number of
major crimes committed reached the lowest levels ever
recorded, when there were 80,014 fewer major crimes
reported statewide than in 2005. Simultaneous with
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this significant decline in crime, the State’s prison
population has fallen from a peak of 72,600 in 1999 to a
current population of approximately 53,000 – the
lowest level in more than two decades.
Last year, the Governor issued an Executive Order to
establish a facility to house 16- and 17-year old youth
who are in the State’s correctional system. This action
will relocate certain juvenile offenders from adult
prison facilities into an age-appropriate alternative. The
Governor also offered pardons to persons convicted of
non-violent crimes committed when they were 16 or 17
years old, and who have since lived crime-free for 10 or
more years, giving an opportunity for over 10,000
people to escape the limitations of a criminal record
and become productive citizens. The FY 2017 Executive
Budget takes additional measures to advance the
Governor’s Raise the Age Campaign.
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Summary of All Funds Spending
Category FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollar
(millions)
Percent
Department of
Corrections and
Community
Supervision
2,988 2,943 (45) -1.5%
Division of State
Police
730 726 (4) -0.5%
Division of Criminal
Justice Services
229 232 3 1.3%
Division of
Homeland Security
and Emergency
Services
577 578 1 0.2%
All Other 260 305 45 17.2%
Total Public Safety 4,784 4,784 0 0.0%
Spending for public safety agencies is projected at
$4.8 billion for FY 2017. The year-to-year change in the
Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
is primarily attributable to the elimination of funding
for a non-recurring 27th institutional payroll.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
Disaster Recovery and Preparedness
• Continue the Surge and Make State Police
Presence in New York City Permanent.
Reinforcing the Governor’s 2014 counter-
terrorism surge, the State will establish a
permanent State Police presence in New York
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City. These specially-trained uniformed State
Troopers will partner with dozens of
investigators to strengthen the law enforcement
presence in and around New York City’s transit
hubs and other critical infrastructure.
• Protect Critical Infrastructure. The State
currently engages public and private
organizations to conduct security assessments of
critical infrastructure and key resources. These
assessments help local governments and
businesses develop comprehensive protection
strategies against evolving threats. The FY 2017
Executive Budget will increase the number of
exercises performed annually and ensure
exercises occur in each of New York State’s 16
Counter Terrorism Zones.
Criminal Justice
• Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction. New
York is one of only two states in which the age of
juvenile jurisdiction ends on a youth’s 16th
birthday. This means that all 16 and 17 year olds
are processed in the adult criminal court system,
and not through the Family Courts, regardless of
the nature of their offense. All other states,
except for North Carolina, have set this age at 17
or 18 years old.
Beginning in August 2016, 16 and 17 year old
youth will be housed at Hudson Correctional
Facility, currently a DOCCS operated facility that
is undergoing transformation to appropriately
house and serve younger offenders. Youth will
receive specialized age-appropriate
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programming, and individuals presenting with
mental health needs will have access to services
provided by staff from the Office of Mental
Health.
The FY 2017 Executive Budget reflects the
next steps in juvenile justice reforms through
legislation to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction
to age 17 on January 1, 2018 and to age 18 on
January 1, 2019. Additional reform measures
include comprehensive diversion, probation, and
programming services for 16 and 17 year old
youth who will be involved in the juvenile justice
system.
• Re-entry Initiatives. In FY 2017, the State will
undertake reforms to hold fewer people in
prison pre-trial, bring sentencing practices into
the 21st century and expand alternatives to
incarceration. Through a comprehensive re-
entry initiative, New York will provide citizens
who enter the criminal justice system the
opportunity to rehabilitate, return home, and
contribute to their communities.
• Alternatives to Incarceration. In FY 2017, $1
million will be invested to expand and
modernize ATI programs, ensuring that they are
focused on high-risk and high-need populations.
• Video Visitation. Incarcerated individuals who
have regular contact with family members fare
better upon release. This initiative will increase
opportunities for video visitation between
parents, children, and other family members.
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• Reduce Criminal Behavior through
Education. Expand college level education
programs for incarcerated individuals through
$7.5 million investment of criminal forfeiture
funds obtained by the Manhattan District
Attorney.
• Provide Transitional Support. The first six
months immediately following a person’s release
from the criminal justice system are the most
crucial. The Governor’s re-entry agenda supports
transitional housing, connections to
employment, and provision of medical and
mental health services.
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13. STATE WORKFORCE
Overview
The New York State workforce delivers vital public
services and manages a range of critical facilities and
provider networks. There are 180,252 full-time
equivalent State employees within 59 Executive
agencies, the SUNY and CUNY systems and in the Offices
of the Attorney General and State Comptroller. The
Executive has direct control over 65 percent of the State
workforce (118,311 full-time equivalent employees).
Staffing levels are expected to remain relatively stable
in FY 2017.
Category
FY 2017 Change
3/31/16
Est.
3/31/17
Est.
Number Percent
Workforce Subject to
Direct Executive Control
118,311 118,538 227 0.19
University Systems 57,465 57,465 0 0.00
Office of the State
Comptroller
2,643 2,663 20 0.76
Department of Law 1,833 1,839 6 0.33
Grand Total 180,252 180,505 253 0.14
Approximately 94 percent of the State workforce is
unionized with the remaining portion serving in
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Management/Confidential (M/C) assignments. State
employees receive an average compensation (salary
and other pay) of roughly $69,000. Over the past five
fiscal years, the State has spent an average of $6.6
billion on employee fringe benefit programs, including
employee and retiree health insurance, pensions and
workers’ compensation.
In FY 2013, the State enacted Tier VI pension reform
to help control escalating retirement costs for State
government, local governments and school districts. As
of April 1, 2012, all newly hired public employees
belong to Tier VI. This reform will significantly diminish
long-term pension costs, saving the State, local
governments and school districts more than $80 billion
over 30 years.
Consistent with Governor Cuomo’s push to restore
economic justice by making New York the first state in
the nation to enact a $15 minimum wage for all
workers, the Budget includes the phased-in minimum
wage increase for State employees and employees of the
State University of New York.
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Promoting Workforce Fairness and
Affordability
Minimum Wage for State Workers
The minimum wage for State workers is being
increased on the same phased-in schedule as is
currently underway for fast food workers. The initial
increase took effect in the first pay period beginning on
or after December 31, 2015. As of that pay period, all
State workers are receiving an hourly wage that is no
less than:
• $10.50 per hour for State employees whose job
location is within the five boroughs of New York
City; or
• $9.75 per hour for State employees in all other
job locations.
This initial increase will benefit nearly 2,000
employees. When fully phased-in on July 1, 2021, the
$15 minimum wage will benefit approximately 10,000
Executive Branch State employees (including
employees of the Office of the Attorney General and
Office of the State Comptroller), as well as employees of
the State Legislature and the State Judiciary. The
minimum wage is also being increased for more than
28,000 employees of the State University of New York.
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The immediate costs of the increases will be absorbed
in agency budgets as a result of increased efficiencies.
Collective Bargaining
Most State employee union contracts will expire at
the end of FY 2016. Employees represented by the
Public Employees Federation (PEF) and the Police
Benevolent Association of New York State (PBANYS) are
currently working under expired contracts. The union
representing State Police Investigators has had no
contract in place for the period beginning April 2011.
The State is currently engaged in collective bargaining
with these unions. The State Police Troopers and
Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Officers whose
contracts expire at the end of FY 2018 will receive a 1.5
percent general salary increase at the start of FY 2017
and again in FY 2018.
Meeting Emerging Priorities
Since 2013, the workforce levels in agencies subject
to direct Executive control have remained stable, with
annual changes of 1 percent or less. The FY 2017
Executive Budget continues that trend – there are no
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planned layoffs and no newly announced facility
closures.
In FY 2017, the State workforce will remain stable in
most agencies or modestly decline via attrition
primarily associated with continued efforts to improve
operating efficiencies. The Budget includes workforce
increases in select State agencies to support
investments to meet emerging priorities, including:
• The Department of Corrections and
Community Supervision. Additional staff will
support a variety of efforts, including meeting
the requirements of Executive Order #150,
which requires 16 and 17 year old youth to be
housed at a separate facility from adults. Youth
offenders will be transitioned to the Hudson
Correctional Facility where they will receive
specialized age-appropriate programming and
individuals with mental health needs will have
access to services provided by the Office of
Mental Health.
• The Department of Health. Additional staff will
support the continued take-over of Medicaid
Administration from the counties.
• The Office of General Services. Additional staff
at the Business Services Center will support
human resource and finance operations for
various State agencies.
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Employee Fringe Benefits and Fixed Costs
The State provides a variety of fringe benefits to its
current and former employees, including health
insurance, pensions and workers’ compensation
coverage.
Category FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions) Percent
Health Insurance 3,479 3,709 230 6.6
Pensions 2,202 2,370 168 7.6
Social Security 981 966 (15) -1.5
Workers’
Compensation
454 357 (97) -21.4
All Other 509 540 31 6.1
Total 7,625 7,942 317 4.2
All Funds spending is projected to increase by $317
million (4.2%). The health insurance cost increase is
primarily attributable to increased prescription drug
costs, including increased utilization of specialty drugs
for chronic conditions and price inflation for most other
drugs. Pension costs are growing primarily due to the
increase in the graded rate associated with pension
amortizations, as determined by the pension systems.
Workers’ compensation costs are increasing based on
growth in the average weekly wage for benefit
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calculations and medical costs, partially offset by the
use of $140 million in existing reserve funds.
Proposed FY 2017 Actions
State Retiree Health Insurance Reform
The Executive Budget includes the following three
proposals to help restrain the growth in State retiree
health care costs:
• Implement Differential Health Care Premium
Contributions for Certain New Retirees Based
on Years of Service. The Budget provides more
equitable funding for retiree health insurance
coverage for certain new civilian State retirees
with less than 30 years of service. Currently, an
employee retiring with 10 years of service pays
the same amount for their health insurance
coverage as an employee who retires with 30
years of service. Under this proposal, similar to
the calculation for pension benefits, new civilian
retirees would pay differential healthcare
premiums based on years of service. Those
retiring with less than 30 years of service would
have to contribute a greater share of their health
insurance costs. Costs would be proportionately
greater for an individual with ten years of
service, and gradually decrease until they are no
different than current levels once an individual
reaches 30 years of service. This change would
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take effect with new retirees as of October 1,
2016.
• Eliminate Reimbursement for the Medicare
Part B Income Related Monthly Adjustment
Amounts (IRMAA) for High Income State
Retirees. The Federal government imposed this
supplemental IRMAA premium in 2007 to
require high income retirees to pay more of the
increasing Medicare costs. New York, and only
one other state (Hawaii), provide
reimbursement of the premium to all high
income retirees and their dependents. This
taxpayer subsidy of New York State’s high
income retirees currently ranges from $584
annually for new retirees with an Adjusted Gross
Income (AGI) between $85,000 and $107,000, to
a subsidy of $3,216 annually for new retirees
with AGI above $214,000. The Budget eliminates
this reimbursement effective January 1, 2016.
• Maintain Reimbursement of the Medicare
Part B Standard Premium for New State
Retirees at $104.90 per month. New York is
one of only three states (along with Hawaii and
California) that provide full reimbursement of
the standard premium to all eligible retirees and
their dependents. Under this proposal, New York
would continue to reimburse the standard
premium for new and existing retirees ($104.90
per month), but would not provide
reimbursement for an unfunded Federal Cost of
Living Adjustment imposed on new retirees,
IRMAA payers or non-Social Security payers
($17 per month). This change would take effect
October 1, 2016.
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14. TRANSPORTATION
The FY 2017 Executive Budget makes new capital
investments to improve the State’s transportation
system, increase mobility, and support economic
growth. The Budget reflects the Governor’s
commitment of $8.3 billion in State resources toward
the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA’s)
$26.1 billion 2015-2019 transit capital plan that will
renew, enhance and expand the MTA network. The
Budget also funds an unprecedented $22.1 billion 5-
year State Transportation Capital Plan. This Plan will
improve roads, bridges, airports, rail facilities, ports and
transit systems funded through the Department of
Transportation (DOT) budget and make State-funded
investments in the Thruway to lessen the capital burden
on toll payers. The State Plan covers the same period as
the MTA plan (SFY 2016 through SFY 2020) and builds
on $18.3 billion in core DOT funding and $1.3 billion in
SFY 2016 Thruway Stabilization funds by adding $1.8
billion in new State and Federal resources and $700
million of new Thruway Stabilization funding.
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As the result of investments in this Budget, tolls on
all Thruway facilities, including the existing Tappan Zee
Bridge and the New NY Bridge that will replace it, will
be held at current levels until at least 2020. The Budget
also includes $340 million to fund a tax credit that will
defray Thruway toll expenses for business and
passenger electronic pass account holders that meet
certain use thresholds.
Legislation included with the Budget will transfer
the New York State Canal Corporation from the
Thruway Authority to the New York Power Authority.
Overview
The State’s transportation system is operated,
maintained and administered by a network of State and
local agencies and public authorities. The Department of
Transportation (DOT) is responsible for construction,
reconstruction, maintenance, and snow and ice removal
for more than 43,000 State highway lane miles and
more than 7,800 bridges. In addition, DOT provides
funding for rail, airport, bicycle, pedestrian, and canal
programs as well as local government highway and
bridge construction.
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The Department also provides coordination and
funding for more than 130 public transportation
operators including the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (MTA), the four Upstate regional
transportation authorities, and other (usually county-
sponsored) transit systems. These systems provide bus,
subway, commuter rail and light rail services as well as
“paratransit” services designed to meet the needs of the
disabled. The MTA provides transit and commuter
services in the New York City region to over two and a
half billion passengers who ride the subways, buses and
commuter rail systems each year.
The State’s transportation programs also include the
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which operates
27 district and branch offices and provides services via
county clerk offices acting as DMV agents at 102
locations throughout the State. DMV issues licenses,
non-driver identification cards and vehicle
registrations, conducts road tests, monitors driver
training, and performs enforcement activities. DMV
conducts more than 20 million customer transactions
annually, and is projected to collect more than $1.8
billion in revenue for the State and localities in FY 2017.
New Yorkers rely on credentialing and identification
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documents issued by DMV to conduct financial
transactions, obtain employment, and board aircraft,
among other uses.
The Thruway Authority operates a 570-mile
highway system, including the 426-mile mainline from
Buffalo to New York City. Its subsidiary, the New York
State Canal Corporation, which operates the 524-mile
navigable waterway, will be transferred to the New
York Power Authority under legislation proposed in the
FY 2017 Executive Budget.
The New York State Bridge Authority is responsible
for five bridges spanning the Hudson River. These and
other transportation-related authorities are primarily
financed through toll revenue.
Investing in a Safe, Reliable Transportation
System
Department of Transportation
For the transportation plan period that began in FY
2016, the Executive Budget provides 5-year funding for
a DOT capital program of over $22.1 billion, including
State-funded investments in the Thruway. The DOT
total reflects previously planned core funding of $18.3
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billion, increased by $1.1 billion of new State funds and
$700 million of new Federal funds anticipated under the
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or “FAST
Act.” These increases will help facilitate the capital
improvement of highways, bridges, rail, aviation
infrastructure, non-MTA transit, and DOT facilities.
Included within DOT’s Capital Plan is funding to
complete the initial phase of the Hudson Links Bus
Rapid Transit project. This funding fulfills the
Governor’s commitment to ensure that the
infrastructure is in place to deploy and operate the new
service in time for the opening of the New NY Bridge.
A new $200 million Upstate Airport Economic
Development and Revitalization Competition is also
included in the increased funding.
Funding for local highway and bridge projects under
the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program
(CHIPS) and Marchiselli program is maintained at last
year’s level of $477.8 million.
The new plan also includes the launch of three new
initiatives – BRIDGE NY, PAVE NY, and the Extreme
Weather Infrastructure Hardening Program. These
initiatives will further improve conditions on State and
local roads and bridges, as well as provide resiliency to
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roadways that are particularly susceptible to weather
events. Over the plan period, $2.5 billion is associated
with these programs.
DOT’s capital program is supported by Federal aid,
State capital projects funds, financial settlement funds,
dedicated taxes and fees deposited in the Dedicated
Highway and Bridge Trust Fund, and a significant
subsidy that the Trust Fund receives from the General
Fund.
Mass Transit
Since 1975, New York State has provided transit
system operating assistance through the Statewide
Mass Transportation Operating Assistance (STOA)
program. Today this multi-billion dollar aid program
reflects the importance of the services provided by
transit systems that provide an estimated 3.8 billion
rides annually. In FY 2016, State transit aid accounted
for approximately 35 percent of the operating resources
used to support the State’s transit systems.
The FY 2017 Executive Budget provides operating
support totaling $5.0 billion to transit systems. The
MTA will receive $4.5 billion, an increase of $201
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million over current FY 2016 estimates. This includes a
$309 million contribution from the General Fund to
offset the revenue losses incurred by the MTA from
elimination of the payroll tax for small businesses. The
Budget provides $194 million in operating support for
upstate transit systems, an increase of $5 million or
2.6%, over FY 2016. The Executive Budget also provides
$20 million in capital support for Upstate systems, an
increase of $5 million over FY 2016 capital funding.
The Budget reflects the Governor’s commitment of
$8.3 billion in State resources toward funding the MTA’s
$26.1 billion 2015-2019 transit capital plan. The Budget
includes legislation to authorize the remaining $7.3
billion of this commitment, and spending will continue
from the $1 billion FY 2016 appropriation, including
$750 million to support the MTA’s 2015-2019 core
capital program and $250 million to advance the MTA’s
Penn Station Access project.
Department of Motor Vehicles
Accounting for the steady increase in the volume
and complexity of its transactions, DMV has utilized
electronic and internet-based services to increase the
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efficiency of transaction processing. These services also
provide customers with a faster and more convenient
alternative to visiting DMV offices. Currently, more than
four million transactions per year are processed
through the DMV website, and this number is expected
to continue to rise as customers take advantage of
online transactions. Building on the success of previous
customer service initiatives, DMV will continue to
enhance the customer experience, employing office
kiosks, an improved queuing system, and the use of
greeters to answer questions, review paperwork, and
direct customers to the most expedient means of
completing their transaction. DMV’s website has also
been substantially improved to provide a more
responsive design.
Thruway Authority
The Thruway is a vital transportation artery that
connects people to their jobs and their families and
moves billions of dollars of products to market. The FY
2017 Executive Budget includes a new appropriation of
$700 million from the Special Infrastructure Account for
the Thruway Stabilization program. This money will
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support capital investment on the Thruway system,
complementing the $1.285 billion appropriated for this
program in FY 2016. Together, this State support will
allow the Authority to avoid raising tolls on any of its
facilities until at least 2020.
In 2012, the Thruway awarded a $3.9 billion design-
build contract for the replacement of the Tappan Zee
Bridge. The New NY Bridge will form the centerpiece of
the region’s transportation system, ensuring the
connection of communities and economic centers
across the Hudson River for generations to come. In
addition to resources from the Thruway Stabilization
program, funding sources for the Bridge project include
a $1.6 billion Federal TIFIA loan, the largest in TIFIA
program history. Construction began in the spring of
2013 and is expected to take approximately five years.
The Bridge is on-budget and on-schedule for completion
in 2018.
The Executive Budget also includes legislation to
transfer the New York State Canal Corporation from the
Thruway Authority to the New York Power Authority.
The transfer allows the Budget to eliminate annual
operating subsidies to the Thruway Authority. The
subsidies, which began in FY 2014 to offset the need for
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a commercial toll increase, has totaled $85 million
annually, including the State takeover of personnel
costs of the Division of State Police Troop T which
patrols the Thruway, a direct appropriation, and the
waiver of certain annual billings due from the Authority
to the State.
Summary of State Funds Spending
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollar
(millions)
Percent
Transportation Spending 8,429 8,663 234 2.8
Department of
Transportation
3,220 3,402 182 5.7
Metropolitan
Transportation Authority
4,908 4,986 78 1.6
Department of Motor
Vehicles
278 275 (3) (1.1)
Thruway Authority 23 0 (23) (100)
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
The Executive Budget provides capital funding to
restore and improve the State’s transportation
infrastructure, increases transit aid to support the vital
role that transit systems play in the State’s economy
and continues investments that will support DMV’s
efforts to better serve its customers.
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DOT Capital Highlights
• Airport Economic Development and
Revitalization Competition Program. The
Budget provides $200 million for an Upstate
competition to accelerate investments in
commercial passenger and cargo service
airports, creating thousands of well-paying jobs
and promoting economic development. The State
will award grants to five airports of
approximately $40 million each. Grants will fund
projects that enhance safety, improve operations
and access, reduce environmental impact, and
create better passenger experiences. Successful
proposals will create jobs, incorporate
sustainable “green” building techniques, use
renewable energy, demonstrate support from
airlines and the community, leverage private
investments, and demonstrate cost effectiveness.
• BRIDGE NY Program. The 5-year transportation
program includes $1 billion to replace,
rehabilitate and maintain vital State and local
bridges. By addressing the needs of at least 200
bridges across New York, this multi-year
initiative will protect public safety and support
economic growth and commercial activities.
• PAVE NY Program. The 5-year program
includes $1 billion for State and local paving
projects that will ensure smoother rides for
passenger and commercial traffic and result in
fewer costly delays and slowdowns. Up to 1,300
lane miles of paving will be addressed over the
plan period.
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• Extreme Weather Infrastructure Hardening
Program. The plan includes $500 million over
the 5-year program period to improve roadways
that have proven susceptible to flooding and
other extreme weather related events so that
they remain safe and passable.
• Preserve Local Capital Aid. Capital aid to local
governments for highway and bridge projects is
preserved, with $438.1 million provided for the
Consolidated Highway Improvement Program
(CHIPS) and $39.7 million for the Marchiselli
program.
Transit
• Increase Transit Aid Levels. The Budget
proposes $5.0 billion in transit operating aid for
systems throughout the State. The MTA will
receive $4.5 billion, an increase of $201 million
from current FY 2016 estimates. Other transit
systems will receive $497 million, an increase of
$22 million from prior year operating aid levels
despite the deterioration of dedicated transit tax
revenue.
• Verrazano Bridge Rebate Programs. The MTA
operating aid budget includes $10.3 million for
continuation of the commercial and Staten Island
resident rebate programs, fully funding the
State’s contribution.
485
• Debt Service Costs. The Budget ends the annual
use of $20 million in mass transportation
operating assistance funds to pay for a portion of
State debt service associated with previously
issued MTA service contract bonds.
• Upstate Transit. The Budget increases Upstate
operating aid by $5 million and capital aid for
Upstate is increased by $5 million.
Thruway Authority
• Invest in Infrastructure and Freeze Tolls
Until at Least 2020. The Executive Budget
includes a new capital appropriation of $700
million, on top of last year’s commitment of
$1.285 billion, to support capital projects
throughout the Thruway system. This State
investment in Thruway infrastructure will allow
for tolls to be held at current rates until at least
2020.
• Reduce Tolls for Frequent Thruway Users. To
lower the cost of traveling the New York State
Thruway for commuters and other heavy users,
and to lower the cost for businesses of bringing
products to market, the Budget provides a
nonrefundable credit for Thruway tolls paid
electronically. Drivers of passenger vehicles who
spend at least $50, annually, and businesses and
commercial account holders who spend between
$100 and $9,999, annually, in Thruway tolls
would receive a tax credit worth 50 percent of
tolls paid. For farmers, the Budget provides a
100 percent nonrefundable credit, regardless of
486
usage, for farm vehicle use on the Thruway. The
program would begin on January 1, 2016 and
sunset December 31, 2018. Over the three years,
drivers will save $340 million.
• Transfer the Canal Corporation to the Power
Authority and Eliminate State Subsidies to
the Thruway Authority. Legislation in the
Budget transfers the New York State Canal
Corporation from the Thruway Authority to the
New York Power Authority, allowing for the
elimination of $85 million in annual State
operating subsidies to the Thruway.
487
15. LEGISLATION
REQUIRED FOR THE BUDGET
Education, Labor and Family Assistance
• Amend Education Law and make other changes
necessary to authorize School Aid and
implement education-related programs in the
Executive Budget
• Amend Education Law to implement school
safety reforms in the Executive Budget
• Re-establish funding parity for CUNY
• Renew the NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
program
• Establish the SUNY Stony Brook Affiliation
Escrow Fund
• Enact the New York State DREAM Act
• Extend and make conforming changes to various
scholarship and loan forgiveness programs
• Allow public accounting firms to have minority
ownership by individuals who are not Certified
Public Accountants
• Extend mayoral control over the New York City
public school system until June 30, 2019
• Reform the State Apprenticeship Training
Council
• Increase the Minimum Wage
488
• Enhance the Urban Youth Jobs Tax Credit
• Make statutory changes to comply with the
Federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and
Strengthening Families Act
• Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction
• Authorize the pass-through of any Federal
Supplemental Security Income Cost of Living
Adjustment which becomes effective on or after
January 1, 2017
• Modify Mortgage Insurance Fund Utilization
Health and Mental Hygiene
• Modify New York City’s local funding
contribution under the Medical Assistance
Program
• Make statutory changes necessary to continue
implementation of Medicaid Redesign Team
recommendations
• Extend the Physicians Excess Medical
Malpractice Program and amends its distribution
methodology
• Extend the authorization to make
Disproportionate Share Payments, to operate
certain Special Needs Plans, to continue the
current reimbursement methodology for general
hospitals regarding behavioral rates, to operate
the Patient Centered Medical Home Program,
and to authorize temporary operators of adult
homes
489
• Reform the Early Intervention program
• Modify the Health Care Facility Transformation
program
• Make statutory changes necessary to allow retail
business operations to operate limited services
clinics
• Authorize the Office of Mental Health to continue
to recover Medicaid exempt income from
providers of community residences
• Extend authorization for the Comprehensive
Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP)
• Extend for five years the long-time exemption
from licensure for individuals working in certain
programs and services that are regulated,
operated, funded or approved by the Office of
Mental Health (OMH), the Office for People with
Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), the Office
for Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
(OASAS), the Department of Health (DOH), the
State Office for the Aging (SOFA), the Office of
Children and Family Services (OCFS), the
Department of Corrections and Community
Services (DOCCS), the Office of Temporary and
Disability Assistance (OTDA) and/or local
governmental units or social service districts
• Authorize the Office of Mental Health to work
with volunteering counties to establish jail-based
restoration to competency programs for
individuals awaiting trial
490
• Provide authority for OMH and OPWDD to
appoint temporary operators for the continued
operation of programs and the provision of
services for persons with serious mental illness
and/or developmental disabilities
• Permit State operated facilities to share clinical
records with managed care organizations
• Authorize an OASAS licensed treatment facility
that provides alcohol and/or substance abuse
services to also operate a traditional physical
health care clinic, while remaining eligible for
DASNY financing
Public Protection and General Government
• Establish the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2016
• Continue provisions relating to the disposition of
certain monies recovered by county district
attorneys
• Suspend a subsidy to a revolving loan fund from
cell surcharge revenues
• Enhance the State's counter-terrorism
intelligence gathering and analysis operations
through the realignment of resources
• Extend the tuition benefit program for members
of the New York Army and Air National Guard
and the Naval Militia that would otherwise
sunset
• Make the Procurement Stewardship Act and the
Procurement Lobbying Law permanent
491
• Enact Workers’ Compensation Reform
• Establish Paid Family Leave
• Establish the New York State Design and
Construction Corporation Act
• Implement differential premiums for future New
York State Health Insurance Plan retirees based
on years of service
• Cap reimbursement of the Medicare Part B
standard premium for new State retirees and
cease reimbursement for the Income Related
Monthly Adjustment Amounts for high income
State retirees in the New York State Health
Insurance Program
• Extend binding arbitration, including provisions
for fiscally eligible municipalities, for three years
• Amend the Dedicated Infrastructure Investment
Fund
• Authorize transfers, temporary loans, and
amendments to miscellaneous capital/debt
provisions, including bond caps
Revenue
• Convert STAR exemption benefit into a tax credit
for new homeowners
• Cap annual growth in Basic and Enhanced STAR
exemption benefit at zero percent
• Make Income Verification Procedure (IVP)
Mandatory
492
• Allow late filing of renewal STAR and Senior
Citizens exemption applications based on
hardship or good cause shown
• Convert NYC PIT STAR Credit into NYS PIT Credit
• Authorize the Commissioner of Taxation and
Finance to make direct payments of STAR tax
savings to property owners in appropriate cases
• Make permanent and update certain
modernization provisions of the Tax Law
• Authorize additional credits of $8 million for
Low-Income Housing Credit for each of the next
five fiscal years
• Extend the Hire-A-Vet Credit for two years
• Extend the Empire State Commercial Production
Tax Credit for two years
• Extend the Credit for Companies who Provide
Transportation to Individuals with Disabilities
for six years
• Permanently extend the non-custodial Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC)
• Permanently extend tax shelter reporting
requirements
• Extend the Clean Heating Fuel Credit for three
years
• Extend the Excelsior Jobs Program for five years
• Amend the State and New York City corporate
tax reform statutes for technical amendments
• Conform to new federal tax filing dates
493
• Provide a corporate and personal income tax
small business tax cut
• Establish education tax credits
• Establish Thruway toll tax credits
• Extend the alternative fuels tax exemptions for
five years
• Establish additional alcohol beverage tasting
exemptions and production credits
• Expand jeopardy assessments to the cigarette
and tobacco tax
• Simplify the taxation of remarketed rooms
• Eliminate charitable giving as a factor in
determining domicile for the estate tax
• Amend State and local tax law for consistency
with Federal tax regulations on aviation fuel
• Remove restriction for Morrisville College to be a
single lab testing provider and modify
requirements for horsemen to contribute to
equine steroid testing
• Increase VLT purse enhancements from 1.0% to
1.6% and increase regulatory fee from 0.5% to
0.6% to finance escalating lab testing costs and
other expenses associated with equine health
and racing integrity
• Adjust timing of reimbursement to the Gaming
Commission of per diem costs for harness racing
judges and starters
• Provide for an additional commission for certain
Video Lottery Terminal facilities
494
• Extend Monticello Video Lottery Terminal rates
for one year
• Extend certain tax rates and certain simulcasting
provisions for one year
• Extend the Video Lottery Gaming (VLG) vendor's
capital awards program for one year
• Amend the Upstate New York Gaming and
Economic Development Act for technical changes
Transportation, Economic Development and
Environmental Conservation
• Commit the State of New York and the City of
New York to fund $10.828 billion of the MTA's
2015-2019 Capital Program
• Authorize MTA procurement reforms to create
savings for their 2015-19 Capital Plan
• Enact project delivery reforms which generate
savings throughout the MTA's 2015-19 Capital
Plan period
• Consolidate four existing Department of Motor
Vehicles' Special Revenue Funds within the
Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund
(DHBTF)
• Bring New York State into compliance with
federal regulations regarding covered farm
vehicles as well as requiring a P endorsement to
operate certain vehicles
• Extend the authorization of the New York State
Urban Development Corporation to administer
the Empire State Economic Development Fund
495
• Extend the general loan powers of the New York
State Urban Development Corporation
• Establish the Transformational Economic
Development Infrastructure and Revitalization
Projects Act
• Authorize and direct the Comptroller to receive
for deposit to the credit of the General Fund a
payment of up to $913,000 from the New York
State Energy Research and Development
Authority
• Authorize the New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority to finance a portion
of its research, development and demonstration,
policy and planning, and Fuel NY programs and
to finance the Department of Environmental
Conservation’s climate change program, from an
assessment on gas and electric corporations
• Authorize the Department of Health to finance
certain activities with revenues generated from
an assessment on cable television companies
• Reduce the administrative burden associated
with the Public Service Commission's review of
municipal and investor owned utility rate
requests
• Extend for one year the authority of the
Secretary of State to charge increased fees for
expedited handling of documents
• Place responsibility for mailing a copy of service
of process with plaintiffs rather than the
Department of State (DOS)
496
• Create a statutory model by which combative
sports would be licensed and regulated by the
State
• Extend the authorization of the Dormitory
Authority of the State of New York to form
subsidiaries
• Authorize the transfer of the New York State
Canal Corporation to the New York Power
Authority
• Enact the Private Activity Bond Allocation Act of
2016, to extend authorization for the issuance of
tax exempt bonds for eligible purposes
• Enhance the marketing of New York farm
products by authorizing the Empire State
Development Corporation, in cooperation with
the Department of Agriculture and Markets, to
administer agricultural and dairy marketing
orders
• Eliminate the sunset applicable to the waste tire
management and recycling fee
• Create a new climate change mitigation and
adaptation account and make changes to the
Local Waterfront Revitalization Program in
support of a $300 million Environmental
Protection Fund
• Reduce the authorized reimbursement rate paid
to governmental entities that voluntarily enforce
the provisions of the navigation law
497
Good Government and Ethics Reform
• Close the “LLC loophole” by defining LLCs as
corporations for the purpose of political
donations
• Set limits on outside income for members of the
Legislature
• Implement campaign finance reform and public
financing of campaigns
• Enact comprehensive FOIL reform
• Enact Public Officer’s Law reform
• Enhance voter opportunities
• Improve transparency and oversight related to
vendors and for-profit businesses
• Enact lobbying reform
Pension Forfeiture Concurrent Resolution
• Amend the State Constitution to Require Pension
Forfeiture of Public Officials Convicted of a Crime
Related to Public Office
498
499
16. THE CITIZEN’S GUIDE
TO THE EXECUTIVE BUDGET
The Executive Budget process and key budget
document formats are governed by the State
Constitution, with additional details and actions
prescribed by state laws and practices established over
time. The State’s budget process is governed primarily
by Article VII of the New York State Constitution. Article
VII requires the Governor to submit a budget detailing a
plan of expenditures and an estimate of revenues for
the upcoming fiscal year, bills containing all proposed
appropriations and reappropriations, and other
legislation needed to implement the Executive Budget.
To fulfill these requirements, this budget
includes materials accessible to the general public
through the Budget Division’s official website
(http://www.budget.ny.gov/). This year, the central
volume, Executive Budget Briefing Book is included in
the Governor’s State of the State Book. It contains the
Budget Director’s Message, which presents the
Governor’s fiscal blueprint for FY 2017 and explains the
500
State’s Financial Plan. It also includes highlights of
major initiatives, and a list of the legislative proposals
needed to implement the proposed budget.
The Five-Year Financial Plan summarizes the
Governor’s Executive Budget and describes the
“complete plan” of spending and revenues required by
the Constitution.
The Economic and Revenue Outlook volume
explains the specific sources of State revenues and
presents the economic outlook for the nation and the
State.
The Five-Year Capital Program and Financing
Plan highlights major capital initiatives and objectives,
and describes the approach to financing the capital
program.
The website includes links to the mission and
functions of each State agency, descriptions of major
budget actions and tables that summarize the agency’s
spending by program and category. Also included is a
“User’s Guide” which provides background information
on State government and the budget process, and
explains how to interpret the agency budget tables. This
portal also includes the budget requests of the
501
Legislature and Judiciary, which are submitted without
revision as required by the Constitution.
This year, continuing under Governor Cuomo’s
Open New York and Open Budget initiatives, substantial
and detailed budget data are available through both
New York’s Open Budget (http://openbudget.ny.gov/)
and Open Data (https://data.ny.gov/) portals. These
portals open appropriation, budgeting and actuals
spending data to researchers, taxpayers and the public
to add to their field of knowledge, spark innovation and
help improve government.
Two types of legislation are required for budget
enactment. Appropriation bills provide the legal
authorization for all spending from the funds managed
by the State. These bills encompass the recommended
funding for State Operations, Aid to Localities, Capital
Projects, Debt Service and the Legislature and Judiciary.
Other bills amend state law governing programs and
revenues. These “Article VII bills,” and all Executive
Budget appropriation bills, are available online at the
Budget Division’s official website
(http://www.budget.ny.gov/) or in print from the
Senate and Assembly document rooms located in the
Capitol and the Legislative Office Building.
502
The Constitution authorizes the Governor to
amend the Executive Budget within 30 days of
submission, allowing for technical corrections and
revisions based on the latest information. However, to
help achieve timely budgets, the 2007 Budget Reform
Act requires the Executive, to the extent practicable,
submit any necessary amendments within 21 days. Any
amendments are made available on the Budget
Division’s website when submitted to the Legislature.
The legislative review process includes public
hearings on the Governor’s budget. These hearings are
scheduled by the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways
and Means Committees, which are responsible for
coordinating each house’s action on the budget.
The Budget Reform Act mandated the use of
conference committees as part of the legislative budget
process. These committees, which have been used in
various forms in the past, must now be formed early in
the process to facilitate agreement on a budget between
the two houses. The two houses ultimately develop joint
recommendations, amend the Governor’s proposed bills
to reflect their decisions, and pass the amended bills.
These final bills are available from the legislative
document rooms.
503
Except for appropriations for the Legislature and
the Judiciary, appropriations proposed by the Governor
become law immediately when passed by the
Legislature. However, all items that have been added by
the Legislature, and all appropriations for the
Legislature and the Judiciary, must be sent to the
Governor for his approval or veto. The Constitution
grants the Governor “line item veto” power, permitting
the Governor to veto such items selectively, while
approving the remainder of the bill.
Chapter numbers are assigned to bills that
become law. For any bill or item of appropriation that is
vetoed, the Governor provides a “veto message” to the
Legislature stating his reasons for the veto. Vetoes may
be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of the
Legislature, in which case the vetoed item or bill
becomes law despite the Governor’s objections.
After enactment of the budget, the Legislature is
required to summarize its changes to the Executive
Budget. This summary is presented in the “Green Book,”
which is available from the Senate and Assembly
document rooms. The Governor is required to revise the
Financial Plan to reflect the Enacted Budget. Like the
original Executive Budget and any amendments, this
504
revised plan and subsequent updates are also made
available on the Budget Division’s website.
Note: Readers are encouraged to visit the New York State Budget
Division’s website (http://www.budget.ny.gov/) and the Open
Budget website (http://openbudget.ny.gov/) to access the latest
information and documents related to the Executive Budget proposal
and the Enacted Budget. Virtually all materials are made available
on the website, either on the day of release or within 24 hours.
doc_998995204.pdf
New York State has been transformed from a state of despair to a state of opportunity.
2016 State of the State
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
1
Contents
1. Economic Agenda ................................................................ 15
Part One: Controlling Spending, Reducing Taxes, and
Improving Efficiency ........................................................................ 17
Proposal: Keep State Spending Under Two Percent ...... 20
Proposal: $300 Million Small Business Tax Cut ............... 20
Proposal: Launch a $20 Million Municipal Consolidation
and Efficiency Competition ....................................................... 22
Part Two: Built to Lead: Infrastructure Program ................. 24
Proposal: Invest a Record $26.1 Billion in the MTA ....... 27
Proposal: Enhance MTA User Experience with New
Technology ...................................................................................... 30
Proposal: Renovate and Upgrade 30 MTA Subway
Stations .............................................................................................. 32
Proposal: Modernize JFK and LaGuardia Airports .......... 33
Proposal: Build a New Empire Station Complex to
Replace Penn Station ................................................................... 33
Proposal: Expand and Enhance the Javits Center ............ 36
Proposal: Jumpstart the Gateway Tunnel Project ........... 38
Proposal: Add Track and Passenger Capacity to the Long
Island Rail Road ............................................................................. 39
Proposal: Explore Feasibility of New Transportation
Access Points to Long Island .................................................... 40
Proposal: $1 Million Deep Water Port Study at Old
Shoreham Power Plant ............................................................... 41
Proposal: $50 Million Ronkonkoma Hub Expansion ...... 41
2
Proposal: $6 Million MacArthur Airport Modernization
and Revitalization ......................................................................... 42
Proposal: Promote Economic Development at Republic
Airport ............................................................................................... 43
Proposal: Launch $200 Million Competition to Revitalize
Upstate Airports ............................................................................ 43
Proposal: $22 Billion Capital Plan for New York’s Roads
and Bridges ...................................................................................... 44
Proposal: Enact the Thruway Toll Reduction Plan ......... 45
Proposal: Launch the $1 Billion New BRIDGE NY
Program to Fix Bridges ............................................................... 47
Proposal: Launch the New $1 Billion PAVE NY Program
to Build and Fix Roads ................................................................ 48
Proposal: Launch a New $500 Million Infrastructure
Hardening Program ..................................................................... 49
Proposal: Create the Design and Construction Office .... 50
Part Three: Upstate Economic Growth ..................................... 51
Proposal: Invest $750 Million through Round Six of the
Regional Economic Development Councils ........................ 56
Proposal: $200 Million for URI Runner Ups to Fund Top
Projects.............................................................................................. 57
Proposal: Invest $100 Million in Downtown
Revitalization Program ............................................................... 58
Proposal: Bring Mixed Martial Arts to New York ............ 59
Part Four: Tourism: I LOVE NY .................................................... 60
Proposal: Expand Tourism Investment to $50 Million . 62
Proposal: Adirondack and New Challenges ....................... 62
Proposal: Invest $5 Million to Promote Outdoor
Recreation in the Catskills ......................................................... 63
3
Part Five: Producing New York’s Best....................................... 64
Proposal: Expand the Taste NY Program and Open Four
New Stores ....................................................................................... 68
Proposal: Modernize and Simplify the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Law ................................................................. 70
Proposal: Update the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law to
Grow E-Commerce........................................................................ 71
Proposal: Cut Taxes for Craft Beverage Producers ......... 71
Part Six: Building A Clean Energy Economy ........................... 72
Proposal: Adopt an Aggressive Clean Energy Standard 75
Proposal: Adopt the Clean Energy Fund .............................. 76
Proposal: Increase Renewable Energy Consumption at
State Owned Facilities and on SUNY Campuses ............... 77
Proposal: Make 500,000 Homes and 20,000 Businesses
More Energy Efficient By 2020 ............................................... 79
Proposal: Install Solar on 150,000 New Homes and
Businesses by 2020 ...................................................................... 80
Proposal: Build 300 Additional Wind Turbines by 2020
and Create a Master Plan for Offshore Wind ..................... 80
Proposal: Invest $8 Million to Build Out Community
Microgrids ........................................................................................ 82
Proposal: Launch the $3 Million “Energy to Lead”
Competition for Colleges and Universities ......................... 83
Proposal: Invest $75 Million in Affordable Housing and
Retrofit 100,000 Units by 2025 .............................................. 83
Proposal: Create Clean Energy Workforce Opportunity
Program and Train 10,000 Workers by 2020 ................... 85
2. Education: A Ladder to Opportunity ............................ 87
Part One: Higher Education ........................................................... 89
4
Proposal: Extend the NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
Program ............................................................................................ 93
Proposal: Expand SUNY and CUNY Performance
Initiatives .......................................................................................... 97
Proposal: Expand Commercialization Opportunities—
Launch Bio-Science Venture Capital Competition ........... 98
Proposal: BioElectronic Facility at Nassau Hub ............... 99
Proposal: Create the New York State Innovation
Database ........................................................................................... 99
Proposal: Expanding Educational and Economic
Opportunity to All by Expanding Access to Early College
and CTE Programs ..................................................................... 100
Proposal: Expand Community College Community
Schools ............................................................................................ 105
Proposal: Enact the DREAM Act ........................................... 105
Part Two: Pre-Kindergarten-12 Education .......................... 107
Proposal: Increase School Aid to Highest Level in History
........................................................................................................... 109
Proposal: Eliminate the Gap Elimination Adjustment 110
Proposal: Establish the $100 Million Community Schools
Transformation Fund to Transform Failing Schools ... 111
Proposal: $200 Supplies Credit for Teachers ................. 113
Proposal: Establish an Education Tax Credit ................. 113
Proposal: Support School Choice ......................................... 114
Proposal: Examine Enrollment and Retention Policies in
Charter Schools ........................................................................... 114
Proposal: Restoring the Trust in Education: The
Common Core Task Force....................................................... 115
Proposal: Expand Pre-Kindergarten for Three Year Olds
........................................................................................................... 117
5
Proposal: Expand Quality Monitoring and Improvement
in Pre-Kindergarten .................................................................. 119
Proposal: Extend Mayoral Control in New York City .. 120
Proposal: Make Schools Safer ............................................... 121
3. Preserving our Environment and Open Space ...... 125
Proposal: Increase the Environmental Protection Fund
to $300 Million ............................................................................ 128
Proposal: Make New York Coal Free By 2020 ................ 130
Proposal: Advance $7 Million for Environmental Justice
Programming ............................................................................... 131
Proposal: Increase Water Infrastructure Investment Act
of 2015 to $300 Million ........................................................... 133
Proposal: Accelerate $500 Million Nitrogen Pollution
Prevention Program on Long Island .................................. 134
Proposal: Invest $9 Million to Build Advanced Zero
Emission Vehicle Charging Stations ................................... 136
Proposal: Reduce Organic Waste to Lower Methane
Emissions ...................................................................................... 137
Proposal: Invest $125 Million to Rebuild State Parks 138
Proposal: Launch “Connect Kids” Parks Access Program
and Provide Free Parks Entry for 220,000 Fourth
Graders ........................................................................................... 140
4. Public Safety ...................................................................... 143
Proposal: Establish Permanent Statewide Law
Enforcement Presence to Combat Terrorism ................ 146
Proposal: Consolidate the Office of Counter Terrorism
with the State Police ................................................................. 147
Proposal: Provide Enhanced Training and Equipment to
State Troopers ............................................................................. 148
Proposal: Close the Terror Gap ............................................ 148
6
Proposal: Protect Critical Infrastructure through
Targeted Security Assessments ........................................... 149
Proposal: Establish Best-Practice Industry Standards to
Prevent Against Cyber Attacks ............................................. 150
Proposal: Create the Cybersecurity Research
Scholarship to Train the Next Generation of Security
Analysts .......................................................................................... 152
5. Social Justice ...................................................................... 155
Part One: Human Services and Poverty ................................. 156
Proposal: Expand MWBE Goals to State-Funded
Contracts........................................................................................ 162
Proposal: Create the $25 Million Empire State Poverty
Reduction Initiative................................................................... 163
Proposal: Improve Transportation Access to Work .... 166
Proposal: Launch Empire Corps: A New Youth Corps to
Help New Yorkers in Need ..................................................... 167
Proposal: Implement Recommendations of the Anti-
Hunger Task Force .................................................................... 169
Proposal: Commit $22.5 Million to Improve Access to
Emergency Food ......................................................................... 171
Proposal: Establish New York State Council on Hunger
and Food Policy ........................................................................... 172
Proposal: Extend SNAP Benefits to 750,000 Households
........................................................................................................... 173
Proposal: Leverage Federal Nutrition Programs &
Eliminate Barriers to Benefits .............................................. 174
Proposal: Redesign Electronic Benefits Card ................. 175
Proposal: Support Young Adults Transitioning from
Foster Care .................................................................................... 176
Proposal: Strengthen Penalties for Child Abuse ........... 178
7
Part Two: Right Priorities ........................................................... 179
Proposal: Expand Community Schools ............................. 181
Proposal: Urban Youth Jobs Program and Workforce
Training .......................................................................................... 181
Proposal: Expand Alternatives to Incarceration to
Reduce Incarceration ............................................................... 182
Proposal: Reduce Criminal Behavior through Education
........................................................................................................... 183
Proposal: Provide Transitional Support upon Release
........................................................................................................... 185
Proposal: Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility ..... 187
Proposal: Enhance the Rights of Pardoned Individuals
........................................................................................................... 188
Part Three: Fairness for All......................................................... 188
Proposal: Institute Bail Reform ............................................ 190
Proposal: Require Stronger Pretrial Procedures .......... 191
Proposal: Increase Opportunities for Families to Stay
Close During Incarceration .................................................... 192
Proposal: Work Release and Parole Board Reforms ... 193
Proposal: Reward Success after Release .......................... 194
Proposal: Deploy New Technologies to Improve Safety in
Prisons ............................................................................................ 195
Proposal: Establish the Office of an Independent Special
Counsel ........................................................................................... 196
6. Economic Justice .............................................................. 199
Proposal: Increase the Minimum Wage to $15 per Hour
for All New Yorkers ................................................................... 200
Proposal: $20 Billion Housing and Homelessness Plan
........................................................................................................... 204
8
Proposal: Enact Paid Family Leave for New York
Workers ......................................................................................... 210
Proposal: Ensure Financial Security for Retirees ......... 212
7. Close the Skills Gap and Train Youth ........................ 215
Proposal: Invest $5 Million to Launch Apprentice SUNY
........................................................................................................... 217
Proposal: Create the $3 Million Middle-Skill Jobs Gap
Training Fund .............................................................................. 219
Proposal: Modernize the New York Apprenticeship and
Training Council ......................................................................... 221
Proposal: Deploy the Unemployment Strikeforce to
Western New York .................................................................... 222
Proposal: Transform New York State’s One-Stop Career
Centers............................................................................................ 224
Proposal: $50 Million Urban Youth Jobs Program ....... 226
Proposal: Create the First State Pre-Apprenticeship
Program ......................................................................................... 227
8. Protecting New York’s Workers ................................. 229
Proposal: Protect the Rights of World Trade Center
Rescue and Recovery Volunteers ........................................ 230
Proposal: Make the Exploited Workers Task Force
Permanent .................................................................................... 232
Proposal: Protect Immigrant Crime Victims through
Increased Access to U-Visas................................................... 233
9. Keeping New Yorkers Healthy .................................... 237
Proposal: New York State Certified High Quality Foods
........................................................................................................... 246
Proposal: Launch Statewide Effort to Increase
Awareness and Screening for Breast and Prostate
Cancer ............................................................................................. 249
9
Proposal: Launch a $15 Million Public-Private Outreach
and Public Education Campaign for Cancer .................... 251
Proposal: Increase Access to Breast Cancer Screening
........................................................................................................... 252
Proposal: Dedicate $5 Million in Venture Capital
Funding for Cancer-Related Research and Technology
........................................................................................................... 255
Proposal: Extend the Upper Age of the Current HIV
Testing Guidelines Beyond 64 .............................................. 257
Proposal: Broaden HIV Testing and Treatment Consent
Laws for Minors .......................................................................... 257
Proposal: Link Individuals to HIV Treatment and
Improve Viral Suppression .................................................... 259
Proposal: Remove Limitations on the State’s Expanded
Syringe Access Program .......................................................... 260
Proposal: Increase Funding and Expand Services for
Children’s Mental Health ........................................................ 261
Proposal: Implement the Developmental Disabilities
Transformation Panel Recommendations ....................... 263
Proposal: Combat Opioid Overdose ................................... 265
Proposal: Prevent Opioid Addiction Relapse ................. 267
Proposal: Combat Dangerous “Synthetic” Drugs .......... 268
Proposal: Control Rapidly Rising Prescription Drug
Costs ................................................................................................ 269
Proposal: Strengthen the Home Health Care Workforce
........................................................................................................... 271
Proposal: Ensure the Safety of Child Products .............. 272
Proposal: Expand Farm to School Partnerships to Help
Farmers and Students .............................................................. 272
10. Ethics Reform .................................................................... 274
10
Proposal: Close the LLC Loophole and Increase
Campaign Disclosure ................................................................ 277
Proposal: Limit Outside Income for Legislators ............ 278
Proposal: Adopt a Voluntary Public Campaign Financing
System ............................................................................................ 279
Proposal: Enact Other Campaign Finance Reforms ..... 279
Proposal: Promote Transparency through New Reforms
to FOIL ............................................................................................ 280
Proposal: Require Legislators Convicted of Corruption to
Forfeit Pensions .......................................................................... 281
Proposal: Increase JCOPE Transparency and
Enforcement and Strengthen Ethical Requirements for
Lobbyists ....................................................................................... 281
Proposal: Convene a Constitutional Commission ......... 282
Proposal: Early Voting in 139 Locations .......................... 283
Proposal: Automatic Voter Registration .......................... 285
Proposal: Embrace Good Government and Transparency
........................................................................................................... 287
Proposal: Reform Lobbying Laws ....................................... 287
11
GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO
NEW YORK: BUILT TO LEAD
New York State has been transformed from a
state of despair to a state of opportunity. Now, working
together, New York is leading the nation to a smarter
tomorrow, guided by a bold vision and galvanized by
where we’ve been.
In 2010, 852,000 New Yorkers were
unemployed, the most since the Great Depression. Six
years later, we have 7.87 million private sector jobs, the
most in our state’s history. Unemployment has fallen
from a distressing 8.9 percent in 2010 to 4.8 percent
today.
New York State was in trouble. A dysfunctional
state government spent more than it earned, driving
taxes to unsustainable levels for citizens and businesses.
Jobs left by the thousands—with upstate bearing the
brunt of the loss—thus creating a vicious cycle of decline
that kept young people away and the state’s credit
ratings down.
12
In six years, we reversed the cycle of decline in
upstate and turned New York around. We right-sided a
$10 billion budget deficit and recovered $7.2 billion in
financial settlements. We passed five balanced budgets
in a row and held spending well below 2 percent for the
first time in modern political history. Because we spend
less, we tax less—at the lowest rates in a century. Today,
everyone in New York pays a lower income tax rate than
they did six years ago. Jobs are at record levels and we
have the best credit ratings in decades.
For upstate, regional economic development
councils are strategically reviving communities from the
bottom up. We have embraced entrepreneurial
government by building tax-free zones to combine the
ambition of the private sector with the capacity of our
public research institutions, creating jobs and driving
investment across the state. The economic renaissance in
Western New York, from downtown Buffalo to its
industrial district, is dramatic and it is fundamental.
We have proven what is possible in a short
amount of time.
We constructed 30,000 units of affordable
housing, redesigned LaGuardia Airport, and made the
new Tappan Zee Bridge the largest highway
13
infrastructure project in North America. We achieved
record funding for education, created statewide
universal pre-k, and helped a full 2 million New Yorkers
enroll in health insurance. We are investing $16 billion in
environmental and clean energy programs, committing
to a goal of 50 percent renewable electricity by 2030, and
funding the largest MTA capital program in history.
New York State has regained its footing—now we
must regain our ambition.
The Statue of Liberty stands in our harbor as an
emblem of opportunity, welcoming the masses with
open arms. Yet, too many New Yorkers live within a
system that fails to provide reasonable pay, adequate
housing or equal justice under the law. It must be fixed.
We must provide the best education to our children. The
threat of terrorism is omnipresent to New Yorkers and
demands that we take action to protect our interests.
And we need to drive smart economic growth by
investing in our state’s most vital infrastructure.
These problems are not unique to New York. But
when the nation faces a challenge, New York shows the
way forward. Just as we did with marriage equality,
fingerprinting for food stamps, sexual violence on college
campuses and common-sense gun control, we will work
14
together with a common purpose that is to make New
York a better place. That is what we will do to lead the
nation into a smarter tomorrow.
15
1. ECONOMIC AGENDA
When Governor Cuomo took office in 2011 the
nation was in the midst of a recession, the state economy
lagged behind the rest of the nation, and uncontrolled
government spending was crippling state and local
budgets. In five short years, New York has turned itself
around.
Unemployment is down, businesses are growing
and staying in New York, and upstate has seen historic
revitalization. The Governor and Legislature have put the
state on a course of fiscal stability with on-time, honestly
balanced budgets. State spending growth has been held
to below two percent, the lowest rate of spending growth
over a four-year period in more than 50 years.
Sustaining New York’s infrastructure will be a key
pillar of economic development during Governor
Cuomo’s second term. New York has a rich history of
great builders and legacies. However, much of New
York’s essential infrastructure—its roads and bridges,
mass transit systems, ports and airports, electrical grid
and water and sewer systems—require renovation,
expansion, and repair. To remain competitive, promote
16
economic development, and create jobs, New York must
continue to rebuild and modernize critical infrastructure
across the state.
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has invested
over $54 billion in infrastructure projects across New
York and coordinated capital planning across 45
agencies and authorities through the creation of the New
York Works Task Force. Along with making ongoing
financial commitments to infrastructure, Governor
Cuomo has embraced innovative building and financing
mechanisms to upgrade New York’s 20th century
infrastructure to meet the demands of the 21
st
century
economy. New York State will expand on its significant
accomplishments and undertake a number of major new
infrastructure projects that will transform the state for
generations to come.
The state will also continue to build smart when
it comes to job creation. Governor Cuomo will further
embrace the successful paradigm of entrepreneurial
government that has helped the economy grow to
7.87 million private sector jobs, the most in our state’s
history. Building off successes in the dairy, yogurt, and
craft beverage industries, Governor Cuomo will partner
with the private sector to modernize New York’s
17
economy and cultivate growth in the technology, energy,
and agriculture sectors.
The Governor will also continue to support a
regional approach to economic development that
leverages the state’s creative, intellectual, and natural
resources. Through targeted programs and investments,
the state will maximize its competitive advantages to
foster industry growth and vibrant downtown
development. These new strategic and coordinated
efforts will ensure that growth and prosperity extend to
all corners of the state.
PART ONE: CONTROLLING SPENDING, REDUCING
TAXES, AND IMPROVING EFFICIENCY
Since 2011, the Governor and Legislature have
steered the state along a course of fiscal responsibility
with five on-time, balanced budgets that have held state
spending growth under two percent for the longest
period of time in more than 50 years. This joint fiscal
stewardship has reversed decades of overspending
whereby the annual State Budget grew faster than
income 60 percent of the time. With the adoption of the
2 percent spending benchmark, the unsustainable trend
has been reversed. Since 2011, state spending has grown
18
more slowly than income each year – and will again with
the FY 2017 Executive Budget.
Governor Cuomo’s fiscal reforms have reduced
volatility related to the budget-making process. Rather
than large spending increases in good economic times
that cannot be sustained when the economy turns, the
past five budgets have been sustainable and affordable in
the long term.
The combination of budget reforms and spending
restraint has led to measurable improvements in the
state’s financial position. General Fund deficits totaling
tens of billions of dollars have been eliminated and
turned into operating surpluses used to bolster reserves
to the highest levels on record.
1
Total state debt has
declined in each of the last three fiscal years, and will
decline again in the current year. Never before in
modern times has New York’s debt declined for four
consecutive years.
2
state debt measured as a percentage
of personal income has decreased from 6 percent in FY
2010 to 4.6 percent—the most favorable debt to income
ratio since the 1960s.
3
Our debt ratio is expected to
continue to improve, even as the state makes targeted
capital investments for housing, health care,
transportation, and economic development.
19
In 2014, all three major credit rating agencies—
Standard and Poor’s, Fitch, and Moody’s—recognized
New York’s outstanding financial performance by
upgrading the state to its highest credit rating since
1972. The state now enjoys the second highest
investment-grade credit rating possible from all three
raters on its general obligation bonds (S&P rates the
State's Personal Income Tax Bonds and Sales Tax Bonds
at AAA, the highest rating possible).
4
Governor Cuomo has championed significant tax
relief in the last five years, including the enactment of a
two percent property tax cap; the lowest middle-class
income tax
rate in over
60 years; the
elimination
of the MTA
payroll tax
for more than 700,000 small businesses and the self-
employed; tax cuts for small businesses and
manufacturers; reforms to unemployment insurance and
workers’ compensation insurance; the launch of START-
UP NY tax-free zones; and the lowest corporate income
tax rate since 1968.
5
Last year, the Governor worked
Today, New York has the lowest
middle-class income tax rate in over
60 years.
20
with legislative leaders to extend the Property Tax Cap
for an additional four years. In 2015 alone, the Property
Tax Cap saved taxpayers $4.5 billion. The “Circuit
Breaker” tax relief was also extended for four years,
helping qualifying New York City homeowners and
renters with a refundable tax credit against the personal
income tax when their property taxes or rent exceeds a
certain percentage of their income.
Proposal: Keep State Spending Under Two Percent
The Executive Budget will continue the
disciplined approach to fiscal matters that has defined
the Governor’s first five budgets. For a sixth time, the
Budget again limits the annual growth in State Operating
Funds spending to 1.7 percent.
Proposal: $300 Million Small Business Tax Cut
Small businesses are the backbone of the state’s
economy, accounting for 43 percent
6
of all private sector
jobs in New York. During the last five years, Governor
Cuomo has worked tirelessly to bolster the
competitiveness of small businesses by lowering their
tax burden. Since taking office in 2011, he has advanced
a series of cuts that will save small businesses across the
state $3.8 billion by 2021.
7
21
To continue the growth of the small business
sector and help further the expansion of New York’s
economy, taxes are being lowered both for small
businesses who pay via the corporate tax and for those
who pay through personal income taxes. Approximately
1.1 million small businesses statewide will benefit from
the Governor’s 2016 proposal.
For small businesses that file under the corporate
tax code, the Governor proposes to reduce the net
income tax rate from the current 6.5 percent to 4 percent
effective January 1, 2017. For the purpose of this tax cut,
the definition of “small business” is a business with less
than 100 employees, with net income below $390,000.
Small businesses have traditionally paid a lower rate
than large corporate taxpayers, but tax cuts passed in
2015 lowered the corporate tax rate to the level
currently being paid by small businesses. Governor
Cuomo proposes to preserve the small business tax
advantage by lowering their rate even further. To avoid
a “cliff” the lower tax rates would be available to small
businesses having below $290,000 in net income, and
the rate is phased up to the standard rate applicable to
businesses with net income of $390,000 or more.
22
For small businesses owners who pay taxes via
the personal income tax, the Governor proposes new and
expanded tax cuts. Currently, sole proprietor and farm
small businesses can subtract five percent of their
income from tax calculations. The Governor proposes to
increase the exclusion to 15 percent of income. Further,
to create tax parity between small business types, the
Executive Budget also extends this tax cut to other types
of small businesses. Members of partnerships, S-
corporations, and LLCs will be able to exclude 15 percent
of business income as long as some of their business
income is derived from a business entity with less than
$1.5 million in New York gross receipts, and their total
business income from these sources is below $250,000.
Proposal: Launch a $20 Million Municipal
Consolidation and Efficiency Competition
In 2010, before Governor Cuomo took office,
homeowners in 33 of New York’s 62 counties had a
property tax burden that surpassed the national median.
From 1980 to 2010, New York’s local property taxes
grew by an unsustainable average rate of 5.7 percent per
year.
8
To reduce homeowners’ property tax burden, the
Governor enacted a series of property tax relief
23
programs in 2011, 2014 and 2015. In 2011 the Governor
enacted the Property Tax Cap that requires local
governments to limit the annual growth in property
taxes to no more than two percent. Since the enactment
of the cap, the typical property owner has saved more
than $800, and by 2017 that number will grow to $2,100.
In 2014, the Governor enacted the Property Tax Freeze
Credit, a tax relief program that reimburses qualifying
New York State homeowners for increases in local
property taxes on their primary residences. This tax
freeze credit will save property taxpayers more than $1.3
billion over three years. In the first year of the program,
97% of school districts in New York State complied with
the property tax cap and more than 2.3 million
homeowners were reimbursed for $220 million in direct
tax relief. The Governor provided further relief in 2015
by enacting the Property Tax Relief Credit, which
progressively targets an additional $1.3 billion in
property tax relief for New York homeowners over the
next four years.
9
To cut costs and permanently lower property
taxes municipalities must find opportunities for shared
services between and among different units of
government. To incentivize local governments to work
24
together to share services, cut costs, and lower property
taxes the Governor proposes the creation of a new $20
million Municipal Consolidation and Efficiency
Competition. The Competition will challenge
municipalities to develop innovative consolidation plans
that yield significant property tax reductions and the
proposal that can demonstrate the greatest dollar value
of permanent reductions in property taxes for taxpayers
will receive a $20 million grant. The Competition seeks
to stimulate local governments to undertake serious,
innovative consolidation efforts that can serve as a
model for other local government units across New York
State.
PART TWO: BUILT TO LEAD: INFRASTRUCTURE
PROGRAM
From the Erie Canal—the nation’s first “mega”
project—to the New NY Bridge—one of the nation’s
largest ongoing construction projects—New York has a
storied history of transformative infrastructure projects.
To remain competitive, promote economic development,
and create jobs, New York must continue to rebuild and
modernize its roads, bridges, broadband networks,
25
public buildings, and other critical infrastructure across
the state.
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has invested
over $54 billion in infrastructure projects across New
York and reinvented the state’s approach to economic
development by coordinating capital planning across 45
agencies and authorities through the creation of the New
York Works Task Force. Since 2012, the New York Works
program has driven hundreds of infrastructure projects
to completion, including the resurfacing of over 2,000
miles of roadway, rehabilitation of over 100 bridges,
improvements at 133 State Parks and recreational sites,
and repairs at more than 140 dams and flood control
structures.
In his first year in office, the Governor
spearheaded the effort to authorize the use of the
“design-build” procurement method at five state
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has invested over
$54 billion in infrastructure projects across New York
and coordinated capital planning across 45 agencies
and authorities through the creation of the
New York Works Task Force.
26
agencies, which encourages innovation and creativity
from the private sector in the engineering and
construction of major infrastructure projects. This
legislation, which was renewed in 2015, has been
utilized by state agencies and authorities to accelerate
the completion dates for dozens of stalled projects and
has saved taxpayers billions of dollars. The design-build
approach also helped the Governor to move the New NY
Bridge project from dysfunction to construction in just
14 months. The twin spans of the bridge between
Rockland and Westchester counties are already rising
out of the Hudson River and are on time and on budget,
with the first span scheduled to open next year.
Since 2011, Governor Cuomo has awarded over
$70 million for broadband projects across the state,
reaching approximately 160,000 households, 8,000
businesses, and 400 anchor institutions across more
than 6,000 square miles of New York. In 2015, the
Governor made the nation’s largest and most ambitious
state investment in broadband with the commitment of
$500 million for the New NY Broadband Program to
deliver high-speed broadband to New Yorkers by
December 31, 2018. The program launched in January
2016 and will achieve its goals through public-private
27
partnerships, which require a private sector co-
investment targeted to match the state’s commitment
across the program.
Governor Cuomo will continue to implement his
long-term vision for bold, innovative infrastructure
investment in 2016 with a record $26 billion
commitment to the MTA Capital Program; a record $22
billion investment in roads and bridges and other
transportation infrastructure, expansion of the Long
Island Railroad; rebirth of Penn Station, the world’s
busiest multimodal transportation facility;
redevelopment of the Javits Center, the nation’s busiest
convention center; and a $200 million Upstate Airport
Economic Development and Revitalization Competition
that will complement the ongoing transformation of JFK
and LaGuardia Airports.
Taken together, these historic capital investments
will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and
provide the framework to support New York’s growing
and dynamic economy.
Proposal: Invest a Record $26.1 Billion in the MTA
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(MTA) is the largest transportation network in North
28
America with 2,069 miles of track connecting 736
stations—more stations than any other rapid transit
system in the world. Every day, MTA subways, buses,
and commuter rail lines move 8.7 million people to work,
school, healthcare, and cultural attractions.
10
The MTA is
a nearly trillion-dollar asset
11
that serves as the lifeblood
of New York City and enables the region’s $1.5 trillion
economy to function and grow.
12
With another 1.6
million people expected to live in the MTA region by
2040, the state must do more than simply maintain the
current system.
13
The Governor proposes the state’s largest
contribution in history to the MTA Capital Program. The
proposed program totals $26.1 billion and outlines five
years’ worth of vital investments to renew, enhance, and
expand the MTA network. This investment will make the
system smarter and more resilient. The program
supports the replacement of over 3,100 buses and 1,400
subway cars; invests $2.8 billion in subway station
improvements; implements a new fare payment system
and new technology and communications systems;
completes installation of Positive Train Control on
Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR); brings countdown clocks to more stations than
29
ever before; begins work on extending the Second
Avenue Subway to East Harlem; builds a new LIRR
station in Elmhurst, Queens; and constructs four new
Metro-North stations in underserved areas of the Bronx.
This historic spending program will also benefit
New York transit-related manufacturing firms that make
rail cars, buses, and needed electronic components. A
recent study found that this fully-funded capital program
will create more than 400,000 jobs across the state and
generate nearly $52 billion in economic activity.
14
The MTA has already cut more than $1.3 billion in
costs from its annual spending, and those recurring
savings are projected to increase to $1.8 billion a year by
the final year of the plan in 2019. To build on this
progress, the Governor will direct the MTA to spend and
operate smarter through innovative methods such as
design-build, negotiated procurement processes and
public-private partnerships to operate more efficiently,
spread risk more broadly, and take advantage of
innovative techniques. The MTA will also transform how
it works with contractors on projects to bring down
costs.
30
Proposal: Enhance MTA User Experience with New
Technology
To enhance the transit system and expand
services to meet customer demand, the MTA Capital
Program will invest billions in new technology projects
that make it easier to purchase tickets and access the
system, deliver Wi-Fi and cellphone service, enhance the
customer experience, make operations safer, and make
the system greener.
The MTA will give LIRR and MNR customers the
ability to purchase tickets on their mobile devices in the
next six months. The MTA will also accelerate the process
of bringing mobile payment methods to subways and
buses, allowing riders to pay their fares by waving a
cellphone a bankcard or another payment device.
Subways and buses will start using contactless payment
methods in 2018. To enhance communications, the MTA
will install Wi-Fi service in all 278 underground subway
stations by the end of 2016 and cellphone service in
every station in early 2017. To provide customers the
ability to charge their smartphone, the MTA will install
USB charging ports on 200 subway cars in 2016 and 400
in 2017, while all new buses delivered later this year will
have Wi-Fi hotspots.
31
The MTA will also install countdown clocks this
year on the 7 line as well as the lettered subway lines,
and accelerate delivering real-time arrival data for all
469 subway stations, which will be available on the
MTA’s SubwayTime app. The MTA will also more than
double the number of On The Go Travel Station kiosks
that feature digital information screens that display
information about stops and service from 169 kiosks in
31 subway stations today to 359 kiosks in 20 additional
stations by the end of 2016. The MTA will also install
similar technology on 200 buses beginning in 2016.
The MNR and the LIRR will also accelerate
installation of Positive Train Control on their entire
routes, a state-of-the-art system for monitoring and
controlling train speed and operation that will make rail
travel safer by stopping trains before certain accidents
occur. The MTA will also invest in providing a safer
environment for customers. The MTA will continue to
expand Communication-Based Train Control, a system
that provides precise real-time information and control
over the location and operation of subway trains. All new
buses will be delivered with cameras pre-installed, and
the use of surveillance cameras in subways cars will be
tested for the first time later this year.
32
The MTA avoids some 17 million metric tons of
greenhouse gas emissions annually by moving nearly
nine million people via transit every day. The MTA has
established a goal of operating the nation’s largest fleet
of all-electric buses. The Capital Program will also fund
more than 100 MTA energy-efficiency projects, and will
test ten all-electric buses powered by solar energy and
charging stations.
Proposal: Renovate and Upgrade 30 MTA Subway
Stations
The MTA will revamp its subway station
renovation approach to rapidly redesign and completely
renew 30 existing subway stations across its system. The
MTA will use design-build procurements to deliver the
projects more quickly, at a lower cost, and with better
The MTA Capital Program will invest billions in
new technology projects that make it easier to
purchase tickets and access the system, deliver
Wi-Fi and cellphone service, enhance the customer
experience, make operations safer, and green
the system.
33
quality. The length of time to complete a station
redevelopment will shrink from two to three years to six
to twelve months. The MTA will complete work on the
majority of these 30 stations by 2018, and will finish all
by 2020.
Proposal: Modernize JFK and LaGuardia Airports
Governor Cuomo will also revitalize New York’s
major airports, including LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy
(JFK) International Airport. These two airports serve
over 80 million passengers a year and support more than
$50 billion in economic activity for the region
15
but are
outdated relics of a bygone era. The Governor has
committed to demolishing LaGuardia and will replace it
with a new, unified world-class terminal, as well as
building a new AirTrain that will increase access to the
airport. In addition, Governor Cuomo will overhaul JFK
Airport according to a new master plan currently under
development.
Proposal: Build a New Empire Station Complex to
Replace Penn Station
Pennsylvania (Penn) Station is New York City’s
transportation hub and America’s busiest passenger
transportation facility. More than 650,000 passengers
34
pass through Penn on any weekday.
16
To most travelers,
Penn is a confusing subterranean maze plagued by aging
infrastructure and multiple design and operational
deficiencies. The station already operates well beyond
capacity and will experience a growing passenger load in
the coming years thanks to the growth of the Midtown
Manhattan business district and new development on
the West Side at Hudson Yards.
Governor Cuomo proposes the construction of a
new $3 billion Empire Station Complex that will expand
and re-imagine Penn Station and create a world-class
transportation hub befitting the Empire State. The
Empire State Development Corporation, in cooperation
with Amtrak and the MTA, will increase capacity at Penn
by redeveloping the entire complex through a series of
improvements, including a new train hall in the James A.
Farley Post Office across Eighth Avenue. Amtrak will
relocate the majority of its passenger operations to the
new train hall, which will also include services for LIRR
and New Jersey Transit, easing passenger congestion in
Penn Station.
The state will also dramatically renovate the
existing Penn Station facility. The project will widen
existing corridors, reconfiguring ticketing and waiting
35
areas; improve connectivity between the lower levels
and street level; bring natural light into the facility,
improve signage; simplify navigation and reduce
congestion; and expand and upgrade the retail offerings
and passenger amenities on all levels of the station. The
new station will include Wi-Fi, modernized train
information displays, and streamlined ticketing. Several
design alternatives will be considered, including major
exterior renovations involving 33
rd
Street, Seventh
Avenue, Eighth Avenue, and potentially, the Madison
Square Garden Theater.
The simultaneous redevelopments will be
advanced by a public-private partnership that will
operate on an unprecedented scale. The state will issue
solicitations to developers in January and will request
responses back in 90 days, with groundbreaking
targeted for late 2016. The construction cost is expected
to be in excess of $3 billion, including $2 billion to
redevelop Farley and Penn and at least $1 billion for
ancillary retail and commercial developments between
Seventh and Ninth avenues. Government sources
including the U.S. Department of Transportation, Port
Authority, and Amtrak will contribute $325 million in
investment and the remaining cost will be funded by
36
private investment, in exchange for an interest in the
long-term revenue stream generated by the retail and
commercial rents.
Proposal: Expand and Enhance the Javits Center
Since its opening in 1986, the Jacob K. Javits
Center has been called the “Marketplace of the World,”
generating $1.8 billion in economic activity and
supporting 17,500 jobs.
17
With 840,000 square feet of
flexible exhibition space, it occupies six city blocks along
the scenic Hudson River and in 2014-2015, hosted 177
events that attracted more than two million visitors.
18
Governor Cuomo proposes the construction of a
new $3 billion Empire Station Complex that will
expand and re-imagine Penn Station and create a
world-class transportation hub befitting
the Empire State.
37
Governor Cuomo will dramatically expand Javits
to cement New York’s status as the premier destination
for large scale, world-class events and promote long-
term economic growth in the region. The $1 billion
redevelopment project will increase the size of the Javits
Center by 62
percent, from 2.1
million gross square
feet to 3.3 million
gross square feet.
The project will
include five times
more meeting room
space and the largest
ballroom in the
Northeast. The proposal includes the installation of a
34,000 square-foot solar energy array, the largest of its
kind on a public building in New York. As part of the
project, the Javits Center will seek LEED Platinum
certification. The expansion will generate $393 million
annually in new economic activity and create 4,000 full-
time jobs, 2,000 part-time jobs, and 3,100 construction
jobs.
19
The Javits Center expansion
will generate
$393 million annually in new
economic activity and create
4,000 full-time jobs, 2,000
part-time jobs and 3,100
construction jobs.
38
Proposal: Jumpstart the Gateway Tunnel Project
The two rail tunnels under the Hudson River,
used by approximately 200,000 passengers daily,
20
were
considered a marvel of engineering construction when
first built more than 100 years ago. Over the decades,
these tunnels have served as the lynchpin of Amtrak’s
heavily traveled Northeast Corridor and a vital link for
daily commuters between New York and New
Jersey. These essential pieces of infrastructure,
however, have been deteriorating for years and were
inundated with corrosive saltwater during Superstorm
Sandy.
Governor Cuomo recognizes that these tunnels
are critical to the future of New York and the regional
economy. Along with his counterpart in New Jersey and
members of the U.S. Senate, the Governor prodded
leaders in Washington, D.C. to split the project’s
estimated $20 billion cost, with $10 billion to be paid for
by the federal government and $5 billion each from the
two states. This year, at the direction of the two
governors, the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey will create the Gateway Development Corporation
to oversee the financing and jumpstart the construction
of this massive passenger rail project.
39
Proposal: Add Track and Passenger Capacity to the
Long Island Rail Road
For more than 175 years, the LIRR has served as
the essential component of Long Island’s transportation
network and spurred economic development in Nassau
and Suffolk counties. Despite growth in population and
economic activity, track capacity on Long Island itself has
not expanded in decades. To ensure Long Island’s future
prosperity, the Governor will undertake a series of
efforts to modernize and expand the capacity of the LIRR
transportation network.
The Main Line Corridor through Nassau County is
one of LIRR’s oldest and busiest segments. Reliability is a
daily concern for the 120,000 passengers (41 percent of
LIRR ridership) who travel this section each day.
21
The
high volume of trains operating through this corridor
means that one incident often causes ripple effects
across four railroad branches. The new LIRR Expansion
Project will increase capacity on the Main Line, easing
the bottleneck that chokes traffic between Floral Park to
Hicksville, allowing the LIRR to increase service, reduce
congestion and train delays, and enable “reverse-peak”
trains to take people to jobs on Long Island during
traditional business hours.
40
The project will focus heavily on minimizing
impacts to the community, including environmental
reviews, grade crossing safety reviews, and robust
community engagement. Unlike previous plans, the
Governor’s proposal significantly reduces the number of
required property acquisitions from about 200 to 50.
The proposal also includes an innovative
landowner protection program. Residential land owners
will be offered the choice of compensation for the strip of
land (on average five feet) or a full buyout while
commercial landowners will be offered assistance from
Empire State Development Corporation and
compensation to remain in the community.
Proposal: Explore Feasibility of New Transportation
Access Points to Long Island
To further meet the unique transportation needs on
Long Island, the Governor proposes investing $5 million
to commission a study that examines the feasibility of a
tunnel connecting Long Island to either the Bronx,
Westchester County, or Connecticut, which could reduce
travel times for Long Island Residents commuting to
destinations beyond New York City.
41
Proposal: $1 Million Deep Water Port Study at Old
Shoreham Power Plant
The Governor also proposes investing $1 million
to study the potential for a deep water port at the old
Shoreham Power Plant. If feasible, a new intermodal
facility on Long Island for receiving imports and
distributing local goods to distant markets has the
potential to remove commercial traffic from the island’s
congested roadways, improve air quality, and create
jobs.
Proposal: $50 Million Ronkonkoma Hub Expansion
Transit-oriented development projects ease
movement throughout the state. The projects also drive
economic development by rebuilding and expanding
infrastructure to improve job access and attract and
retain businesses and high-skilled workers. Governor
Cuomo will invest $50 million in parking, sewers, and
infrastructure at Ronkonkoma Hub; Long Island’s
busiest train station. The investment will leverage at
least $600 million in private investment and create more
than 1,000 jobs while creating a vibrant new downtown
of mixed-use buildings on the once blighted 50 acre plot.
The Hub will connect major employers including Stony
42
Brook University and Hospital, Suffolk County
Community College, and MacArthur Airport.
Proposal: $6 Million MacArthur Airport
Modernization and Revitalization
The Governor recognizes the vital services that
New York’s Long Island airports provide residents and
businesses. MacArthur Airport is the busiest commercial
airport on Long Island with nearly 650,000
enplanements in 2014.
22
Currently, MacArthur only
serves the domestic flight market, forcing Long Island’s
more than three million residents to travel to New York
City for international travel. The state will close a $6
million funding gap to support a $10 million project to
convert an existing facility at MacArthur Airport into a
United States Customs Federal Inspection Station
(FIS). The Customs FIS facility will enable MacArthur to
attract and accommodate international passenger flights
from Europe and the Western Hemisphere and provide
capacity to process international air travelers. Adding
international flights to MacArthur will improve
convenience for Long Island travelers and create 1,200
new jobs from adding airlines, a new federal government
presence, and increased regional tourism.
43
Proposal: Promote Economic Development at
Republic Airport
To encourage economic development around the
airport, the state designated Republic Airport as a tax-
free site through the START-UP NY initiative. In 2016, the
state will market the site to attract new business
opportunities and will offer five sites to use for aviation
or aviation-related commercial development activities,
and a sixth as a new, 12.5 acre mixed-use development
that will include a new LIRR stop. This investment at
Republic will benefit the surrounding community by
helping qualified companies start, expand, or relocate to
the area.
Proposal: Launch $200 Million Competition to
Revitalize Upstate Airports
Building on the successful international airport
design competition to transform and modernize
LaGuardia and JFK airports for the twenty-first century,
the Governor proposes the creation of a $200 million
upstate Airport Economic Development and
Revitalization Competition to accelerate investments in
commercial passenger and cargo service airports that
will create thousands of well-paying jobs and promote
additional upstate economic development.
44
The competition is open to 74 public-use airports
and will award funding to implement innovative,
comprehensive, and forward-looking development
plans. The state will award capital funding of
approximately $40 million to five winning airports to
fund projects that enhance safety, improve operations
and access, reduce environmental impact, and create
better passenger experiences. The state will prioritize
funding for proposals that create jobs, incorporate
sustainable green building techniques, use renewable
energy, demonstrate support from airlines and the
community, leverage private investments, and
demonstrate cost effectiveness.
Proposal: $22 Billion Capital Plan for New York’s
Roads and Bridges
To continue building smarter and better than
before, the Governor is unveiling a record $22 billion
multi-year capital plan—the largest in the state’s
history—to upgrade critical roads, bridges, and other
vital transportation infrastructure throughout the state,
especially upstate. The program includes a five-year DOT
capital plan, which will fund improvements such as the
new BRIDGE and PAVE NY programs, rail and transit
investment, and a new upstate airport design
45
competition. The Governor will also provide
unprecedented aid to the Thruway Authority to continue
construction of the New New York Bridge, make vital
investments in the Thruway’s core system, and hold tolls
down for all users.
Proposal: Enact the Thruway Toll Reduction Plan
Over 145 million vehicles use the Thruway
annually, including 128 million passenger vehicles and
almost 16 million commercial vehicles.
23
To ease the
financial burden of passenger and commercial traffic, the
Governor proposes a three-part Thruway Toll Reduction
and Protection Plan, that will keep tolls flat until at least
2020 for all users, cut tolls in half for nearly one million
frequent travelers, and eliminate tolls for farm vehicles.
Reducing the Thruway’s toll costs will strengthen New
York’s regional economies that rely on the Thruway to
move goods to markets and people to places of
employment.
First, the Governor proposes a new tax credit that
will cut tolls in half for New York residents and
businesses who frequently travel the Thruway. This
credit will benefit nearly one million passengers and will
apply to: 1) passenger vehicle owners using E-ZPass and
46
paying $50 or more in annual tolls and 2) businesses and
commercial vehicle owners using E-ZPass and paying
between $100 and $9,999 in annual tolls.
Second, the Governor proposes a new 100
percent tax credit that will eliminate tolls for vehicles
using EZ-Pass that bring farm goods to market. This
credit will save the agricultural sector $5 million
annually.
Third, the Governor proposes a $700 million
investment in Thruway infrastructure, on top of last
year’s commitment of $1.285 billion. This combined
investment will allow the Thruway to freeze tolls for all
drivers until at least 2020 and continue construction of
the New NY Bridge which will fully replace the Tappan
Zee Bridge in 2018. The $3.98 billion design-build
project championed by Governor Cuomo and overseen
by the New York State Thruway Authority remains on
schedule and on budget. The project continues to have a
significant economic impact for New Yorkers. More than
5,000 people and 622 New York-based subcontractors
and suppliers have worked on the project to date.
24
47
Proposal: Launch the $1 Billion New BRIDGE NY
Program to Fix Bridges
Villages, towns, cities, and counties maintain
approximately 8,600 bridges, 34 percent of which are in
poor condition.
25
Municipal governments struggle to find
the necessary funding to maintain the condition of these
bridges and recent changes in federal eligibility have
made that challenge even more difficult. As a result,
every year, many bridges on local roadways must be load
posted or closed, which limits traffic to lighter vehicles
or requires lengthy detours. When bridge traffic is
restricted or halted, emergency vehicles cannot pass,
evacuation routes are cut off, commercial vehicles must
find other routes. Public safety and critical commerce are
jeopardized.
The Governor proposes a three-part Thruway Toll
Reduction and Protection Plan, that will keep tolls
flat until at least 2020 for all users, cut tolls in half
for nearly one million frequent travelers,
and eliminate tolls for farm vehicles.
48
To upgrade our bridges, the Governor proposes
BRIDGE NY, a new $1 billion initiative that will provide
$500 million to help municipal governments replace,
rehabilitate and maintain vital local bridges and invest
$500 million in state-owned bridges. BRIDGE NY will
help expand and protect public safety and critical
economic growth and commercial activities across the
state. Projects will be selected based on the bridge’s
condition rating, economic impact, environmental
benefits, and reduced risk of flooding.
Proposal: Launch the New $1 Billion PAVE NY
Program to Build and Fix Roads
Approximately 1,600 municipalities are
responsible for maintaining more than 97,000 centerline
miles of pavement, 48 percent of which has been rated in
fair or poor condition.
26
Without intervention and
investment, continued deterioration of pavement
condition will result in road closures or abandonment
and impede efforts to attract economic activity.
To pave roads around the state, the Governor
proposes PAVE NY, $1 billion initiative that will invest
$500 million to pave local roads and $500 million to pave
state roads. To gain the great return on state investment
dollars projects will, where appropriate, incorporate use
49
of recycled/reclaimed materials and permeable
pavements. This massive proposed investment in paving
projects will ensure smoother rides for passenger and
commercial traffic and fewer costly delays and
slowdowns.
Proposal: Launch a New $500 Million Infrastructure
Hardening Program
With the increasing frequency of extreme
weather events, the resiliency of New York’s roadways
has never been more important. For example, the Saw
Mill River Parkway, between the Taconic State Parkway
and Pleasantville Road, is one of the most congested state
roadways in Westchester County. This section of the Saw
Mill serves approximately 51,000 vehicles daily and
provides critical connections from northern Westchester
County to the Cross Westchester Expressway, Tappan
Zee Bridge, and New York City.
27
Yet, the Parkway is
subject to severe and recurring flooding. Since 2011, this
segment of the Saw Mill has been closed due to flooding
from extreme weather events more than 15 times. A
DOT estimate puts the cost of these delays and closures
at $5 million annually to the traveling public.
28
The
Governor proposes the $500 million Extreme Weather
Infrastructure Hardening Program to make safety and
50
resiliency enhancements to roadways across the state,
that have proven to be susceptible to flooding and other
extreme weather related events.
Through the Extreme Weather Infrastructure
Hardening Program, DOT will construct a new roadway
on the Saw Mill that will sit above the flood plain. This
$60 million investment will mitigate the frequent need to
divert traffic through local communities, provide better
access to local emergency responders, and prevent the
isolation of more rural parts of the region from hospitals,
food, and other supplies and services. The Program will
also invest an additional $440 million on other such
projects throughout the state.
Proposal: Create the Design and Construction Office
The state is in the midst of an enormous capital
investment in infrastructure and economic development
projects and must do all that it can to reduce the time and
cost of construction.
To curtail the loss of state dollars caused by
avoidable construction delays, the Governor
proposes the creation of the New York State Design and
Construction Corporation (DCC), a new subsidiary of the
Dormitory Authority of the State of New York
51
(DASNY). DASNY is one of the state’s largest public
authorities in terms of its construction and financing
output and has played a vital role in supporting the
state’s economic development and infrastructure since
1944 through its project management and construction
services.
The DCC’s primary purpose will be to provide
additional project management expertise and oversight
on significant public works projects undertaken by state
agencies, departments, public authorities and public
benefit corporations throughout the state. The DCC will
be able to collaborate with agencies and authorities to
ensure that construction projects are managed
efficiently and comply with construction deadlines and
budget limits specified at the onset of these
projects. Adding this layer of management will provide
the state with additional costs savings on many of
its large scale publicly-funded construction projects.
PART THREE: UPSTATE ECONOMIC GROWTH
New York State has created more than 759,000
private sector jobs since December 2010.
29
The state’s
private sector job count is at an all-time historic high
with more than 7.9 million jobs.
30
Unemployment
52
continues to decline in every region – from 8.4 percent in
December 2010 to 4.8 percent as of November 2015 –
the lowest level in eight years.
31
The state achieved these impressive results
through the Governor’s new regional approach to
economic development and groundbreaking
entrepreneurial government paradigm. In 2011,
Governor Cuomo replaced the state’s previous top-down
approach to economic development with a new bottom-
up approach driven by a competition organized around
ten Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs).
Each region of the state has a REDC that convenes
stakeholders from higher education, business, and
government to develop long-term economic
development strategic plans that leverage each region’s
unique resources and identify areas of opportunity for
investment. To date, the state has awarded nearly $4
billion through five rounds of the REDCs for more than
4,100 projects and created and retained more than
200,000 new jobs across the state.
32
53
The Governor applied the same bottom-up
approach utilized by REDCs to spur an economic
renaissance in Buffalo, a city that has suffered since the
collapse of its manufacturing economy in the late
twentieth century. The Governor has committed $1
billion to the Buffalo area and worked with its Regional
Economic Development Council, as well as experts from
The Brookings
Institution, McKinsey
& Company, and the
University of
Buffalo’s Regional
Institute to shape the
future of the region.
Major projects are
underway, including
the development of
several industry innovation and advanced
manufacturing hubs anchored by private companies
such as IBM and AMRI. Solar power provider SolarCity
will anchor the Buffalo High Tech Manufacturing
Innovation Hub at RiverBend with a ten-year, $5 billion
investment that will create approximately 3,000
permanent jobs in Buffalo and 2,000 jobs elsewhere in
To date, the state has
awarded nearly $4 billion
through five rounds of the
REDCs for more than 4,100
projects and created and
retained more than 200,000
new jobs across the state.
54
the state. Overall, the Buffalo Billion will generate a total
investment of over $8 billion and create approximately
14,000 direct and indirect jobs.
33
The state is investing more than $108 million in
workforce development, tourism plan development,
waterfront development, and other strategic community
revitalization projects
in the city of Buffalo and
in Western New York.
To replicate the
success of the Buffalo
Billion model, the
Governor launched the
Upstate Revitalization
Initiative (URI) in 2015,
a $1.5 billion investment designed to promote the
growth and sustainability of seven upstate regions. The
URI awarded three regions – Central New York, Finger
Lakes, and Southern Tier – $500 million each over five
years to support projects and strategies that create jobs,
strengthen and diversify economies, and generate
economic opportunity within the region. These
communities are now working with the state to
Overall, the Buffalo
Billion will generate a
total investment of over
$8 billion and create
approximately 14,000
direct and indirect jobs.
55
implement their strategic plans and will be identifying
projects for funding in 2016.
Establishing regional industry clusters is
recognized as an effective way for states to coordinate
their economic development efforts.
34
According to
prominent economist Michael Porter, clusters allow
regions to coordinate existing resources in industry,
academia, and government, driving innovation,
productivity, and efficiency while reducing the cost of
doing business.
35
In 2015, Governor Cuomo established
the Regional Economic Cluster Program, which directed
each region to complete an inventory of their industrial
and innovation assets and submit strategic plans to
target growth in a single economic cluster. All ten regions
submitted Cluster Plans through Round V of the REDCs
and cluster proposals ranged from cyber technology to
advanced manufacturing to food and beverage
manufacturing. The Governor has bolstered these efforts
by investing in strategic industries that will modernize
the state’s economy and give New York a competitive
edge.
After decades of false starts and promises,
Governor Cuomo succeeded in making upstate Resort
Gaming Destinations a reality in 2014. In 2015, the New
56
York State Gaming Commission unanimously approved
licenses for resort gaming destinations in Sullivan,
Schenectady, and Seneca Counties. These world-class
facilities will include new hotels, restaurants, and other
attractions that will bring tourists, including the more
than 50 million individuals who visit New York City
every year, to upstate regional attractions.
36
All of New York State will benefit from these
gaming resorts: 80 percent of the gaming revenue will
support public education (in addition to existing aid) or
provide property tax relief statewide. Ten percent will
provide local government assistance to each county in
the three upstate casino-eligible regions, and the final
ten percent will be split between the gaming facility’s
host municipality and county.
37
Proposal: Invest $750 Million through Round Six of
the Regional Economic Development Councils
In 2011, Governor Cuomo created the Regional
Economic Development Council competition to develop
regional economic development plans through a bottom-
up approach that brought together higher education,
industry, and government leaders to plan the future of
their region. The state has invested nearly $4 billion
through the REDCs that has funded more than 4,100
57
projects and created more than 200,000 new jobs across
the state. To build on the success of the REDC program,
the Governor proposes continuing this regional
economic development approach with a sixth round of
the REDC awards with $750 million to fund regional
priority projects.
Proposal: $200 Million for URI Runner Ups to Fund
Top Projects
The Upstate Revitalization Initiative will invest
$1.5 billion in the Central New York, Finger Lakes, and
Southern Tier regions over the next five years. Building
on the success of this model, the Governor proposes
funding an additional $50 million to each of the four
additional upstate regions that did not win the Upstate
Revitalization Initiative competition (Mohawk Valley,
North Country, Capital District, and Mid-Hudson) to fund
priority economic development projects and support
implementation of each region’s strategic plan for
economic growth. In total, the average investment in
each of these regions will be nearly $145 million.
58
Proposal: Invest $100 Million in Downtown
Revitalization Program
According to Smart Growth America, companies
in the United States are increasingly seeking to relocate
and invest in walkable downtown locations in an effort
to attract and retain talent, build brand identity, and
foster company
culture.
38
Downtown
revitalization also
attracts more
residents by creating
a sense of place and
affordable living.
39
According to the
Brookings Institute,
investing in urban
centers can improve economic performance, reduce
infrastructure costs, and enhance the economic well-
being of surrounding areas.
To revitalize ten struggling downtown
communities the Governor proposes the $100 million
Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), a
comprehensive approach to transform long-forgotten
areas into vibrant neighborhoods where tomorrow’s
Companies in the United
States are increasingly
seeking to relocate and
invest in walkable
downtown locations in an
effort to attract and retain
talent, build brand identity
and foster company culture.
59
workforce will want to live, work, and raise a family. The
DRI will invest in housing, economic development,
transportation, and community projects. Each REDC will
select a community that is losing population or in
economic decline to work with outside policy and
planning experts and planners from the Department of
State and Housing and Community Renewal to create a
strategic downtown revitalization plan as part of the
2016 REDC process. Eligible projects will include those
that grow small businesses and employment, expand
housing, improve transportation, and partner with large
institutions such as universities and hospitals.
Proposal: Bring Mixed Martial Arts to New York
New York is the only state in the nation that does
not allow professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
contests. Thousands of New Yorkers attend dozens of
unregulated amateur MMA events in New York each
year
40
and unlicensed promoters organize and promote
amateur MMA contests in all corners of New York State.
The Governor seeks to authorize both amateur and
professional MMA and will ensure that contests happen
under either the supervision of the New York State
Athletic Commission or an alternative authorized
60
sanctioning entity. It will place firm controls on MMA, its
participants and promoters that ensure the protection of
fighters and fans.
PART FOUR: TOURISM: I LOVE NY
Tourism is New York’s fourth largest industry,
responsible for over 883,000 jobs and an economic
impact that grew to over $100 billion in 2015 for the first
time in the state’s history. Governor Cuomo has tripled
support for tourism, investing over $100 million since
2011—New York’s largest tourism effort in decades and
one of the biggest public commitments to tourism in the
nation.
Over the same period, the number of
international visitors has increased 12 percent and
direct visitor spending has grown by 16 percent. Last
year, overseas travelers visited New York more than any
other state for the fourteenth year in a row.
41
This investment has included the launch of a
cutting-edge digital marketing strategy, including an
award-winning promotional campaign and the state’s I
LOVE NEW YORK mobile app, downloaded 41,000 times.
These efforts have resulted in 1.6 million visits to
iloveny.com, a 79 percent growth in the last eighteen
months.
42
To bring further attention to all that New York
61
has to offer, Governor Cuomo has hosted a series of
special events across the state, from the Adirondack
Summer and Winter Challenges, to the Bassmaster
Governor Challenge, to the Governor’s Cup Beverage &
Culinary Tours.
The New York State Fairgrounds are a key driver
of tourism in Central New
York. The Fairgrounds
deliver an average annual
economic impact of over
$100 million and serve as
an integral part of New
York State’s tourism
economy. In 2015, events
held at the Fairgrounds
attracted roughly 1.4
million visitors, including more than 908,000 for the
Great New York State Fair alone.
43
Last year, the state embarked on a $50 million
renovation of the Fairgrounds—the first renovation in
over 100 years.
44
This summer, the Great New York State
Fair will open with a new Main Gate; modern RV facilities
that will offer upgraded water, sewer and electric hook-
ups; an expanded, state-of-the-art Midway; and wireless
Tourism is New York’s
fourth largest industry,
responsible for over
883,000 jobs and an
economic impact that
grew to over $100
billion in 2015
for the first time in the
state’s history.
62
internet across the Fairgrounds. In 2017 and 2018, the
state will continue this transformation with a rebuilt
Chevy Court outdoor concert venue, new equine
facilities, a large Expo Center, and new festival grounds
featuring recreational space, a pond, and a replica of the
historic Erie Canal.
Proposal: Expand Tourism Investment to $50 Million
Governor Cuomo proposes to invest an additional
$5 million in New York’s booming tourism economy to
bring the state’s investment to an unprecedented $50
million. The state will invest $25 million in the I LOVE
NEW YORK marketing campaign and $13 million in
Market NY to support improvements to hotels,
convention centers, and other attractions. To shine a
spotlight on regional attractions the Governor will host
another round of special events including winter and
summer events in the Adirondacks, fishing tournaments
in the Finger Lakes, and wine cups upstate.
Proposal: Adirondack and New Challenges
Governor Cuomo will host his first annual Catskill
Challenge this summer. Modeled after the successful
annual Adirondack Challenge, the Governor will invite
state and local officials, tourism industry
63
representatives, and outdoor enthusiasts to engage in a
day of world-class outdoor activities, while showcasing
the recreational opportunities the region has to offer—
including fly fishing, paddling, hiking, and mountain
biking.
Proposal: Invest $5 Million to Promote Outdoor
Recreation in the Catskills
Working with the Department of Environmental
Conservation, the Empire State Development
Corporation will launch a $5 million tourism advertising
campaign this year to promote the Catskills region to
visitors from around the world. The effort will include
print and television ads, expanded services for the I
LOVE NY bus, and a Catskills concierge program. This
campaign will also promote Governor Cuomo’s “Ride the
Catskills” tourism website, an online resource that
features a series of itineraries and trips for visitors and
locals to enjoy while traveling by motorcycle, car, bike,
boat, or foot.
New York will also further its long standing
partnership with the Open Space Institute to invest $7.3
million to transform Minnewaska Preserve State Park, on
the Shawangunk Ridge, into a world-class tourism
destination. The project will feature a 6,000-square-foot
64
visitor center, improved parking, better parking, and
space for exhibits and education services.
PART FIVE: PRODUCING NEW YORK’S BEST
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has made
growing New York’s agricultural economy a top priority.
To this end, the Governor has launched a series of
initiatives that support agricultural research, promote
locally grown and produced foods, help to market the
booming craft beverage industry, and connect our
farmers and agri-businesses to new markets through
farmers’ markets, Taste NY stores, and increased
procurement opportunities. Over the past five years, the
state’s REDC process has also awarded over $275 million
in funding to agri-business enterprises across the state
from the east end of Long Island to the wine region along
the shores of Lake Erie.
These investments are already paying dramatic
dividends. Last year, farmers in New York State set an
all-time sales record, with $6.4 billion in cash
receipts.
45
This is a 36 percent increase since 2010 --
stronger growth than the nation as a whole.
46
New York
remains a leader in Greek yogurt production, producing
more each day than Greece does.
47
We lead the nation in
65
sour cream and cottage cheese production; second in
apples and maple syrup; third in grapes and cauliflower;
fourth in milk and cheese production, pears, and squash;
and fifth in the nation in sweet corn, onions, and tart
cherries.
48
Protecting and Enhancing Farmland and Agri-business
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has invested
historic levels of funding to protect farmland and
support agri-business across the state. As part of this
effort, the state is investing $20 million to protect
farmland in the Hudson Valley—the first-ever regional
farmland protection initiative of its kind. The state is also
providing $30 million in grants to farms and agri-
businesses throughout the Southern Tier to increase
production, spur economic development, and introduce
environmental stewardship best practices.
Last year, farmers in New York State set an
all-time sales record, with $6.4 billion in
cash receipts.
66
Streamlining Regulations to Aid Farmers
In 2014, Governor Cuomo created the SILO Task
Force (Strategic Interagency Task Force on Lessening
Obstacles to Agriculture) to identify and remove
regulatory and administrative barriers that farmers face
when they interact with state government. In 2015, the
state adopted a recommendation of the Task Force and
streamlined farming regulations for pesticide
registration and certification while maintaining
environmental protections.
Supporting Clean Energy and Climate Adaptation for
Agriculture
The state is taking a series of actions at the
intersection of climate change and agriculture including
a $500,000 pilot program to help farmers adapt
agricultural practices to climate change, a collaboration
with Cornell University to design a new farmer education
program on climate resiliency, and a new Clean Energy
for Agriculture Task Force charged with developing a
strategic plan to address the opportunities and
challenges of widespread deployment of clean energy
technologies on farms.
67
Expand New York’s Craft Beverage Industry
New York has emerged as a national leader in
craft beverage manufacturing. The state is now home to
nearly 900 wineries, breweries, distilleries, and
cideries.
49
When combined with distribution and retail,
producers account for more than $27 billion in annual
economic impact and support tens of thousands of jobs
statewide.
50
Over the last five years, the Governor has
collaborated with the craft beverage industry to achieve
business friendly reforms that have resulted in
remarkable growth. He created the One Stop Shop, which
has provided individual attention to almost 800
businesses, and he has committed $9 million to promote
and advertise the industry. New York State now ranks
third in the nation in wine and grape production, second
in apple production, and is home to three of the 20 top-
producing breweries in the country. Since 2010, the
number of farm wineries in New York has increased by
over 60 percent and the number of microbreweries has
increased by 233 percent. Since Governor Cuomo took
office, farm-based beverage licenses have more than
doubled and the new Farm Brewery Law has already
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resulted in 106 new licensees. In 2015 alone, the State
Liquor Authority issued 141 new manufacturing
licenses, including eight cidery licenses, 35 distilleries,
25 winery licenses, and 73 brewers.
In 2015, Governor Cuomo hosted the state’s third
Wine, Beer, Spirits, and
Cider Summit, where
stakeholders and state
officials identified new
opportunities to build on
this remarkable progress
including: funding for
additional marketing and
promotional activities,
support for expanded education and research; and a
further reduction in paperwork and other state
regulatory barriers.
Proposal: Expand the Taste NY Program and Open
Four New Stores
Governor Cuomo launched Taste NY in 2013 to
highlight and encourage the purchase of New York-made
foods and beverages.
51
Taste NY opened its first free-
standing store in 2013 in the historic Todd Hill building
along the Taconic Parkway. Just two years later, Todd
Since 2010, the number
of farm wineries in New
York has increased by
over 60% and the
number of
microbreweries has
increased by 233%.
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Hill exceeded $1 million in revenue.
52
In 2015, Taste NY
opened its eleventh store – and the first outside New
York State – in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the New York
State Office of Trade and Tourism and tripled sales to
$4.5 million in revenue over 2014 revenue. The program
also showcased more than 1,100 producers at Taste NY-
sponsored marketplaces, events, and through
partnerships.
The Governor proposes to double Taste NY
revenue to $9 million in 2016 by investing $1.1 million to
add four stores, increasing concession partnerships at
sports and entertainment locations, and expanding sales
displays at high-traffic transportation hubs and other
venues. To drive revenues Taste NY will open four
new freestanding stores in White Plains along the
Hutchinson Parkway, at the Lock E-13 Rest Area on
the Thruway in the Mohawk Valley, at the Niagara Falls
Amtrak Station, and at Pier A in Battery Park. Taste
NY will also open concessions in four additional
sports venues, in every State Park, and recruit 100
new high-quality producers to join the program.
Taste NY will be strategically featured in 2016 at
the Barclays Center in Brooklyn at a premium bar that
will increase brand exposure for New York craft
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beverage producers and provide access to
approximately two million guests per year.
Proposal: Modernize and Simplify the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Law
The Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Law dates
back to 1934 and is a puzzling web of rules that confuses
potential and existing licensees, regulators, and even
attorneys. For example, the ABC Law makes multiple
licenses available for the retail sale of alcoholic
beverages that depend on the type of beverage being sold
and whether it is sold “to go” or “by the glass.”
53
It is
nearly impossible for a new craft beverage entrepreneur
to determine what license is needed. The ABC Law
creates confusion that often results in delays, financial
hardship, and loss of revenue to businesses that attempt
to navigate the system. The ABC Law still contains arcane
restrictions that date back to the end of Prohibition.
54
While the Governor enacted The Craft Act in 2014
to take steps to modernize the ABC Law, the Law
requires further modification. The Governor formed a
working group of industry stakeholders to provide
recommendations to revise and modernize the ABC
Law. In 2016, the Governor will introduce legislation to
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modernize the ABC Law by addressing the issues stated
above along with those identified by the working group.
Proposal: Update the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law
to Grow E-Commerce
U.S. e-commerce retail sales of alcoholic
beverages totaled nearly $88 billion in the third quarter
of 2015 alone.
55
This platform presents a tremendous
opportunity for New York craft beverage producers and
suppliers. To increase e-commerce revenues for New
York alcoholic beverage producers and suppliers, the
state will work with industry stakeholders to develop
and introduce legislation in 2016 that will amend the
ABC Law to create a clear legal framework for Internet
sales and reduce confusion within the industry. This
legislation will also include proposals to standardize
practices for third-party providers who facilitate
transactions that connect alcoholic beverage retailers to
consumers.
Proposal: Cut Taxes for Craft Beverage Producers
Under current tax law, breweries that produce
less than 60 million gallons of beer per year are eligible
for a tax credit that provides $2 million in benefits every
year. To encourage the growth of start-up craft beverage
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producers, the Governor proposes to expand eligibility
for this tax credit beyond breweries to cideries that
produce less than 60 million gallons annually, wineries
that produce less than 20 million gallons annually, and
distilleries that produce less than 500,000 gallons
annually. These proposals will provide $2 million in
savings to these producers that will allow them reinvest
and grow their companies in New York.
Finally, the Governor also proposes exempting
breweries, distilleries, cideries, and wineries from
alcoholic beverage taxes associated with free tastings,
lowering costs for hundreds of craft producers and
allowing them to better market their products and
reinvest in their businesses. The state collected $251
million in these taxes last year and the craft industry
accounts for $10 million of the total. This change means
that an additional $2 million will remain in the pockets
of these producers.
PART SIX: BUILDING A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY
Since taking office, the Governor has created and
pursued the most aggressive environmental and
sustainability agenda of any state in the country to
mitigate climate change. This bold agenda drives and
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complements the state’s efforts to foster and expand
New York’s growing clean energy economy.
Greenhouse gas emissions are driving up air and
water temperatures and altering the earth’s climate.
56
New Yorkers have already begun to face the long term
effects of global climate change, dealing with
unprecedented extreme weather events like the historic
snowfall in Western New York in 2014, tornadoes in
Central New York in 2013, and the billions of dollars of
damage and loss of life that resulted from Hurricanes
Irene, Lee and Super Storm Sandy.
In the wake of 11 presidentially-declared natural
disasters in his first five years in office,
57
the Governor
has shifted away from an outdated approach to the
energy sector to one that pushes our private sector
partners to step up and accelerate the deployment of
energy efficiency, solar, wind, and other clean
technologies. This strategy, called Reforming the Energy
New Yorkers have already begun to face the long
term effects of global climate change, dealing with
unprecedented extreme weather events.
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Vision (REV) is a multifaceted regulatory approach
designed to spur private investment in clean energy,
build a thriving clean tech economy, strengthen our
communities, and provide universal access to clean,
affordable power. Since taking office the Governor has
invested in the
Western Hemisphere’s
largest $5 billion solar
panel gigafactory in
Buffalo, a new $700
million large-scale
commercial silicon
wafer manufacturing
facility in Genesee County, and $35 million to build a
research and development hub that will help researchers
and companies turn their ideas into commercialized
technologies and products.
In 2015 New York advanced an aggressive State
Energy Plan that called for a statewide reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and for 50
percent of our electricity to come from renewable
resources by 2030. Today, 25 percent of New York’s
energy consumption is comprised of renewable energy
resources such as solar, wind and hydropower.
58
This
The New York State Energy
Plan established an
aggressive goal for New York
to rely on 50 percent
renewable energy for its
total energy needs by 2030.
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goal requires the state to double its consumption of
renewable energy in 15 years.
The Governor will continue efforts to build a clean
energy industry in New York that will help the state to
tackle the challenges posed by climate change while
creating tens of thousands of jobs and generating billions
of dollars in economic activity.
Proposal: Adopt an Aggressive Clean Energy
Standard
Today, 25 percent of New York’s energy
consumption is comprised of renewable energy
resources such as solar, wind and hydropower.
59
The
New York State Energy Plan established an aggressive
goal for New York to rely on 50 percent renewable
energy for its total energy needs by 2030.
60
This goal
requires the state to double its consumption of
renewable energy in 15 years.
The Governor knows that mandates drive change
and has called on the Department of Public Service (DPS)
to work with the Public Service Commission (PSC) to
formally adopt this Clean Energy Standard, among the
highest in the nation. Adoption of this enforceable
standard will drive change in the private sector as
companies work to develop more sources of renewable
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energy for New Yorkers and energy markets are
provided with the clear direction and long-term stability
necessary to invest in the development of new clean
energy solutions.
As the state works to meet this aggressive goal it
must support upstate nuclear power plants that provide
important sources of carbon-free energy. If any one of
those plants were to close the market would likely rely
on fossil fuel-fired plants to replace their energy source
which would set back the state’s attempt to reduce
carbon emissions. As DPS works to support the
development of new sources of renewable energy it will
also develop market mechanisms to provide financial
support for safely operating upstate nuclear power
plants. These efforts will ensure that safely operating,
fully licensed nuclear power plants are able to provide a
necessary bridge to help New York achieve its 50 percent
renewables goal by 2030.
Proposal: Adopt the Clean Energy Fund
The state will advance a ten-year, $5 billion Clean
Energy Fund (CEF) to support clean energy projects and
programs that will help New York to partner with the
private sector to achieve the goal of having 50 percent of
77
our energy come from renewable resources by 2030. The
CEF is funded by surcharges on utility bills, and in 2016,
will include an immediate decrease of $90 million in
ratepayer collections, and a total reduction of $1.5 billion
by 2025.
CEF-funded programs will increase deployment
of clean energy solutions and renewable energy to
millions of homes, buildings and communities in New
York; invest $700 million in cutting edge research and
development to accelerate homegrown innovation in the
clean energy industry; invest $1 billion to deploy enough
solar to equal the amount of energy generated by six
coal-fired power plants through the Governor’s NY-Sun
initiative; and capitalize the nation’s largest Green Bank
to partner with the private sector to finance clean energy
projects like wind and solar farms and energy efficiency
retrofits.
Proposal: Increase Renewable Energy Consumption
at State Owned Facilities and on SUNY Campuses
In 2012, Governor Cuomo launched the
BuildSmart initiative aimed at improving energy
efficiency and reducing emissions at state facilities by 20
percent before 2020.
61
As a result of this program, New
York State reduced energy bills at numerous public
78
buildings by nearly $40 million.
62
In 2016, state agencies
will aggressively increase their renewable electricity
consumption to reduce emissions.
To help invest in retrofits and the deployment of
renewable energy on public facilities, NYPA will finance
$1.5 billion of clean energy projects across state-owned
buildings and local and municipal properties by 2020.
This investment will help government entities complete
energy efficiency, renewable distributed generation,
microgrids, and other smart grid technology projects.
NYPA will also work with state agencies to use state
property for community solar projects that will allow
private consumers who live nearby to access clean,
renewable energy.
In 2015 the Governor announced that Robert
Moses State Park will become the first energy-neutral
state park in the nation with the construction of a $1.7
million, 500 kilowatt solar project. In 2016, the Governor
will continue to utilize state-owned properties to achieve
our emissions reductions goal with the construction of
up to five additional megawatts of solar at Jones Beach,
Sunken Meadow and Robert Moses State Parks.
Together, these solar investments will generate
approximately 50 percent of the electricity demand for
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Long Island State Parks and reduce carbon emissions by
5,000 metric tons per year.
The State University of New York (SUNY) is the
largest comprehensive university system in the country
with 64 campuses across the state and consumes 1.2
million megawatts of energy every year. To help the state
meet its renewable energy goals, SUNY will install solar
and other renewable energy sources on each of its 64
campuses by 2020, with the Governor calling on private
colleges and universities to join the SUNY in this effort.
Proposal: Make 500,000 Homes and 20,000
Businesses More Energy Efficient By 2020
The least expensive and most effective way to
meet our state energy goals is simply to reduce the
overall energy consumption of New York’s homes,
businesses, and institutions by making them more
efficient.
63
Increasing energy efficiency also lowers
utility bills for customers and enables businesses to
reduce their operating costs.
The state will increase the energy efficiency of
500,000 homes and 20,000 businesses by 2020, reducing
their carbon emissions and utility bills by $1.5 billion.
The state will invest part of the Clean Energy Fund to
help property owners and renters audit their current
80
energy use and identify energy savings opportunities,
and replace inefficient systems and appliances with high-
efficiency models wherever possible.
Proposal: Install Solar on 150,000 New Homes and
Businesses by 2020
Today, 28,000 homes and 2,000 businesses have
installed solar.
64
To increase these figures and reduce
emissions from privately owned homes and businesses,
the state will leverage the growth in New York’s solar
industry and provide technical and financial support to
install solar panels on 150,000 additional homes and
businesses. The state’s Shared Renewables Program will
also allow nearby community members to share in the
solar power generated by projects on commercial
properties, further reducing emissions across private
residences.
Proposal: Build 300 Additional Wind Turbines by
2020 and Create a Master Plan for Offshore Wind
Today, over 1,000 large-scale wind turbines have
been built throughout upstate New York. Spread across
19 wind farms, these massive turbines generate over
1,600 megawatts of capacity, enough to power over
600,000 homes.
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To meet the requirements of the Clean Energy
Standard, New York will need even more of our power to
come from carbon-free wind farms. To jumpstart this
growth, the state will invest $150 million in 2016 for a
solicitation to support the construction of large scale
renewable projects such as solar, wind, hydro, and fuel
cells. This financial support, along with new activities
spurred by the Clean Energy Standard, will help build an
additional 300 wind turbines and increase New York’s
wind production by nearly 40 percent by 2020 for a total
generating capacity of 2,200 megawatts, enough wind to
power nearly 800,000 homes.
65
New York has 127 miles of coastline
66
that
present an enormous opportunity to generate energy
through the deployment of offshore wind turbines. As
the state advances a strategy to capture this potential, it
is critical to ensure that offshore wind does not come at
New York has 127 miles of coastline that present an
enormous opportunity to generate energy through the
deployment of offshore wind turbines.
82
the expense of vital coastal habitats and economies,
including tourism, fishing, and boating.
To develop a path forward for the siting of
offshore wind turbines, the state will engage community
members, environmental advocates, and government
partners at all levels to create the New York Offshore
Wind Master Plan that will serve as a blueprint for the
future of offshore wind in New York. The state will
provide $5 million to support the planning effort.
Proposal: Invest $8 Million to Build Out Community
Microgrids
The Clean Energy Fund has invested $10 million
to date to help local communities and municipalities
develop community microgrids—energy systems that
provide customers with an ability to operate
independently in the event of a power outage. The state
awarded 83 first round winners with $100,000 in 2015
to conduct feasibility studies for the construction of
microgrids.
This year the state will invest $8 million to
provide $1 million grants to eight projects that will help
communities take the next step toward building
microgrids. These funds will pay for audit-grade
engineering designs and business plans so communities
83
can then commission bids to construct the microgrids
and increase energy resiliency.
Proposal: Launch the $3 Million “Energy to Lead”
Competition for Colleges and Universities
There are more than 270 colleges and universities
in New York that enroll over 800,000 students.
67
Higher
education institutions consume a great deal of energy,
produce a lot of waste, are hotbeds of innovation and
next-generation discoveries, and educate the leaders of
tomorrow. To capitalize on these opportunities the state
will launch the $3 million Energy to Lead Competition as
part of its broader REV Campus Challenge program. The
Competition will award three $1 million prizes to the
most ambitious, student-led proposals for improving
energy efficiency, installing renewables, and reducing
emissions on their campuses and in their communities.
Proposal: Invest $75 Million in Affordable Housing
and Retrofit 100,000 Units by 2025
Emissions from residential and commercial
buildings in New York contribute 40 percent of the
state’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.
68
New York’s
government-subsidized affordable housing stock—
hundreds of thousands of public and subsidized
84
units
69
—represents a huge opportunity to reduce energy
consumption, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.
As a part of the state’s goal to make 500,000
homes more energy efficient by 2020, the state will work
with the Department of Homes and Community Renewal
and other public and affordable housing agencies to
bring even higher efficiency retrofits to 100,000
multifamily housing units by 2025, cutting costs to
customers, making their homes more comfortable, and
reducing emissions from our building stock. To jump-
start progress toward this goal, the Clean Energy Fund
will invest $75 million over the next three years to help
offset the costs of efficiency upgrades in multifamily
affordable housing. These investments will include
grants and a design competition that will incentivize the
private sector to retrofit affordable housing units to the
highest energy efficiency standards, producing energy
savings of approximately 70 percent below typical
consumption.
The state will also take steps to ensure that all
new affordable housing construction is energy efficient.
To achieve this goal, HCR will modify its programs and
funding allocations to incentivize energy efficient
construction and develop mechanisms to monetize
85
future savings and incorporate into the affordable
housing financing capital structure.
Proposal: Create Clean Energy Workforce
Opportunity Program and Train 10,000 Workers by
2020
New York State’s clean energy sector has grown
nearly 15 percent and added more than 12,000 jobs since
2010.
70
The state has driven this growth through
investments to bring cutting edge clean energy
companies like SolarCity, 1366 Technologies and Soraa
to New York. These companies alone will generate over
6,000 new jobs. As the clean energy sector continues to
grow the state must take steps to ensure that we have
people with the right training to fill these jobs.
To train 10,000 more workers for jobs in the clean
energy sector, the Governor proposes a new $15 million
Clean Energy Workforce Opportunity Program at the
State University of New York (SUNY) that will work with
clean energy companies to develop a new job training
and certification program that will make New York a
leader in clean tech workforce development. Industry
partners identified through the Regional Economic
Development Councils and other industry associations
86
will develop the credentials and certifications that
workers need and develop and offer apprenticeships.
The Workforce Opportunity Program will allow
SUNY colleges, especially technical and community
colleges to expand their capacity to offer industry-
relevant training programs and will offer a unified,
industry recognized certification credential to SUNY
students. The Program will provide funding to train and
hire new faculty and purchase cutting-edge equipment
such as such as Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronic
simulators that will be used in new academic programs.
87
2. EDUCATION: A LADDER
TO OPPORTUNITY
Public education is, and has always been, the
cornerstone of our democracy. Access to education, from
pre-kindergarten through college, can pave the way to
economic and social opportunities, to better jobs and
more successful lives. Our schools are the gateway to the
future for all New Yorkers.
When we invest in education, we invest in our
future as a state and nation – and New York has one of
the largest educational investments in the country.
71
It is
critical that this investment provide quality educational
programs that lead to greater opportunities for every
student in the state. In his first term, Governor Cuomo
has implemented reforms and policies to increase access
to early education, supply schools with 21st century
learning technology and internet connectivity, recognize
and leverage our best teachers, and make college more
affordable. These initiatives have served to improve
access to a high-quality education from a student’s first
day in pre-school all the way through to success in his or
her chosen profession.
88
Building on the successes of his first term,
Governor Cuomo’s Education Transformation Act of
2015 and Opportunity Agenda raised the bar for the
education of every child in New York. From providing
the highest level of state aid to public schools in history,
to ensuring that all students have a prepared and
effective educator, by increasing educational
opportunities for the state’s youngest learners, by
beginning the transformation process of failing schools
to successful ones, and by helping to alleviate the
financial burden of the state’s college students, this
agenda improved educational opportunities in the state
across the board.
The Governor proposes a suite of new initiatives
for 2016 that help learners from early childhood to
college and also embraces the recommendations of the
New York Common Core Task Force that he will work to
implement over the next several years. Taken together,
these proposals will ensure that education in the State of
New York remains a national model of educational
excellence for all children.
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PART ONE: HIGHER EDUCATION
New York currently has over 1.2 million students
enrolled in higher education programs annually across
all sectors. This includes 455,000 students enrolled in
the State University of New York (SUNY), 275,000
students enrolled at the City University of New York
(CUNY), and 532,000 students enrolled in private
colleges and universities across the state.
72
The state currently provides approximately $7
billion in total support for colleges and universities. This
includes $3.9 billion in funding for operations and
employee fringe benefits at SUNY state-operated
campuses and CUNY senior colleges, $1.2 billion in debt
service to pay for capital improvements on SUNY and
CUNY campuses, $1.1 billion
in financial aid to students
through the Tuition
Assistance Program, various
scholarships and loan
forgiveness programs, over
$700 million in support for
community colleges and approximately $100 million for
higher education opportunity programs and aid to
New York State
support for colleges
and universities:
approximately $7
billion.
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private colleges administered by the State Education
Department.
73
Leveraging Higher Education for Economic Development
A strong higher education pipeline is the critical
component that connects our state’s P-12 public
education system to a New York State workforce
prepared for 21
st
century demands. Since 2011,
Governor Cuomo has advanced initiatives that
modernize and streamline higher education in our state
with an eye towards economic development and
developing a modern workforce.
The Governor’s E
2
initiative is a prime example of
this shift in focus. This new way of thinking treats
education and economic development as linked – as they
clearly are in our ever-changing world. Today’s
invention or development on a college campus can, and
should, generate new industries and job demands
tomorrow—across the state and across the world.
Linking Employers to the Classroom
The Governor has also focused new initiatives on
bringing industry input and needs to bear on college
program offerings across the state. The Next Generation
91
NY Job Linkage Program, first launched in 2013, realigns
community college offerings to ensure that in-demand
skills are being taught by building regional partnerships
between employers, Regional Economic Development
Councils, and community colleges. The Job Linkage
program also ties certain funds to successful outcomes,
rewarding community colleges that best prepare
students for graduation and the job market.
In a similar effort to align community college
offerings with regional needs, the Governor directed
SUNY to create regional planning councils to ensure that
the 29 community colleges outside of New York City
collaborate with employers, local government, state
agencies, nearby colleges, and other stakeholders. These
councils are setting regional academic and employment
goals, thereby better aligning program offerings to the
job needs of the region.
Making College Affordable
The Governor also rolled out several new
initiatives in 2015 that directly help current and former
students deal with financing costs of college attendance.
First, in December, the Governor formally rolled out the
Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program. For
92
students who recently graduated college in New York
and earn less than $50,000 annually, this program will
cover 100 percent of their student loan payments while
students begin their careers. In order to qualify, students
must continue to live in New York and enroll in the new
federal Pay as You Earn loan repayment program.
Finally, the Governor has created a Standardized
Financial Aid Letter for students enrolling in college in
2016-17 or thereafter. This standard letter will include
information on student access, degree completion, and
post-graduation success. It will also provide information
on total costs of attendance, total aid offered, and total
amount that will need to be repaid after graduation. As
college costs continue to rise it is critical that students
and their parents are able to compare the full cost of
attendance across different colleges and universities to
make an informed choice.
In 2016, Governor Cuomo proposes that we build
on this progress to modernize our public university
systems, align college offerings with workforce needs,
incentivize success, and expand college access to
students across the state. The Governor will also
continue to implement his E
2
strategy to leverage our
higher education system to drive economic
93
development. As part of this strategy the state has sought
to link higher education to industry and has invested in
efforts to commercialize research and technology from
our colleges and universities to bring new products to
market through programs such as the Innovation Hot
Spots/Business Incubators and START-UP NY.
Proposal: Extend the NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
Program
Comprising the backbone of New York’s two
public systems of higher education, the 47 four-year
colleges and universities of State University of New York
(SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY)
together annually enroll 396,000 full- and part-time
degree seeking students.
The state established the public-private NYSUNY
2020 and NYCUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program in
2011 to link the higher education system to economic
development. The program incentivizes bottom-up,
individualized, long-term economic development plans
on SUNY and CUNY campuses that include public-private
partnerships to benefit the campuses and surrounding
communities. Projects must demonstrate measureable
impact on both the academic experience of students and
lasting economic impact through workforce
94
development and research activities with the potential to
lead to commercialization. Since its inception, the
Program has provided $470 million in new capital
matching grant funding through Empire State
Development to implement winning plans.
SUNY is applying the $305 million in award
funding it has received to date to enhance the academic
and economic impact its campuses have on the state.
Awards are being used to fund innovative programs at
both SUNY State-Operated campuses and community
colleges, modernizing the academic experience of all
New York students. Such projects include the creation of
a SUNY Manufacturing Alliance for Research and
Technology Transfer between 7 community colleges and
Morrisville State College, an engineering innovation hub
through SUNY New Paltz, and a Manufacturing and
Technology Resource Center for the North County. These
game changing awards also support projects at CUNY,
which to date, has provided $165 million in funding for a
new Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay,
Allied Health Training for Employment in the Bronx and
a New Media Jobs Incubator and Innovation Hub, among
others.
95
In 2011, Governor Cuomo established the
NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020 program to keep
tuition increases low and predictable while providing
$470 million in additional resources to New York’s
public colleges and universities. NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 fixed an unpredictable tuition
rollercoaster that prevented students and their families
from being able to plan for the full cost of their education
and ended the days of drastic tuition spikes upward of 45
percent. After five years of predictable tuition, New
York’s public four-year resident rates remain the lowest
in the northeast and in the lowest quartile nationally.
74
This legislation also allowed campuses to better
plan and leverage the state’s investments for student
success. For instance, since the enactment of this
legislation, SUNY has used the proceeds from tuition
increases to hire more than 520 net new instructional
staff (270 of whom are full-time faculty), and to establish
over 100 new degree programs in high-need fields to
ensure New Yorkers are prepared for the jobs of the
future.
75
Importantly, pursuant to legislation, SUNY and
CUNY also invested nearly 30 percent of these proceeds
to provide tuition credits to students eligible for the
Tuition Assistance Program. These new SUNY and CUNY
96
investments in a TAP Tuition Credit ensured that the
neediest students can attend college tuition-free.
To keep tuition low and predictable and infuse
additional funds into our SUNY and CUNY systems, the
Governor proposes extending the 2011 legislation for an
additional five years. Under this rational tuition
proposal, SUNY and CUNY will be able to raise tuition up
to $300 annually, provided they are able to demonstrate
considerable efforts to reduce spending and that any
increase is tied to appropriate inflationary indices.
Additional revenue generated by any tuition increase
would need to be put in a “lockbox” to support faculty,
improve instruction and provide tuition credits for TAP-
eligible students. A $300 annual tuition increase would
raise $89 million annually for SUNY and $51 million for
CUNY. This program will continue to provide $110
million in new capital matching grant funding through
Empire State Development for the NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program and will be
coupled with an additional projected increase of $400
million in public funding over the next five years.
97
Proposal: Expand SUNY and CUNY Performance
Initiatives
In 2013, Governor Cuomo began the process of
partially shifting funding for SUNY and CUNY from
enrollment-based funding to an approach linked to
campus performance with the initiation of the Next
Generation Jobs Linkage Program. This innovative
program has provided $5 million annually in incentive
funding to SUNY and CUNY community colleges that help
students get jobs upon graduation.
In 2015, Governor Cuomo extended this concept
with the inception of the $30 million SUNY and CUNY
Investment and Performance Fund. Under this plan,
colleges are required to complete performance
improvement plans subject to Board of Trustee approval.
Based on identified goals, each system allocates funds to
the colleges’ prioritized projects with the goal of
improving outcomes in student access, completion, and
post-graduation success.
This year, the Governor will continue both of
these performance incentive programs and proposes
that SUNY and CUNY combine campus performance
plans into a comprehensive system-wide plan.
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Proposal: Expand Commercialization
Opportunities—Launch Bio-Science Venture Capital
Competition
New York universities rank second nationally in
total research spending, with over $4 billion spent
annually
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but New York continues to lag behind
California and Massachusetts in commercializing
research and generating new economic activity.
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New
York also has tremendous intellectual capital and
infrastructure in the bio-sciences, ranking third among
states in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research
funding at $2.1 billion in 2014.
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In 2014, the bio-
sciences industry represented 41,554 jobs in the state,
comprising $7.5 billion of the state’s overall economy.
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To inspire more startup companies, like
Regeneron, to start and expand in New York, the
Governor will launch the $1 million Bio-Science Venture
Capital Competition. The competition will stimulate
growth in the bio-science industry through a multi-year
venture capital contest focused on selecting the most
promising startups and providing funding to support the
commercialization of technologies developed within
New York State universities and research labs.
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Proposal: BioElectronic Facility at Nassau Hub
To leverage Long Island’s existing higher
education science and research assets, the Governor
proposes to invest $50 million to build a state-of-the-art
BioElectronic research and development facility at the
Nassau Hub, a new mixed-use retail and commercial
development project at the site of the former Nassau
Coliseum. The facility will generate cutting-edge
research that marries the disciplines of Neuroscience,
Electronics with Computing and Molecular Medicine and
commercialize the research into new medicines.
The Center will build upon the state’s model of
public-private partnerships for higher education-based
economic development and will be anchored by Hofstra
University, in collaboration with North Shore LIJ, the
Feinstein Institute, and Stony Brook University. The
project will leverage $300 million in private sector
investment to support 650 jobs in the region.
Proposal: Create the New York State Innovation
Database
New York now ranks second nationally in total
university R&D spending. But, under current practice,
too many new discoveries remain “on the shelf” in
university patent offices. To address this, New York will
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establish a statewide database managed by Empire State
Development that will make unused university R&D
discoveries searchable—connecting discoveries with
those who can apply them commercially. This new
database will improve the tech transfer process for
public and private research institutions by making it
easy for entrepreneurs to access research discoveries
and intellectual property, incorporating them into new
companies.
Proposal: Expanding Educational and Economic
Opportunity to All by Expanding Access to Early
College and CTE Programs
Governor Cuomo recognizes that the traditional
pathway from high school to a job or college is not always
the best option for students. He has consistently
supported innovative alternate routes for students to
enter college or start a career after graduation. New
York is a national leader in the Early College High School
movement and in Career and Technical Education for
high school students. In 2016, Governor Cuomo
proposes a three-part plan to strengthen and expand
these programs for thousands of students.
The state has more than 65 early college high
schools that currently enroll more than 7,300 students;
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enrollment will climb to more than 15,000 students by
the 2020-2021 school year.
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These high schools utilize
one of two models. The first is the Smart Scholars Early
College High School model, which was established in
2010 to provide students with the opportunity to earn a
minimum of 24 transferable, general education college
credits while they are in high school. There are currently
23 Smart Scholars schools in New York. The second is the
career oriented grade 9-14 Pathways to Technology
Early College (P-TECH) High School model, which was
first established in 2013 to provide students access to a
high school diploma and associate degree in one
integrated program. P-TECH High Schools also bring
businesses to the educational process and provide
students with internships and access to post-graduation
job opportunities. Both models target students from low-
income backgrounds and populations traditionally
under-represented in college. Since 2010, the state has
invested over $28 million in these innovative
programs.
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New York’s Early College High Schools have been
highly successful in helping students get a jump start on
college by helping thousands of students earn college
credit while still enrolled in high school. One of the
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strengths of the P-TECH program is that it not only
allows students to earn college credit in high school, but
also connects graduates directly to jobs. However, most
students in the Smart Scholars schools are unable to
complete an associate degree by graduation. They often
enroll in community college to complete their associate
degree, but may fail to complete an associate degree or
go on to receive a four-year degree. The Governor seeks
to ensure that Smart Scholars programs provide
participating students with an associate degree as well
as a direct link to further study and a higher-level degree.
First, the Governor proposes investing $3 million
to create the Smart Transfer Program. This new initiative
will transform certain existing Early College high schools
into Smart Transfer high schools. Smart Transfer high
schools will partner with a four-year college or
university and re-structure their academic program to
ensure that students can complete an associate degree
while in high school, at no cost to the student, and then
successfully transfer to a four-year college. The
partnering higher education institution will provide
transfer students with cohort-based student supports
and academic advising, and will pledge that participating
students will be able to complete a bachelor’s degree
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within two years of transfer. The Smart Transfer
Program will improve the high school to college pipeline
for these students by easing roadblocks to successful
transfer to, and graduation from, a four-year college or
university.
In 2014, the New York State Board of Regents
approved a Career and Technical Education pathway to
high school graduation. In this new pathway, students
enrolled in approved CTE programs could use an
approved industry standard certification exam to
replace one Regents exam in graduation requirements.
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Second, to ensure that this pathway leads to both
college and career readiness, Governor Cuomo will
invest $1 million to support a package of reforms to the
CTE sector that will ensure access for unique student
populations as well as ensure that professionals are in
the classrooms. First, the Governor proposes that the
New York State Education Department Office of Career
and Technical Education eliminate barriers to Students
with Disabilities and English Language Learners by
requiring CTE providers such as large school districts
and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)
to demonstrate that all CTE programs and activities are
ADA, IDEA and Section 504 compliant and that the needs
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of English Language Learners are met through bilingual
programs and materials where applicable and that
language instruction be integrated with content. A
successful model for this is the Integrated Basic
Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) model developed
in Washington State, which contextualizes language and
math instruction into CTE courses.
Next, the Governor proposes that CTE providers
expand their programs and engage with local workforce
development agencies, the Regional Economic
Development Councils, and the Community College
Regional Planning Councils to ensure that these new
programs align with local needs and opportunities for
additional training, and that industry partners are at the
table when additional credentials are developed or
identified.
Finally, the Governor proposes that the State
Education Department update its regulations to remove
the requirement that CTE teachers must also satisfy the
certification requirements needed for an initial teaching
license. This change will reduce the amount of time and
overly burdensome certification requirements for CTE
teachers and ensure that we have professionals with the
right skills and desire in our classrooms.
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Proposal: Expand Community College Community
Schools
In 2015, Governor Cuomo extended the
community schools concept to five community colleges –
recognizing that many times, student success is tied to
factors that are outside the college classroom itself.
Under this new $2.5 million funding stream,
participating colleges work with community based
service providers, state and local agencies and others to
bring coordinated services inside the college walls to
meet the needs of distressed students and their families.
Interest in this program was strong, with 15 colleges
applying for five awards.
This year, Governor Cuomo will extend the work
begun last year to include three additional community
college community schools. These new programs will
address student needs such as child and elder care,
transportation, health care services, family counseling,
and employment assistance. Through this effort, more
students and their families will have the support they
need to reach their educational goals.
Proposal: Enact the DREAM Act
As the face of America changes, at no time in our
history has the meaning of the Statue of Liberty been
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more important. No different than our forefathers and
mothers over two centuries ago, new Americans are
establishing their roots and livelihoods in New York
every day.
Currently, across our state, undocumented
immigrant students graduating from New York high
schools face an
uncertain future.
These students are
unable to receive state
financial aid, often
making it impossible
to attend college and
prepare for their
chosen career. The Governor again proposes passing the
DREAM Act, which will support the advancement of
undocumented immigrants by enabling them to apply for
state college tuition assistance. This initiative continues
the state's tradition of welcoming immigrants and
honoring their contribution to our culture and economy.
As the face of America
changes, at no time in our
history has the meaning of
the Statue of Liberty been
more important.
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PART TWO: PRE-KINDERGARTEN-12 EDUCATION
Over the last five years, Governor Cuomo has
maintained unprecedented support and commitment to
ensure that every child in New York State receives a high-
quality education. Under the Governor’s leadership, high
school graduation rates have increased,
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the highest
number of four year old students are enrolled in pre-
kindergarten in the
state’s history,
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and
outstanding teachers
are recognized while
holding failing schools
and struggling
educators to high
standards. The Governor has ended the educational
status quo and provided unprecedented levels of support
for public schools. Under the Governor’s leadership,
School Aid has increased year after year, reaching a
historic high of $23.5 billion in 2015, and the state has
supported educational innovations such as the state’s
282 approved charter schools
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and 62 community
schools.
Under Governor Cuomo,
funding for public schools
is at the highest level in
history: $23.5 billion in
2015.
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To build on this success, the Governor proposes
an increased level of support for schools, families and
teachers through increased school aid and the Education
Tax Credit, the removal of the barriers between schools
and the community by ensuring the transformation of
failing schools into community schools and supporting
the expansion of successful programs, such as pre-
kindergarten.
The Governor will also continue to expand the
New York State Mentoring Program, chaired pro-bono by
Mrs. Matilda Raffa Cuomo. This critical program matches
children facing personal, economic, and social obstacles
with volunteers from businesses and organizations in all
regions of the state to encourage social and emotional
growth, to improve confidence and strength of character,
and to foster better outcomes within underserved
communities.
Finally, the Governor will continue to support
testing reduction, the development of high quality
teaching and learning standards that are periodically and
transparently reviewed by educators, stakeholder
engagement in the development and review of tests, and
flexibility for local districts to individualize curriculum
and instruction.
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Proposal: Increase School Aid to Highest Level in
History
Last year, New York State enacted a budget that
raised funding for public school districts to the highest
level in history--$23.5 billion. That money supported
almost 700 school districts,
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and 2.8 million students in
grades pre-kindergarten through twelve.
87
New York
State spends more per pupil than any state in the nation,
at an average of $19,818, almost double the national
average of $10,700.
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New York is proud of its
commitment and investment in its public schools as they
continue to innovate, educate, and provide the greatest
known equalizer in history—a quality education.
However, the Governor recognizes that although
many of our schools are offering a great education, the
very real issues of poverty and inequality faced by many
students are barriers to students receiving an excellent
education. Issues of hunger, homelessness, and feeling
unsafe threaten our great public schools’ abilities to
educate our young learners, and to prepare them with
the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve their
goals.
Our public schools are being asked and expected
to do more to prepare students for a changing world.
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Accordingly, the Governor proposes to significantly
increase the state’s investment in public schools—an
increase of $2.1 billion over two years, including a nearly
$1 billion increase this year alone. The Governor’s
proposal will provide operating aid increases to every
school district in the state, and will once again move
statewide education support to record levels.
Proposal: Eliminate the Gap Elimination Adjustment
This $2.1 billion school aid increase will also
allow the state to eliminate the outstanding $434 million
Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) over two years, as
well as provide an operating increase to every school
district in the state. The GEA was first enacted in 2009 in
order to combat the drastic world-wide financial
recession. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the state
has been diligently working to restore the GEA for every
school district affected. The Governor proposes that over
the next two years, the GEA will be entirely eliminated
once and for all. This two-year plan to eliminate the GEA
allows school districts a predictable revenue stream to
enhance long-term financial planning and support
responsible budget practices.
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Proposal: Establish the $100 Million Community
Schools Transformation Fund to Transform Failing
Schools
Under the Governor’s leadership in last year’s
budget, legislation was enacted to identify 144 of the
lowest performing schools in the state,
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and the
superintendents of those schools were given
unprecedented powers to support their efforts in
promoting the rapid maximization of student
achievement. Schools identified as failing must show
demonstrable improvement on several indicators such
as improving student achievement and reducing chronic
absenteeism. In addition, $75 million was made available
to support the turn-around efforts in those schools
identified by the State Education Department (SED) as
being in the lowest accountability status for a decade,
identified as the persistently failing schools.
This funding was made available for persistently
failing schools to employ community school
coordinators, for additional instruction time during and
after the school day, to reduce class sizes, and additional
staff for mathematics and literacy intervention, bilingual
programming, counselors and other staff. In addition, the
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funding supports the transformation of these 20
persistently failing schools into community schools.
Community schools address issues of poverty by
working together with government and nonprofit
service providers to ensure that every student is
prepared, safe, healthy and ready to learn. This new
investment in community school transformation will
build on the Governor’s 2013 initiative that invested $30
million to develop 62 community schools in high-need
school districts.
[3]
Schools transforming into community
schools were allowed to use grant funds of up to
$500,000 to support activities such as the hiring of a
community school coordinator, before-and-after school
mentoring, summer learning activities, and referrals and
connections to medical, dental, and other social services.
Building on these past successes, the Governor
proposes that all failing schools be transformed into
community schools and that other high-need school
districts will be eligible to access the $100 million to
transform their schools to community schools. There are
still approximately 90,000
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students enrolled in schools
identified as failing. These students require and deserve
immediate action. The Governor therefore proposes that
of the new $100 million for the Community Schools fund,
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a fund of $75 million be specifically allocated amongst
the 17 school districts which currently house a failing or
persistently failing schools to support their efforts to
turn around the school through the establishment of a
community school model.
Proposal: $200 Supplies Credit for Teachers
Governor Cuomo has long supported initiatives
designed to attract and retain excellent teachers in New
York schools. Teachers work hard and support their
students, and the state should encourage and support
these teachers. In order to give back to teachers who
purchase instructional materials or other supplies for
their classrooms, the Governor proposes $10 million in
tax credits to reimburse teachers up to $200 for their
purchases of classroom materials and supplies.
Proposal: Establish an Education Tax Credit
Currently, there are over 400,000
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children in
non-public schools in New York. To support choice and
innovation in education, Governor Cuomo proposes to
create a $150 million Education Tax Credit. Under this
proposal, taxpayers will be able to claim a tax credit for
eligible contributions to scholarship organizations and
public schools. This initiative would also support a new
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tax credit directly to families to offset nonpublic school
tuition expenses.
Proposal: Support School Choice
All students and families should have choices
regarding what is the best school for the individual
student. In order to protect and expand school choice for
parents and students, Governor Cuomo has increased
funding for charter schools and guaranteed facility
access in New York City, while also strengthening the
Comptroller’s power to audit charter schools to ensure
quality. In addition, the Governor has increased the
charter cap in New York City and increased flexibility for
charter school authorizers. Charter schools are an
important component of our school system and the
Governor will continue to encourage their development
in this budget.
Proposal: Examine Enrollment and Retention Policies
in Charter Schools
The Governor remains committed to expanding a
family’s choice in education, but these choices must be
fair and equal. Schools are the center of a community,
and public schools, including charter schools, must be
designed to serve all children across that community.
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Current law includes significant parameters and
requirements to ensure that charter schools institute fair
and transparent enrollment and retention practices.
However, over the past several years, anecdotal evidence
of troubling practices has occasionally arisen. As is true
in all areas of government, the perception of a problem
can be a problem in and of itself. Accordingly, the
Governor proposes that the state examine charter school
enrollment and retention issues in the coming year –
including current law, current regulations, and current
practices – and take all necessary steps to improve the
fairness and transparency of the system.
Proposal: Restoring the Trust in Education: The
Common Core Task Force
Responding to the confusion and chaos related to
past implementation of the Common Core, Governor
Cuomo appointed a 15-member Task Force to review
state standards, curriculum, and assessments. In
December 2015, the Task Force issued a 50-plus page
report and 21 recommendations based on feedback
received from parents, teachers, students, and other
education experts across 12 public engagement sessions,
as well as on over 2,000 comments and conversations
with stakeholders.
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Likewise, we will not rest until our K-12
education system is the best in the nation. Last year we
made dramatic changes. We reduced testing, increased
parental participation and empowered local districts.
These reforms were essential because we saw parents
losing faith in the system. Roughly 20 percent of students
opted out of exams and in some districts it was as high as
90 percent. Simply put, the education system fails
without parental trust. To restore the trust we said we
would correct the State Education Department’s
Common Core curriculum implementation mistakes and
testing regimen. Time has shown that this is the right
decision and we urge the State Education Department to
do it right this time and are all fully available to assist in
and monitor that effort.
After careful review, the Governor accepts all 21
recommendations of the Common Core Task Force
report. The Task Force recommendations include the
use of developmentally appropriate standards infused
with stakeholder input which will be periodically
reviewed and updated; shortening the number of test
days and test questions; increasing transparency of
assessments and assessment reports; expanding support
and development for educators to create or adapt
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curriculum to meet the needs of individual students; and
protecting students with disabilities and English
language learners from inappropriate testing. In
addition, the task force recommended – and the Regents
adopted – a transitional period until 2019 during which
the results of the third through eighth grade ELA and
Math State standardized assessments will be advisory
only for individual students and teachers.
The Governor urges the State Education
Department (SED) to implement each of these
recommendations through administrative action, while
maintaining an open and transparent dialogue with
education stakeholders across the state. Governor
Cuomo stands ready to assist in and monitor these
efforts, as it is of critical importance that we get it right
this time.
Proposal: Expand Pre-Kindergarten for Three Year
Olds
Early education is the pathway to future success.
When we in invest in our youngest New Yorkers, we
invest not only in their growth but in our own future.
Research has demonstrated that high-quality pre-
kindergarten, especially for high-need students, has one
of the greatest returns on investment of any social
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policy.
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Due to the Governor’s unwavering belief in the
importance of the investment in our youngest learners,
the state has more than doubled its annual commitment
to pre-kindergarten
during Governor
Cuomo’s time in
office from 385 to
785.
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There are
now nearly 120,000
students served in
the state’s pre-
kindergarten
programs, many in full-day spots.
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This has created
unprecedented access to early childhood education in
the state.
The Governor invested an additional $30 million
last year to support pre-kindergarten for 3,000
additional three year or four year olds in high-need
districts. Research has suggested that access to high-
quality early childcare education, especially in the
younger years, has substantial effects on a child’s long-
term brain development.
95
However, more districts
applied for state funds to offer a program for three year
Early education is the
pathway to future success.
When we invest in our
youngest New Yorkers, we
invest not only in their
growth but in our own
future.
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olds than could be supported by last year’s funding. To
serve that need, the Governor proposes an additional
$22 million investment in pre-kindergarten for three
year olds that will support the provision of early
childhood education to an additional 2,000-2,500 three
year old students and ensure that these children will
have even earlier access to high-quality instruction
during the critical brain and language development
years, along with opportunities to build confidence and
social skills through activity and play.
Proposal: Expand Quality Monitoring and
Improvement in Pre-Kindergarten
Last year, Governor Cuomo established the first
state-level funding commitment to ensuring quality in
early childhood settings by allocating $3 million for
QUALITYstarsNY, the state’s tiered quality rating and
improvement system. The Governor proposes allocating
an additional $2 million to support the work of
QUALITYstarsNY to allow even more early childhood
settings to be monitored, reviewed, and given the tools
they need to succeed in providing high-quality early
education. In addition, QUALITYstarsNY also provides
necessary transparency to the system, as it gives parents
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a clear way of understanding the quality of the education
and care received at the early childhood setting.
In the past, participation in QUALITYstarsNY has
been voluntary. However, some of the state’s most
vulnerable children are served in early childhood care
and education settings that may deeply benefit from
quality monitoring and improvements, and have not yet
volunteered. In order to ensure high-quality education
and care for vulnerable students, settings identified by
licensing agencies such as the Office of Children and
Family Services, the State Education Department, or the
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
as needing extra support will be required to participate
in QUALITYstarsNY as a condition of receiving state
funds.
Proposal: Extend Mayoral Control in New York City
New York City has had mayoral control over its
public school system since 2002; the authority is
currently set to expire in 2016. Governor Cuomo
supports a three-year extension of New York City
mayoral control this year. In addition, Governor Cuomo
encourages mayors of other cities across the state to
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examine whether mayoral control of schools would help
to support and enhance student achievement.
Proposal: Make Schools Safer
In an emergency situation, seconds matter. There
cannot be even momentary confusion over what to do or
who is in charge in an emergency when children are
involved. In order to prevent this confusion, the
Governor proposes legislative changes to overhaul and
modernize the current section of law that governs school
safety plans. These changes will clarify the difference
between district and school safety plans, especially in
regard to protecting confidential information, and will
ensure that all school staff undergo mandatory annual
training on district safety and school emergency plans. In
addition, the Governor proposes that each district be
required to designate a school or district employee as
Chief Emergency Officer to ensure that there is a clear
point person responsible for all emergency coordination
and training, all communications, and all school and
district safety plan monitoring.
The Governor also proposes to modernize the
current fire drill law to replace a small number of
currently required fire drills with practice and
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preparation sessions tailored to other types of
emergency situations, such as lock-down drills. Under
current law, schools are required to hold 12 fire drills
every year to keep New York children safe. However,
New York and the nation are consistently faced with new
and evolving threats to student safety that may require a
different type of response than that required during a
fire-related emergency. Shifting the focus of some
currently required fire drills to allow for other
emergency preparation has the support of the New York
State Police, the New York Division of Homeland Security
and Emergency Services, and the New York Safe Schools
Task Force.
Finally, the Governor proposes that SED be
authorized to administratively forgive a school day
shortfall when a school closes in an emergency situation
after a credible threat to student safety. Under Education
Law, in order to receive the full amount of State Aid,
school districts must operate for 180 school days.
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In
recent years, school districts have had to petition the
legislature for specific acts of legislation to initiate aid
forgiveness for instances when a school had to close its
doors late in the school year under the advisement of law
enforcement professionals. We must enable school
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district personnel to make decisions that protect
students’ safety without putting state aid to school
districts in jeopardy, and the Governor’s proposal would
ensure that safety is the first and only consideration in
any emergency.
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3. PRESERVING OUR
ENVIRONMENT AND
OPEN SPACE
New York is home to remarkable environmental
assets; from the forty six peaks of the Adirondacks, to the
shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, to the rolling hills
of the Finger Lakes and Susquehanna Basin, to the
Mohawk River corridor through the Hudson Valley and
the Catskills, to New York Harbor and Long Island. No
other state in the nation can compete with New York’s
natural resources.
Over his first five years in office, Governor Cuomo
has dedicated historic levels of investment to protect,
expand and enhance the state’s unparalleled air, land and
water resources. Since taking office in 2011, Governor
Cuomo has worked in partnership with the State
Legislature to provide unprecedented capital funding to
State Parks, water and wastewater infrastructure and
land preservation while also restoring funding to the
Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Early in his
tenure, Governor Cuomo signed power plant siting
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legislation that had been stalled for years that ensures no
new coal fired power plants will be constructed in New
York State. Governor Cuomo also leveraged the success
of his Regional Economic Development Councils by
investing $100 million dollars in the state’s multi-year
Cleaner, Greener Communities Program to develop
regional sustainability planning and implement projects
that drive investments in renewable energy, smart
growth, and local parks and trails systems.
In 2014, at the direction of Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe
Martens and Department of Health Commissioner Dr.
Howard Zucker, New York State announced a ban on
high-volume hydraulic fracking of natural gas. The
Governor has also prioritized reducing the state’s carbon
footprint while also adapting our response efforts and
infrastructure to better withstand severe weather like
Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, Superstorm Sandy,
and the 2014 Buffalo snow storm that brought eight feet
of snow to southern Erie County. The State Energy Plan,
issued in 2015, helps to further these goals through a
focus on reducing carbon emissions by 40 percent below
1990 levels by 2030 and ensuring that 50 percent of the
energy used by New Yorkers come from renewable
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resources by the same date. The State Energy Plan
reinforces and builds upon ongoing work to Reform the
State’s Energy Vision (REV) and develop a 21st century
power grid.
In December, Governor Cuomo reinforced his
commitment to the goals outlined in the State Energy
Plan and directed the Department of Public Service to
advance a proceeding before the Public Service
Commission to mandate that 50 percent of the state’s
energy come from renewable sources by 2030. This
mandate will ensure that New York achieves its
aggressive emissions
reduction goal and
will drive billions of
dollars of investment
into the state’s clean
energy economy as
companies develop
new technologies and
install new sources of
renewable energy.
In 2016, Governor Cuomo is committed to build
on previous environmental accomplishments with
historic investments in the state’s parks, recreation, and
Over his first five years in
office, Governor Cuomo has
dedicated historic levels of
investment to protect,
expand and enhance the
state’s unparalleled air,
land and water resources.
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tourism assets and increased funding for the state’s
program that supports critical water infrastructure
improvements. The Governor will also advance a
renewed and aggressive environmental justice agenda.
Proposal: Increase the Environmental Protection
Fund to $300 Million
When Governor Cuomo took office in 2011, the
State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) stood at
$134 million, nearly 50 percent lower than its historic
high of $255 million in 2008. Over the past five years the
Governor has worked tirelessly to restrain government
spending and maintain fiscal discipline while restoring
EPF funding to its current level of $177 million. To
provide increased funding for investments in land
acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species
prevention and eradication, waterfront revitalization,
and environmental justice programming the Governor
proposes an unprecedented and historic $300 million
investment in the EPF. This long aspired, yet never
achieved funding milestone will set a new benchmark for
environmental protection in New York State, one that
Governor Cuomo is committed to preserving throughout
his tenure and beyond.
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Year State EPF Allocation
2011-12 $134M
2012-13 $134M
2013-14 $153M
2014-15 $162M
2015-16 $177M
2016-17 $300M
In addition to expanding investment in existing
EPF funding categories, the Governor proposes the
creation of a new Climate Change Mitigation and
Adaption category in the EPF. Climate change is a
generational and existential problem that requires
billions of dollars of investment to limit and reduce the
severe impacts of sea level rise and extreme weather.
While the state has made strides in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions from the power sector through the multi-
state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), new
EPF funding will support the state’s aggressive efforts to
reduce emissions from sources not included within the
RGGI platform, including landfills, water treatment
facilities, and commercial buildings. Funds in the
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proposed Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption
category will support investments in priority projects
that address sea level rise, enhance resiliency against
extreme weather, and increase flood mitigation and
coastal protection.
Proposal: Make New York Coal Free By 2020
Coal is one of the highest greenhouse gas emitting
and environmentally harmful fuel sources for power
generation. While coal supplied the bulk of our energy
needs up until the 1950s,
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the nation now enjoys access
to cleaner, greener and more sustainable energy
resources for power production. In fact, today, New York
State has only three active coal fired power plants that
produce less than 4 percent of the state’s energy load and
one plant is scheduled for closure in 2016.
To achieve the state’s goal of reducing carbon
dioxide emissions from the energy sector 40 percent by
2030 the Governor seeks to close or repower the two
remaining coal burning power plants to natural gas by
2020. To accomplish this goal, the Governor will direct
the Department of Public Service and the DEC to work
with the New York Independent System Operator to
develop a regulatory framework that will ensure system
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reliability while facilitating repowering to cleaner fuel or
closure no later than 2020.
To minimize economic impact on communities
and workers the Governor will draw upon the state’s
existing $19 million mitigation fund to offset financial
losses associated with the retirement of aging or
obsolete power plants. Governor Cuomo is committed to
working with plant owners and host communities to
achieve his objective in a manner that will preserve jobs
or retrain current employees for new jobs in New York’s
clean energy economy and provide tax revenue
stabilization assistance to local governments and school
districts.
Proposal: Advance $7 Million for Environmental
Justice Programming
Minority and low-income communities are too
often disproportionately impacted by air pollution,
contamination from power plants, landfills, and former
industrial sites as well as harmful emissions from high
volumes of automobile traffic. The state has already
invested $3 million in 89 different environmental justice
focused initiatives through the DEC’s Office of
Environmental Justice. Moreover, Governor Cuomo’s
Parks 2020 initiative includes $42 million in state
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funding and $45 million in Sandy recovery funds to
enhance Riverbank and Roberto Clemente State Parks,
which together serve more than 4 million visitors, many
of whom live in underserved and low income
neighborhoods in Harlem and the Bronx.
This year, Governor Cuomo will launch a
statewide environmental equity and justice framework
that reaches beyond DEC’s current program. This
framework will ensure that all state agencies align their
operations with environmental justice and equity
principles, simultaneously addressing a broad range of
issues affecting the health, economic, and social stability
of low-income and minority communities, which are
disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens.
To further advance the state’s environmental
justice priorities, the Governor proposes $7 million in
funding from the Environmental Protection Fund to
expand environmental justice programming. This
investment will double the state’s environmental justice
grant program and provide direct funding for improved
air quality monitoring, citizen science, outdoor
recreational access and education and outreach efforts
designed to improve the environmental and public
health of disproportionately impacted communities.
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Through these efforts, the state will build upon regional
and local initiatives, and ensure meaningful involvement
from community leaders in environmental decision
making.
The EPF will also provide inner-city and
underserved communities with a record $10 million for
waterfront revitalization planning and projects as well as
$10 million for municipal park improvements.
Proposal: Increase Water Infrastructure Investment
Act of 2015 to $300 Million
To protect New York’s water resources,
community health, and prospects for future economic
growth the state must rehabilitate and modernize our
aging drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
Last year, Governor Cuomo joined with the State
Legislature to enact the Water Infrastructure
Improvement Act (WIIA) of 2015 that provides $200
million over three fiscal years to fund critical water and
wastewater system improvements. In 2015 the
Environmental Facilities Corporation awarded the first
$50 million from WIIA to forty five water and
wastewater infrastructure projects across the state. This
$50 million investment, when combined with low
interest loans from existing state revolving loan funds,
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leveraged more than $440 million in water
infrastructure projects that saved New York taxpayers
$200 million in avoided municipal debt service.
Due to the early success of this effort and the
oversubscription of the first round of WIIA funding,
Governor Cuomo
proposes an increase of
$100 million under the
Water Infrastructure
Improvement Act that
will bring total funding
to $300 million. These
additional funds will
allow the state to issue
an additional $250
million in grants to municipalities over the next two
years that will leverage more than $1.5 billion in local
water infrastructure investments and create an
estimated 24,000 jobs.
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Proposal: Accelerate $500 Million Nitrogen Pollution
Prevention Program on Long Island
Nitrogen pollution is one of Long Island’s most
pressing environmental challenges. Excess nitrogen in
waterways severely impacts water quality, degrades
Governor Cuomo proposes
an increase of
$100 million under the
Water Infrastructure
Improvement Act that will
bring total funding to
$300 million.
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critical ecosystems, threatens public health, harms vital
and protective coastal wetlands and hinders marine
economies.
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Investing in both traditional and
green infrastructure to control and treat wastewater and
stormwater runoff will help keep nitrogen out of our
waterways.
The state has taken a series of steps to reduce
nitrogen levels on Long Island, including a
transformative $388 million initiative to connect nearly
10,000 Suffolk County households to modern sewer
systems and treatment plants and $3.9 million in grants
to seven targeted projects aimed at reducing nitrogen
pollution in the Peconic Estuary watershed. In Nassau
County, the state is investing more than $190 million to
advance an effluent outfall pipe at the Bay Park
wastewater treatment plant, a long overdue project that
will ensure Long Island’s Western Bays are free from
harmful nutrients.
To build on the success of these combined efforts,
the Governor proposes an additional $10 million
investment to support wastewater and stormwater
projects in Nassau and Suffolk counties through the
EPF’s Water Quality Improvement Program.
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Proposal: Invest $9 Million to Build Advanced Zero
Emission Vehicle Charging Stations
New York’s transportation sector accounts for
approximately one-third of the state’s greenhouse gas
emissions.
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In order to achieve significant reductions
from this sector, the state has invested heavily to remove
barriers that hinder widespread consumer adoption of
zero emission vehicles.
When the Governor
took office in 2011,
there were only 500
electric vehicles on the
road compared to
14,000 today.
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New
York has increased the
number of electric vehicle charging stations from fewer
than a dozen in 2009 to over 1,200 today.
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In order to further increase the number of zero
emission vehicles on our roads, New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will
invest an additional $9 million in the state’s Charge NY
program. This investment will help to build up to 800
additional charging stations around the state. In 2016,
the New York Power Authority and the Thruway
New York has increased
the number of electric
vehicle charging stations
from fewer than a dozen in
2009 to over 1,200 today.
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Authority will also unveil the state’s first high speed
electric car charging stations on the Thruway at rest
areas between New York City to Albany that will provide
a full charge in just 30 minutes to facilitate long-distance
travel.
Proposal: Reduce Organic Waste to Lower Methane
Emissions
Getting food from the farm to our dinner tables is
an expensive, resource intensive process—yet 40
percent of food produced in the United States today goes
uneaten.
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Much of that organic waste is disposed of in
municipal landfills and its decomposition accounts for
over 15 percent of our nation’s methane emissions.
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Methane is a greenhouse gas that has twelve times the
atmospheric impact of carbon dioxide.
105
Meanwhile, an
estimated 2.8 million New Yorkers are facing hunger and
food insecurity.
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To address this dual social justice and
environmental challenge, the Governor will work with
the legislature in 2016 to pass a bill requiring large
generators of food waste to donate edible food and
compost or recycle what is not donated. This legislation
will require New York’s 1,200 large food waste
generators, such as grocery stores, colleges, hospitals,
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and restaurants to donate or recycle the estimated
275,000 tons of food waste annually.
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This will help to
reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfills and
reduce methane emissions while ensuring that hungry
New Yorkers have improved access to quality food. The
state will phase in implementation of any program over
several years to allow for the state-supported
development of food donation programs and recycling
infrastructure. This sequencing will ensure excess food
is donated to feed hungry New Yorkers, used to generate
energy, repurposed as animal feed, or composted.
These efforts will dovetail with the state’s $40
million investment in waste-to-energy infrastructure
and the expanded food waste audit program at the New
York State Pollution Prevention Institute that takes
inventory of operations at large generators to identify
opportunities to reduce waste and increase recycling.
Proposal: Invest $125 Million to Rebuild State Parks
Governor Cuomo has made historic
commitments to improve and expand access to
recreational opportunities in New York’s State Parks. In
2015, the Governor launched NY Parks 2020, a multi-
year commitment to leverage $900 million in funding for
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State Parks improvements. To date, these funds have
supported more than 225 projects to revitalize and
rejuvenate more than 130 State Parks and Historic Sites.
In 2016 the Governor will formally open the Thacher
Park Visitors Center and Letchworth State Park Nature
Center, start construction of the Cave of the Winds
experience at Niagara Falls State Park and complete
recreational enhancements at Buffalo Harbor State
Park—New York’s newest state park.
This year, the Governor proposes $90 million to
further this initiative added to an additional $80 million
investment of storm recovery resources in our State
Parks. In 2016 the Office of Parks Recreation and Historic
Preservation (OPRHP) will continue to debut new
gateways and restore long-treasured flagships
throughout the state with a focus on investments on
Long Island. In 2016, OPRHP will increase its overall
investment in Long Island Park facilities to $182.5
million, including $54.5 million in new investments. This
new investment includes a $34.5 million investment at
Hempstead Lake State Park and an $18 million project to
build the Jones Beach Marketplace that will provide a
variety of food and beverage offerings—including
healthy, local Taste NY options.
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Last April, Governor Cuomo announced that
Robert Moses State Park will become the first energy-
neutral state park in the nation—this month, the state
will break ground on the construction of a 500 kilowatt
solar project to achieve that goal. State Parks will further
advance this initiative with the construction of up to 5
additional megawatts of solar at Jones Beach, Sunken
Meadow State Parks, and Robert Moses State Park. These
solar investments will generate approximately fifty
percent of the electricity demand for Long Island State
Parks and result in the reduction of nearly 5,000 metric
tons of CO2 emissions per year.
Proposal: Launch “Connect Kids” Parks Access
Program and Provide Free Parks Entry for 220,000
Fourth Graders
Sixty two million New Yorkers visited the State
Park system in 2015, an eight percent increase from
2011.
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Despite record breaking attendance, many of
New York’s most vulnerable populations, including
children who live below the poverty line, lack sufficient
access to outdoor recreational assets. This year, as a
component of the state’s enhanced Environmental
Justice programming, Governor Cuomo will launch the
“Connect Kids” program, a partnership between State
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Parks and the Departments of Environmental
Conservation and Health that will provide direct grants
to school districts through the Environmental Protection
Fund’s Environmental Justice Program to cover the costs
of transporting 4,000 school children to State Parks.
In 2016, New York State will also partner with the
National Park Service to extend free entry to State Parks
for all 220,000 fourth grade students and their families
in 2016.
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4. PUBLIC SAFETY
Recent terrorist attacks in Paris, France, and San
Bernardino, California, as well as the arrest of a
Rochester man attempting to support the Islamic State
(ISIL), are tragic reminders of global terrorism. These
attacks have revealed a trend toward coordinated,
homegrown assaults that, in the 21
st
century, can be
exacerbated by social media and networked technology.
Cyber-crime and cyber-terrorism are an increasingly
common threat to the personal and financial safety of
New York’s citizens, government, and businesses. This
new normal of domestic terrorism and cyber-crime
require an expanded approach to the state’s counter
terrorism efforts.
Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the state
has worked closely with federal and other state officials
to implement new strategies to protect New York from
emerging threats. In 2015, the Governor called on the
federal government to prevent known or suspected
terrorists from purchasing guns in New York State. The
Governor also directed state agencies, including the
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
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(DHSES), the New York State Police, the National Guard,
the MTA, and the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey to identify threats and deploy enhanced security
measures to detect and deter acts of terrorism. To curtail
the financing of worldwide criminal and terrorist
networks, the Governor also proposed new anti-
terrorism and anti-money laundering regulations to
prevent illicit transactions.
In 2015, the Governor announced that New York
would create the first-in-the-nation College of
Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and
Cybersecurity at the University at Albany-SUNY to train
the next generation of emergency managers and security
professionals. The state also launched NY Responds, a
comprehensive response to emergency situations and
disasters. DHSES has completed the first phase of NY
Responds and phase two of is underway to deliver
additional upgrades to the incident management system.
The Governor has also initiated important
measures to ensure that New York remains at the
forefront of combating cyber security threats. In 2013,
the Governor created the state’s first Cyber Security
Advisory Board, consisting of several of the country’s
foremost cyber security experts. Since its creation, the
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Board has advised the Governor on developments in
cyber security and has provided recommendations to
protect the state’s critical infrastructure and information
systems. In 2014, the New York State Police established
the Cyber Analysis Unit at the New York State
Intelligence Center to monitor cyber threats and collect
and disseminate vital intelligence on these threats. The
Cyber Analysis Unit is fully staffed with expertly trained
cyber security professionals and will provide timely,
sector specific intelligence reports to law enforcement,
private businesses, and government entities.
To help businesses develop the tools they need to
defend against cyber intrusions the Governor has
directed the Department of Financial Services to join
with their regulatory partners on the state and federal
level, and with representatives from the financial
services industry, to establish concrete industry
standards for the protections of consumers’ personal
information and critical economic data. The Cyber
Security Advisory Board is also partnering with the
Department of State to develop a comprehensive
program of public talks, public service announcements,
and online informational resources to educate New
146
York’s citizens and businesses on the cyber security
threats they face and how they can protect themselves.
While these initiatives will go far to protect New
York’s citizens, the state must do more to combat ever-
evolving, complex threats and prevent future attacks.
Proposal: Establish Permanent Statewide Law
Enforcement Presence to Combat Terrorism
Understanding the need for increased protection
of its citizens in the wake of heightened terrorist threats,
the Governor initiated a counterterrorism surge in the
New York City metro area in 2014 that provided an
increased State Police, MTA Police, and National Guard
presence. The state also launched the “See Something,
Send Something” mobile application in 2015 that allows
New Yorkers to report suspicious activity.
To protect against the increased threat to transit
hubs and critical infrastructure, the state will establish a
permanent State Police presence in New York City. These
specially-trained, uniformed State Troopers will partner
with dozens of investigators to strengthen the law
enforcement presence in and around New York City.
Moreover, the Governor has called for a total investment
of $40 million, which will expand the current surge to
critical infrastructure throughout the state.
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Proposal: Consolidate the Office of Counter Terrorism
with the State Police
In 2015, the Governor announced that former
New York City Police Department Commissioner Ray
Kelly would conduct an in depth assessment of the state’s
existing counterterrorism preparedness and prevention
efforts. Commissioner Kelly has proposed a preliminary
recommendation for the state to consolidate the
operational components of the Office of Counter
Terrorism in DHSES within the New York State Police’s
Office of Counter Terrorism. This shift will increase the
efficiency of the state’s counterterrorism functions by
consolidating all intelligence and analysis resources
within the New York State Intelligence Center, under the
singular command of the New York State Police. The
enhanced unit will monitor all known threats and
identify emerging targets using the latest technology and
techniques. This effort will continue to support federal,
state, local, tribal, and private sector efforts to prevent,
protect against and prepare for acts and threats of
terrorism.
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Proposal: Provide Enhanced Training and Equipment
to State Troopers
Recent terror attacks have revealed a trend
towards coordinated strikes using military-style assault
weapons, as well as home-grown extremists committing
lone-wolf attacks. These attacks are easier to carry out
on American soil and can occur anywhere within New
York State.
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This new normal of terrorism requires an
expanded approach to the state’s counterterrorism
efforts.
The Governor will invest $4 million to prepare
New York State Troopers to respond to this emerging
threat, both in New York City and throughout the state.
This investment will provide rifles, body armor, and
ballistic helmets to all on-duty uniformed troopers, along
with the necessary training to prepare them to respond
to this evolving threat of terrorism.
Proposal: Close the Terror Gap
We know that terrorists are within our borders
and we know that they can and do purchase firearms
from licensed and presumably law abiding firearms
dealers. In fact, a study by the federal government
concluded that 91 percent of firearm and explosives
purchases attempted by individuals on the terror watch
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list were permitted to proceed.
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Yet our federal gun
laws do not currently enable states to prevent the sale of
weapons to potential terrorists. It is reckless and
irresponsible not to share information about possible
terrorists within our borders.
Today, states cannot use the federal
government’s Terror Watch List to determine who may
be licensed to own or permitted to buy a firearm and
Washington D.C. can’t agree on the use of intelligence
information concerning terrorists in gun background
checks. The Governor calls upon the federal government
to officially add the U.S. Terror Watch List to the criteria
it uses for federal background checks in New York
State. This would prevent known or suspected terrorists
from legally purchasing guns and would cross-check the
terror watch list with a National Instant Criminal
Background Check System request, effectively closing
the terror gap within the state and barring individuals on
federal terror watch lists from legally arming
themselves.
Proposal: Protect Critical Infrastructure through
Targeted Security Assessments
The Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit
coordinates the protection of the state’s most vital assets.
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The Unit partners with both public and private sectors to
conduct assessments of critical infrastructure and key
resources, such as power plants and transportation hubs.
These assessments help local governments and
businesses develop comprehensive protection strategies
against evolving threats.
In light of the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino,
as well as the recent revelation that the command center
of a dam within New York State was hacked
112
, the
Governor will direct the Unit to expand the number of
annual security assessments and response exercises and
ensure they occur in all areas of the state, including rural
and suburban locations. These assessments will not only
reveal potential weaknesses and help prevent attacks,
they will also teach us how to respond and mitigate any
damage in the unlikely event of a successful attack. The
Governor proposes to invest $1.3 million to fund these
assessments and exercises to reduce the state’s
vulnerability to terrorism by strengthening readiness
and response.
Proposal: Establish Best-Practice Industry Standards
to Prevent Against Cyber Attacks
It is estimated that cyber-crime costs the global
economy over $445 billion dollars annually and that data
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breaches alone resulted in losses of over $1.3 billion to
New York businesses. Understanding the importance of
developing cyber security standards within New York’s
vital industry sectors, the Governor will direct the Cyber
Security
Advisory Board
to develop
industry-specific
cyber analysis
and protection
consortiums comprised of representatives from across
the state. These consortiums will serve as distribution
hubs for industry-specific cyber security intelligence,
and provide a forum where small and large businesses
alike can exchange information on cyber threats,
vulnerabilities, and available resources to better
respond to cyber incidents. In the coming months, the
state will engage with an array of private industry
leaders to develop cyber security best practices,
intelligence on cyber threats, and analytic and recovery
support to minimize the damage cyber-security breaches
cause. By providing the tools and a forum for
collaboration, the state can help promote economic
It is estimated that cyber-crime
costs the global economy over
$445 billion dollars annually.
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growth and confront a vulnerability that affects all
businesses.
Proposal: Create the Cybersecurity Research
Scholarship to Train the Next Generation of Security
Analysts
New York is home to some of the world’s leading
businesses and public-sector organizations. Our reliance
on networked technologies makes it critical for the state
to do all it can to protect its infrastructure from pervasive
cyber threats.
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The cyber security sector is growing and
the nation’s first College of Emergency Preparedness,
Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity located at the
University at Albany, as well as the cyber security
programs at other SUNY institutions, are well positioned
to help meet this workforce demand.
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To ensure that
we are training the next generation of cyber security
professionals, the Governor will create a new
Scholarship Program for Analysis and Research in
Cybersecurity (SPARC) to provide full tuition support for
students seeking degrees in the field of cyber security at
any SUNY institution. The program will provide fifty
eligible students with a full tuition scholarship toward a
relevant degree in exchange for an equivalent number of
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years of employment in a cyber security position in New
York’s state or local governments. This scholarship
builds upon the Governor’s continued commitment to
provide the talent and tools needed to protect the state's
cyber infrastructure.
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5. SOCIAL JUSTICE
As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The test of
our progress is not whether we add more to the
abundance of those who have much; it is whether we
provide enough for those who have too little.” Since
taking office, Governor Cuomo has been a steadfast
advocate for the most vulnerable New Yorkers.
New York State is fueled by the hard work and
contributions of its diverse residents—from upstate
farmers to downstate urbanites, from generations-old
families to those brand new to our country’s shores. We
live and grow as one, operating according to America’s
motto, E Pluribus Unum, "out of many, one." By lifting
each other up, we fortify the fabric of our communities.
Since his first term in office, Governor Cuomo has
worked to empower all New Yorkers by dismantling
barriers to economic mobility. He has increased public
assistance grants, expanded the reach of community-
driven support networks that provide basic supports like
food and shelter, empaneled an anti-poverty task force,
advanced job-creating tax credits, and leveraged the
power of philanthropy to promote job creation. Each
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step has struck down impediments to individual success,
and made economic mobility possible for all New
Yorkers.
Governor Cuomo will continue to promote
reforms that help working families achieve
independence, security, and prosperity. He will create a
more integrated approach to public assistance programs
to improve access to food, shelter, and employment. He
will build stronger relationships with business, public,
and nonprofit community partners and encourage
coordination between state and local anti-poverty
efforts. The Governor will also fight for essential
protections for hardworking New Yorkers to ensure
equality of opportunity for all those who strive for a
better future. Through these existing and new initiatives,
the Governor will help all New Yorkers maximize their
personal economic potential, and enjoy safe and healthy
communities.
PART ONE: HUMAN SERVICES AND POVERTY
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has
undertaken proactive initiatives to combat hunger and
poverty. He increased public assistance grants in 2012
by 10 percent, fulfilling the final phase of a multi-year
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commitment to increase aid to needy New Yorkers. To
maximize the impact of these investments, the Governor
also created a new Cabinet-level position of Interagency
Coordinator for Nonprofit Services to improve how the
state and nonprofit agencies that deliver human services
to needy New Yorkers work together. The Governor also
approved a new “Nonprofit Unit” at the Department of
Budget to address nonprofit issues.
The Administration launched a new Grants
Gateway, the state’s portal through which nonprofits
apply for grants and contracts. Once fully implemented,
the Grants Gateway will cut the length of time from point
of award to contract execution by up to two months.
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To further support the work of the state’s
nonprofit partners, the Governor created a $50 million
Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program to
make targeted investments in capital projects that will
improve the quality, efficiency, accessibility, and reach of
human services organizations serving New Yorkers.
Applications are due at the end of January, with awards
scheduled to be announced in the spring.
The Governor also created a new Office of Faith-
Based Community Development Services, headed by
former Assemblyman Karim Camara, to leverage and
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assist community and faith-based organizations in the
delivery of education, health, workforce training, food
programs and social services to communities,
particularly those most in need. The new Office, in
partnership with Homes and Community Renewal,
hosted a first-ever series of Housing, Community, and
Faith-Based Development Conferences to empower
nonprofit organizations to partner with New York State
to meet their communities’ needs. Sessions in Utica and
in Rochester drew hundreds of local organizations;
additional regional conferences are planned for 2016.
Putting the state’s strength behind an
unprecedented effort at the community level, Governor
Cuomo appointed the Rochester Anti-Poverty Task Force
in 2015 to work with local public, business, and civic
leaders to end poverty in Rochester and Monroe County.
More than 20 state agencies are leveraging resources to
build a comprehensive, integrated support system that
empowers impoverished families to succeed. The
region’s success in the Upstate Revitalization Initiative
led to a five-year, $500 million state investment that will
increase prosperity through economic growth.
In 2015, Governor Cuomo signed into law
important reforms creating a new “conciliation process”
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in New York City whereby a person on public assistance
will have an opportunity to re-engage with their work
requirements before being subject to debilitating
sanctions. Under the previous system, New York City
residents on public assistance who missed as little as a
single day of work faced automatic suspensions of
benefits for six months as part of a “sanctions process.”
The system also included “auto-posting” whereby a
recipient was sent a computer-generated sanction,
without any human review as to whether the sanction
being imposed was warranted. This system is now in the
past.
Governor Cuomo has made it a priority for state
agencies to operate more efficiently, and New York has
had tremendous success utilizing technology to improve
citizen services. Last year, the state set out to
significantly expand upon the success of the New York
State of Health insurance marketplace – which has
enrolled more than 2.7 million New Yorkers in coverage
– by creating a simple, seamless “no wrong door” system
for health and human services programs. The state is
working to implement an “Integrated Eligibility System”
(IES) by 2018. Leveraging significant federal funding, the
IES will be a flexible, statewide solution that improves
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coordination among programs, reduces costs, and
increases efficiency. The IES will enable service
providers to view real-time data in a single place,
ensuring that programs and services are tailored to suit
individual needs.
Continued Support for At Risk Families and Children
Governor Cuomo has shown ongoing support
for programs for low-income families, such as home
visiting, through the continued funding of Healthy
Families NY (HFNY), via the Office of Children and Family
Services (OCFS), as well as the Nurse-Family
Partnership, via the Department of Health (DOH). These
evidence-based programs have shown positive
outcomes in the communities where they are
In 2015, Governor Cuomo signed into law
important reforms creating a new “conciliation
process” in New York City whereby a person on
public assistance will have an opportunity to
re-engage with their work requirements before
being subject to debilitating sanctions.
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implemented, including improved mother and child
health, reductions in poverty status, and improved
academic outcomes for children.
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HFNY focuses on the
safety of children by supporting families in targeted high
risk communities. Services include educating families on
parenting and child development; connecting families
with medical providers for prenatal/well-baby visits and
immunizations; assessing children for development
delays; and helping families access community referral
resources and services. Positive evaluation outcomes for
HFNY include:
• A 48% reduction in low birth weight
deliveries among women who enrolled
before the 31
st
week of pregnancy;
• Children were 70% more likely to score
above grade level in first grade on three
behaviors that promote learning,
• HFNY children are 2.7 times more likely to be
participating in a gifted program by age 7.
OCFS currently funds 36 HFNY programs across
the state with an average of 5,600 families receiving
services on an annual basis. New
York will continue its support of these critical home
visiting programs, and work to ensure connection in
those cities participating in the expanded anti-poverty
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initiative, expanded Pre-kindergarten, and
additional community schools initiative to maximize the
state's support for at-risk families.
Important work remains. Too many New Yorkers
have yet to participate fully in the economic prosperity
spreading across the state. Still too often, the
investments we make don’t accomplish everything they
should, and the design of public assistance programs
often have unintended consequences and introduce new
barriers to self-sufficiency rather than reward success.
We need a more integrated approach to better support
working families on their path to independence.
Proposal: Expand MWBE Goals to State-Funded
Contracts
Since taking office in 2011, Governor Cuomo has
transformed the State’s Minority and Women-owned
Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program. In 2014, the
Governor increased the MWBE goal for state contracting
from 20 to 30 percent—the highest in the nation. Since
2011, state-certified MWBEs have won more than $6.3
billion in state contracts and the state has certified more
than 4,300 MWBEs and re-certified more than 3,600
MWBEs. In the last two years alone, the state has
certified over 2,000 MWBEs.
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In order to continue building on this promise,
Governor Cuomo will propose legislation during the
2016 session that will expand the MWBE Program to
more contracts entirely funded by the state. Under
current state law, MWBE goals only apply to state-
funded contracts issued by state agencies and
authorities, but do not attach to contracts issued by
localities and other entities which are funded by the
state. The legislation will require MWBE goals on state
funds used for contracting purposes on the local level.
This will leverage the largest pool of state funding in
history to combat systemic discrimination and create
new opportunities for MWBE participation. In doing so,
the state will further its goal to help minority and women
business owners overcome entrenched barriers to
success.
Proposal: Create the $25 Million Empire State
Poverty Reduction Initiative
Despite historic economic progress in New York
State, pockets of concentrated poverty persist and
require integrated solutions that address employment,
housing, health and other issues. The statewide poverty
rate is 15.9 percent but communities such as Buffalo,
Schenectady, Jamestown, and Utica have poverty rates as
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high as 31 percent. This year, the Governor is launching
the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI), a
new initiative that will provide $5 million in operating
aid and a pool of $20 million in capital funding to assist
10 high-poverty communities around the state to create
and implement comprehensive plans to reduce poverty.
ESPRI is modeled on the state’s Rochester Anti-
Poverty Task Force, which is adding the state’s power
behind a broad coalition of local government, business
and nonprofit representatives who are redesigning and
coordinating efforts to address extreme poverty in the
Rochester area. ESPRI will replicate this model around
the state by providing $500,000 planning and
implementation grants to communities along with access
to a grant pool of $20 million that will make targeted
investments in capital projects that improve the quality,
efficiency and reach of services that address poverty, and
state agency assistance to communities with high rates
of poverty. Communities will partner with nonprofit
organizations and government stakeholders to:
• Identify specific, measurable objectives to improve
residents’ well-being and quality of life;
• Better align public and private resources with
community-based interventions that are successful
in improving outcomes for residents;
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• Develop strategies that match promising practices to
the unique challenges of each particular community;
• Build partnerships among public and private,
municipal and community-level organizations to
provide a continuum of solutions.
Each selected community will launch its planning
process with a needs assessment and evaluation of
existing plans and priorities, and strategic objectives.
The state will provide access to a dedicated team of state
agency officials who will partner with the community to
provide data, review various program models that
address the community’s priority needs, help develop
proposals or applications for state funding based on
needs and opportunities, and structure a framework to
evaluate effectiveness of interventions. Each community
will receive an implementation grant to launch programs
to reduce poverty and grants from the $20 million capital
fund for essential infrastructure investments to improve
service delivery.
ESPRI will focus on using existing resources more
effectively and purposely to end poverty, strengthen
relationships between the business, public and nonprofit
sectors in each community, and ensure coordination
between state and local efforts to fight poverty.
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Proposal: Improve Transportation Access to Work
Lack of transportation is a major barrier to
employment for low-income households, particularly
those with children. Lower-income workers in many
urban and suburban areas can only access 22 percent of
the jobs for which they may be qualified, according to the
Brookings Institution.
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The challenge is even greater
in rural and other areas with limited public
transportation, especially for parents struggling to reach
a child care provider before and after work without
access to reliable personal transportation. No one should
be trapped in poverty because he or she cannot afford to
get to work.
The Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative
(ESPRI) will provide $5 million in operating aid
and a pool of $20 million in capital funding to
assist ten high-poverty communities to create and
implement comprehensive plans to reduce poverty.
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Governor Cuomo will propose New York Work
Access grants to help low-income workers in highly-
distressed neighborhoods and rural areas access a car
through assistance with down payments, low-interest
loans, repairs, insurance, license or registration fees, and
driver’s education.
Work Access grants will provide reliable
transportation for families and provide additional
related services, such as car insurance, driver’s
education, or a child safety seat. Low-interest auto loans
will enable low-income families to establish a positive
credit history as well as get reliable transportation to
work. The initiative is modeled on the national nonprofit
Ways to Work program, which helps 94 percent of its
participants maintain or improve their employment; 82
percent to sustain themselves without publicly funded
cash assistance; and returns $2.48 in benefits for each $1
invested.
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Proposal: Launch Empire Corps: A New Youth Corps
to Help New Yorkers in Need
Last year, the Governor built on the legacy of
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Civilian
Conservation Corps, one of the enduring landmarks of
the New Deal, and launched the New York State’s
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Excelsior Conservation Corps, a new environmental
education and stewardship program for 18 to 25-year
olds. This 50-person service program demonstrates a
truth the Governor knows well—community service is a
muscle that grows with use.
This year Governor Cuomo proposes to expand this
model further by launching Empire Corps, a new effort
that will enable up to 150 AmeriCorps members to join
front line efforts to address poverty, hunger and
homelessness across New York. Empire Corps members
will serve with direct-care agencies in pockets of upstate
where poverty is concentrated. Empire Corps members
will be placed in nonprofit agencies providing critical
services such as health care, education and mentoring,
financial literacy and skills development for
disadvantaged New Yorkers and will receive extensive
training from the state in partnership with SUNY and
community service organizations.
Empire Corps will help to foster and leverage
community spirit among young New Yorkers while
providing them with the skills, financial stipends, and
educational financial awards that further their path to
college and a career, while addressing priority needs of
the state.
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Proposal: Implement Recommendations of the Anti-
Hunger Task Force
For nearly three million New Yorkers, food is
unaffordable or inaccessible. Benefits meant to help can
be difficult to reach, and can fall far short of the high cost
of living many New Yorkers face. The consequences of
hunger are far reaching: leading to negative health
outcomes, decreased performance at school and work,
mental and emotional distress, especially among
children and the elderly.
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Since coming to office,
Governor Cuomo has made alleviating hunger and
increasing access to healthy food key priorities for New
York. In 2011, he launched the FreshConnect Program,
which brings fresh, locally-grown farm products to
communities with limited access to them through
support for farmers markets, youth markets, and box
delivery projects. As an added benefit, the FreshConnect
Checks Program provides a 40 percent increase in
buying power for SNAP recipients who use their benefits
at FreshConnect farmers markets. During calendar year
2015, over 150,000 checks have been issued to 180 sites
across the state to help eligible New Yorkers access fresh,
healthy food.
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In 2012, Governor Cuomo eliminated the
stigmatizing requirement of being finger imaged as a
condition of SNAP eligibility and began an aggressive
outreach program to enroll people who are eligible.
Select school districts in New York State began providing
free school meals to all students through SNAP’s
Community Eligibility Option. In 2013, New York
launched a Farm to School program to bring healthy,
locally-grown food to school cafeterias, starting with
Broome and Tioga Counties.
In 2013, Governor Cuomo established the Anti-
Hunger Task Force—a group of 31 government and
external leaders in healthcare, education, social services,
agriculture, the food industry, and organizations serving
populations most affected by hunger—to identify
additional steps the state can take to combat hunger and
improve access to local and fresh foods. The Task Force
was chaired by Margarette Purvis, of the Food Bank for
New York City, and co-led by Arva Rice, of the New York
Urban League; Beth Finkel, of AARP New York, Joel Berg,
of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger; Julie
Suarez, of the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences; Linda Bopp, of Hunger Solutions New York; and
Stephen Cook, of the University of Rochester. In response
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to the task force’s recommendations, Governor Cuomo
invested $4.5 million in 2015 to bolster the state’s
emergency food system which helped 2,500 emergency
food providers serve more than 225 million meals to
New Yorkers who access emergency food programs each
year. In addition, state agencies have stepped up efforts
to increase enrollment in the federal Child and Adult
Care Food Program, leading to an almost 6 percent
increase in healthy meals and snacks for needy New
Yorkers in 2015.
In 2014, Governor Cuomo dedicated $6 million to
protect approximately 300,000 New York families who
would have lost benefits under the federal Farm Bill, an
action that preserved $457 million a year in federal SNAP
benefits.
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The Anti-Hunger Task Force has worked
tirelessly since 2013 to research issues related to hunger
in New York and has developed a series of smart
recommendations for the state to pursue, many of which
are adopted below.
Proposal: Commit $22.5 Million to Improve Access to
Emergency Food
The state’s emergency food system helps 2,500
emergency food providers serve more than 225 million
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meals to New Yorkers who access emergency food
programs each year. To build on the state’s 2015 $4.5
million investment in this system, the Governor
proposes an additional $22.5 million to extend his $4.5
million annual investment through 2020.
Proposal: Establish New York State Council on
Hunger and Food Policy
To establish a permanent focus on anti-hunger
issues in the state, Governor Cuomo will establish the
New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy. The
Council will be composed of 26 members appointed by
the Governor and chaired by the Commissioner of the
Department of Agriculture and Markets. Other members
will include commissioners from relevant state agencies
and private individuals with significant experience in the
various facets of combating hunger. The Council will play
a key role in advising the state on policies and programs
The Governor proposes an additional $22.5 million
to extend his $4.5 million annual investment in
emergency food programs through 2020.
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to improve access to food, including healthy, locally-
grown food.
Proposal: Extend SNAP Benefits to 750,000
Households
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) provides eligible individuals and
households with monthly electronic benefits that can be
used to purchase food from approved stores. The
program is funded by the federal government and
administered by both New York State and county
governments. Eligibility for SNAP is determined by
income and household size, although other factors, such
as age and disability of household members, can also
impact benefit levels. During October 2015,
approximately three million New Yorkers received SNAP
benefits totaling $418 million.
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People trying to get help from the nation’s largest
anti-hunger program – the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, or SNAP— must first pass a two-
part test to determine eligibility for the program.
However, even before there is a careful eligibility review
of a person’s actual, or net, income and expenses. But
first, there is an initial hurdle—the Gross Income Test
(GIT) —which requires that a person’s total household
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income, without any exclusions or adjustments, must be
less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level. The
GIT prevents otherwise eligible people from accessing
the help they need from SNAP.
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Governor Cuomo will adopt the recommendation
of the Task Force and will raise the Gross Income Test
level to 150 percent of poverty for all households with
earned income—a move that will extend eligibility to an
estimated 750,000 households currently not
participating in SNAP. This change will deliver an
estimated $688.5 million in additional federal SNAP
benefits to New Yorkers, with an estimated economic
impact of $1.27 billion, without any attendant increase in
state or county costs.
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Proposal: Leverage Federal Nutrition Programs &
Eliminate Barriers to Benefits
With hunger affecting nearly three million New
Yorkers, this state simply cannot afford to leave available
federal resources for nutrition assistance on the table.
This is especially true for key entitlement programs that
can expand to meet needs, but are currently
undersubscribed in New York. The Child and Adult Care
Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that
provides reimbursement for healthy meals served in
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child care programs, adult day care centers, afterschool
programs, and shelters, amounting to approximately
340,000 meals to children and adults each day.
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But
many eligible organizations are unaware of the program
or find enrollment too burdensome. As recommended by
the Anti-Hunger Task Force, Governor Cuomo will
continue to support $250,000 in grants to help child and
adult care programs maximize federal funds that
subsidize free food for children and adults in those
programs.
To better ensure that people in need of help from
SNAP are able to access that essential anti-hunger
program, the Governor will also drive program
enrollment by building on the state’s Nutrition Outreach
and Education Program, one of the most extensive such
programs in the country, and increase its reach through
coordinated efforts with local State Offices for the Aging
and the Office for New Americans, agencies that work
most closely with groups that have particularly low rates
of participation in federal nutrition programs.
Proposal: Redesign Electronic Benefits Card
The stigma associated with using SNAP can “deter
new or potential applicants, cause dissatisfaction among
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participants, and even contribute to participants’ exit
from the program.”
125
Under Governor Cuomo’s
leadership, New York has taken important steps toward
reducing stigma including the 2012 elimination of the
finger imaging requirement for SNAP applicants and
recipients. To further reduce stigma, the Governor will
adopt a recommendation from the Task Force and will
direct the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance to
issue a redesigned Electronic Benefits Card in 2016 that
looks like a credit card and maintains appropriate
security safeguards.
Proposal: Support Young Adults Transitioning from
Foster Care
In New York State, approximately 4,000 youth
and young adults are discharged annually from foster
care, and about one in six are discharged to independent
living.
126
National research shows that youth who “age
out” of foster care face enormous challenges, as they are
expected to make it on their own long before the majority
of their peers.
127
These youth are more likely to trail in
educational advancement and economic achievement.
128
To give these vulnerable young people better
opportunities for success as they age into adulthood,
Governor Cuomo will establish Pave the Road to
177
Independence, a public-private partnership to promote
educational, economic, housing, and vocational success
for youth leaving foster care. The partnership—joining
business leaders and the Office for Children and Family
Services, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance,
Department of Labor, Housing and Community Renewal,
Office of Mental Health, Office of People with
Developmental Disabilities, and institutions of higher
education—will:
• Certify 1,000 vulnerable youth a year as eligible
participants for Urban Youth Jobs Program and
priority for related job readiness and support
assistance;
• Prioritize foster care youth in the Governor’s
“New New York Leaders: Student Intern
Program” and connect up to 200 eligible youth
with state internship opportunities; and
• Identify pathways across various state programs
and services for stable living supports and
employment opportunities for children with
developmental disabilities as they age out of
care.
Governor Cuomo’s Pave the Road to
Independence initiative will coordinate early
interventions to help young New Yorkers transitioning
178
from foster care to obtain the education and employment
opportunities they need for a path to success.
Proposal: Strengthen Penalties for Child Abuse
Each year in New York State, about 8,500 children
are alleged to have been abused by their parents or
caregivers.
129
Nationwide, 679,000 children were
subjected to substantiated child maltreatment in
2013.
130
A nationally representative study of children
aged 0–17 reported that 10.2 percent of children in the
United States experienced some form of
maltreatment.
131
According to the Center for Disease
Control, the problem is more alarming than we know,
since many cases of child maltreatment are not reported
to police or social services.
132
In too many cases, child abusers do not receive
prison sentences even after committing disturbing,
violent crimes against children. To protect vulnerable
children from maltreatment and abuse, Governor Cuomo
will propose the creation of a new felony offense for
endangering the welfare of a child, where a serious
offense has occurred or where the individual has a
history of committing crimes against children. The new
offense would be a class D felony and bring with it
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increased sentences up to 7 years prison. Under current
law, endangering the welfare of a child is only a
misdemeanor, which can receive the maximum sentence
of 1 year in county jail. By strengthening the penalties for
abusing children, New York will better protect children
and prevent future violence against young people.
PART TWO: RIGHT PRIORITIES
There are currently 53,000 people incarcerated in
New York State prisons.
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In 2015, New York took bold
actions to improve the conditions for these people
including groundbreaking reforms in the use of solitary
confinement. The Governor has outlawed placing minors
in solitary confinement and also signed an Executive
Order to move certain juvenile offenders from adult
prison facilities into age-appropriate alternatives.
The Governor has also taken critical steps to
increase the ability of formerly incarcerated individuals
to contribute positively to their families and
communities when they return home. The Governor has
offered pardons for people convicted of non-violent
crimes committed when they were 16 or 17 years-old,
and who have since lived crime-free for ten or more
years. To ensure that formerly incarcerated individuals
180
are able to find a place to live, the state adopted guidance
that forbids discrimination based on a criminal
conviction alone when applying for New York State-
financed housing. To ensure that this population is able
to secure employment, the state issued uniform
guidelines for state occupational licenses that create a
presumption in favor of granting a license to qualified
applicants with criminal convictions, unless an
individualized consideration of the applicant’s criminal
history weighs against it.
In 2014 the Governor created the Council on
Community Re-Entry and Reintegration to further these
efforts and its work has resulted in a series of
administrative actions taken to help formerly
incarcerated individuals re-enter society. These actions
include regulatory and policy changes that make it easier
for the formerly incarcerated to secure necessary
personal identification documents, health care coverage,
and documents that demonstrate rehabilitation when
seeking jobs and licenses.
To make New York the national leader in criminal
justice and re-entry reforms, the Governor proposes a
comprehensive seven point “Right Priorities” initiative
that will help keep vulnerable youth and people of all
181
ages from entering the criminal justice system, while
providing those who do enter prison with the
opportunity to rehabilitate, return home, and contribute
positively to their communities.
Proposal: Expand Community Schools
As discussed more thoroughly in Chapter Two,
the Governor will invest $100 million to support the
transformation of failing schools and other high needs
schools into community schools so that issues of poverty
can be addressed with communities working together to
ensure that every student is prepared, safe, healthy and
ready to learn. This investment is critical to providing
students early opportunities to build positive future and
breaking the trend of higher crime rates among
underserved youth.
Proposal: Urban Youth Jobs Program and Workforce
Training
Research published by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services has shown
that providing at-risk youth with jobs is an essential way
to steer them away from the criminal justice system.
134
As discussed more thoroughly in Chapter 7, Governor
Cuomo will invest $50 million to significantly expand the
182
size of the Urban Youth Jobs Program, and will institute
a $5 million dollar program to train at-risk youth to join
the workforce.
Proposal: Expand Alternatives to Incarceration to
Reduce Incarceration
New York State has used alternatives to
incarceration (ATI) programs to reduce jail and prison
overcrowding for more than 30 years.
135
These programs
provide diversionary services to people who face a high
likelihood of jail and prison time but do not pose a threat
to public safety, such as counseling, cognitive behavioral
therapy and substance abuse treatment. These services
are designed to keep people out of prison and improve
public health and safety while saving the state
money. ATI programs have been proven to reduce
recidivism, but have been traditionally limited to
participants with alcohol and substance abuse issues.
136
To expand the scope of the program and ensure
appropriate candidates receive the support and
programs s/he needs to avoid engaging in future
criminal activity, the Governor will invest an additional
$1 million to expand the use of ATI programs upstate and
will target the program to a broader group of individuals
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who are at high risk of otherwise going to prison. This
investment will keep more people out of prison, further
reduce New York’s reliance on prisons, and allow
individuals to avoid needless prison sentences while also
keeping individuals who pose a threat to society off of the
streets.
Proposal: Reduce Criminal Behavior through
Education
Research shows that educational programming in
prison yields benefits. According to a recent study by the
RAND Corporation, participants who complete
education programs in prison are over 40 percent less
likely to reoffend upon release and return to prison, and
participants are 13 percent more likely to obtain post-
release employment.
137
Providing access to education in
prison is crucial to supporting an individual’s reentry
into the community and reducing the rate of recidivism.
This proposal will help more qualifying
individuals earn college degrees, enhance educational
offerings to help people with learning difficulties achieve
high school diplomas, and bring vocational training into
the 21
st
century.
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• College-Level Courses with Private Funding:
Currently in New York State, approximately
1,000 individuals enroll each year in privately-
funded college classes in prison.
138
A host of
organizations teach these classes, including local
community colleges, well-known institutions
such as Cornell and New York Universities, the
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Bard
College through its distinguished Bard Prison
Initiative, whose debate team recently defeated
Harvard’s.
139
The Governor will partner with
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.,
SUNY and CUNY to invest $7.5 million to expand
college in prison programming in state prisons.
The expansion will utilize $7.5 million of
criminal forfeiture funds obtained by District
Attorney Vance and will provide approximately
1,000 individuals with the opportunity to receive
college-level instruction and earn an Associate’s
degree, Bachelor’s degree, or industry-
recognized certificate. Classes will begin in the
fall of 2016.
• Specialized Education for People with
Learning Disabilities: Forty percent of people
currently enter prison lacking a high school
diploma or equivalent. Only 25 percent of this
population will leave prison with this
credential
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that is essential for many basic jobs.
Many people in prison also have an undiagnosed
learning disability.
141
To help more learning
185
disabled incarcerated individuals achieve a high
school degree or equivalent, the Governor
proposes investing $2.5 to pay for trained staff
who will test individuals for learning disabilities
and provide small group and individualized
instruction.
• Modernized Prison-Based Vocational
Training: To ensure that people leaving prison
have the technological skills needed to secure
21
st
century jobs, the state will invest $430,000
to update existing printing workshops in prisons
to a digital platform and train individuals in
computer coding. The coding training will
deliver highly marketable skills to graduates and
will be safely done in prisons in a manner that
does not utilize the Internet.
142
The Department
of Corrections and Community Supervision and
the Department of Labor will also work together
to help recently released individuals access
registered apprenticeships in the skilled trades,
among other areas, by ensuring that the skills
taught in DOCCS vocational labs meet the
requirements for pre-apprenticeship training.
Proposal: Provide Transitional Support upon Release
The six months immediately after a person’s
release from the criminal justice system is the most
critical time period. In this period, people are most likely
to recidivate and are most susceptible to harm.
143
To
186
break this cycle, the Governor will provide more support
to this population through expanded services and
stronger coordination and of efforts through investing $1
million to expand the County Re-Entry Task Forces to
provide enhanced case coordination for these services.
Expanded supports include:
• Transitional Housing: The Governor will
include formerly incarcerated as a target
population for housing assistance. This housing
will be for people who need time to connect with
family, get a job, or qualify for high need housing.
Without housing assistance, returning citizens
add to our homeless population and the
possibility of finding a job and being accepted
into a family’s home decrease.
• Connections to Employment: Employers can be
reluctant to hire returning citizens, even though
they can be among a business’ most hard
working and loyal employees. Therefore, the
state will provide over $5.8 million to support
connections to employment. This will include
more than $3 million for employment services
programs for high-risk parolees in both New
York City and upstate urban areas and over $2
million for employment services programs for
low-risk alternatives to incarceration program
participants statewide. DCJS will issue a request
187
for proposals this summer and select new grant
contracts to begin January 1, 2017.
• Provide Seamless Provision of Medical and
Mental Health Services from Prison to the
Community: The state will use Medicaid
interventions to serve those released from
prison to the community with addiction, mental
health needs and chronic medical conditions, to
ensure continuity of care. These conditions, left
untreated, would lead to overdose, grave illness
and risk of homelessness.
Proposal: Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility
The Governor will introduce legislation to raise
the age of criminal responsibility from age16 to age 18,
so that children are not subject to adult criminal
proceedings except for serious crimes. Currently 16 and
17 year old youths end up with life-long adult criminal
convictions, unlike in juvenile court, where records are
generally sealed.
Further, at the Governor’s request, the Office of
Court Administration will also expand statewide the fast-
tracking criminal cases involving 16 and 17 year olds
who are detained in jail while their cases await trial.
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Proposal: Enhance the Rights of Pardoned
Individuals
In 2015 the Governor announced that he will offer
conditional pardons to people convicted of nonviolent
offenses at age 16 and 17 who have been conviction-free
for 10 years. To complement and bolster this effort, at the
Governor’s request the Office of Court Administration
will restrict public access to the state court system’s
criminal history database when the Governor grants a
pardon under this program. Currently, OCA sells criminal
history information to individuals
144
and companies that
is typically used by employers and landlords to screen
job applicants or potential tenants.
145
Going forward, the
court system will no longer sell criminal history
information pertaining to individuals pardoned under
this new program.
PART THREE: FAIRNESS FOR ALL
The nation faces a deepening lack of confidence in
the criminal justice system in the wake of recent
tragedies involving the deaths of unarmed civilians. In
2015, the Governor took action to restore New Yorkers’
trust in the system by issuing an executive order that
appointed the Attorney General as a special prosecutor
189
in matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians
caused by law enforcement officers.
146
Since taking office
in 2011, the Governor has also bolstered trust in the
criminal justice system by closing more prisons than any
Governor in state history and supporting alternatives to
incarceration that reduce crime and the over-
incarceration of non-violent offenders.
147
Positive relationships between police and the
populations they serve are crucial in creating safer
communities for everyone.
148
In 2014, Governor Cuomo
launched the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE)
initiative, to encourage law enforcement in high-crime
counties to focus on reducing and preventing shootings
and firearm-related homicides. In 2015, the Governor
announced $13.3 million for participating law
enforcement agencies. In 2015, county partners also
participated in a two-day symposium on procedural
justice that featured presentations from state and
national leaders in law enforcement, clergy and
community organizations on the success of procedural
justice efforts in their communities. Procedural justice is
a law enforcement principle that focuses on ensuring
that citizens perceive their interactions with the police to
be fair and respectful. Studies have shown that when
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police implement procedural justice practices, the
public’s view of the police is improved, willingness to
obey the law is greater and crimes rates go down.
149
Proposal: Institute Bail Reform
Under current law, a judge must consider a
number of factors before making the decision to release
a defendant or set bail.
150
These factors include, among
others, employment and financial resources, criminal
history and family ties. They do not include, however,
arguably the most important one: whether the
defendant, if released, would present a danger to specific
individuals or the general public. New York is one of
only four states in the nation that does not allow public
safety to be taken into consideration in release and bail
decisions.
151
This approach means that people in New
York who do not present a risk to public safety are
detained while people who may present a risk to public
safety are able to post bail and gain release.
Governor Cuomo will introduce legislation to
require judges to consider public safety when making
release and bail decisions. The legislation will also
permit judges to use research-based, accepted risk
assessments when considering a defendant’s threat to
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public safety.
152
Other states and cities are using these
risk assessments with good results: more people are
released from jail before trial, without any attendant rise
in crime.
153
The legislation will also reform bail bondsman
practices. Currently, bail bondsman are subject to little
regulation, and as a result some bad actors engage in
predatory pricing and contracting practices.
154
These
issues have a disproportionate negative impact on low-
income people and the legislation will allow the
Department of Financial Services to exercise greater
control over this industry.
Proposal: Require Stronger Pretrial Procedures
Current New York State law does not require that
law enforcement videotape statements made by a
person while in custody. To prevent wrongful
convictions based on false confessions, as well as to
protect law enforcement from erroneous allegations of
coercion, the Governor proposed in 2013 the video
recording of criminal interrogations. This proposal led to
an historic agreement between New York State’s District
Attorneys and the Innocence Project, which was
facilitated by the New York State Bar Association.
155
This
192
agreement will require statements to be videotaped and
will permit reliable identification evidence to be
introduced at trial. The Governor has
previously dedicated nearly $1.7M in grant funding to
help localities purchase video equipment. Now,
Governor Cuomo will push for legislation to require
recording of interrogations for serious cases and reform
New York’s use of identification procedures. These
practices are widely recognized as enhancing the
fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system
and will make all New Yorkers safer.
Proposal: Increase Opportunities for Families to Stay
Close During Incarceration
Research shows that incarcerated individuals
who stay in regular contact with family members have a
better re-entry transition and lower rates of recidivism
upon release.
156
Children of incarcerated individuals also
benefit from maintaining ties with their parents.
157
To help maintain these incarcerated individuals
ties with family, the Governor will invest $300,000 to
expand a successful video visitation program between
incarcerated parents and their children. The state will
also explore the use of secure e-mail communication
193
tools for use by incarcerated individuals and their
families.
Proposal: Work Release and Parole Board Reforms
In 2015, Governor Cuomo created a Pro Bono
Clemency Program that pairs volunteer lawyers with
applicants seeking clemency who have used their time in
prison to turn their lives around and are seeking release
on that basis. To build on this work the Governor will
pursue additional avenues to help individuals get out of
prisons and back contributing to society.
Work release allows incarcerated individuals
close to release to secure employment outside of prison
while still continuing to live in prison. The program
allows these individuals to earn money and begin to
adjust to the outside world while being closely
monitored. To qualify for work release an individual
must complete required behavioral programs and
demonstrate good behavior. This year, Governor Cuomo
will revive New York’s use of this program to save the
state money and help incarcerated individuals get back
on their feet, while preserving public safety.
The Parole Board is an independent entity with
members appointed by the Governor. It is charged with
194
making release determinations for incarcerated
individuals in cases that require discretion. More than
10,000 people are denied parole annually in New York
State and only one in five have it granted.
158
To expand the Parole Board’s rate of
discretionary release, the Governor will call on the
Parole Board to explore actions that will result in greater
use, including training incarcerated individuals and their
advocates about how to prepare strong Parole Board
presentations, opening Parole Board interviews with
applicants to the public, and requiring the Parole Board
to articulate on the record for each case how it weighed
evidence of rehabilitation and current risk in making its
decision about release. The Governor will also explore
statutory changes to institute a rebuttable presumption
of release for people at low risk of reoffending.
Proposal: Reward Success after Release
In addition to 16 and 17 year olds pardoned
under the Governor’s action, people who lead law-
abiding lives for a lengthy period of time after a low level
brush with the criminal justice system have earned the
right to a clean slate. However, under current law there
195
is no provision to seal criminal records for the majority
of individuals who have a conviction.
To make it easier for these individuals to move on
with their lives and contribute to society, the Governor
will introduce legislation to allow conditional sealing of
minor crimes for people of all ages. This legislation will
allow the state to seal records for low-level criminal
convictions after an individual has demonstrated that
they haven’t engaged in criminal activity for 10 years.
Records would remain unsealed for law enforcement
and for state-run background checks if a person seeks
access to vulnerable populations.
Proposal: Deploy New Technologies to Improve Safety
in Prisons
Prisons are inherently difficult and dangerous
environments. To ensure the safety of New York’s
correctional staff and inmate population, the Governor
will propose to invest $25 million to ensure that
correctional facilities and officers will be outfitted with
the latest technologies available in the field. These
include fixed cameras, thermal imaging, and heartbeat
monitors that increase an officer’s situational awareness
and can better detect the presence of an inmate. DOCCS
196
will also launch a body camera pilot program to improve
corrections officers’ visual coverage of prisoner
movement and ensure accountability of behavior. These
tools will provide better information to correctional
professionals and decrease the likelihood of violent
incidents among incarcerated individuals.
Proposal: Establish the Office of an Independent
Special Counsel
In 2015 the Governor signed Executive Order 147
which appointed the Attorney General as a special
prosecutor in matters relating to the deaths of unarmed
civilians caused by law enforcement officers. This
Executive Order was an important step in restoring
public confidence in the existence of an objective and
transparent review of these tragic
occurrences. However, this is a temporary solution and
more needs to be done. The Governor will propose the
creation of an Office of an Independent
Special Counsel. This Office will be independent of any
existing relationship with law enforcement, thereby
avoiding any appearance of favoritism or partiality. With
an Independent Special Counsel appointed, these tragic
occurrences will continue to receive a fair and
197
independent review that they deserve, while also
increasing the public's understanding and faith in the
process.
198
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6. ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has fought to
reduce economic inequality across the state and protect
the rights of all workers. The Governor is also committed
to protecting and supporting our most vulnerable
citizens from those living in poverty to new Americans to
those who struggle to put a roof over their family’s heads.
Governor Cuomo believes that every New Yorker
who works full-time should be able to stay out of poverty,
take care of their family, and live with dignity and
respect. President Franklin Roosevelt first honored this
social compact in 1938 when he established the nation’s
first minimum wage. Yet in the past several decades,
national income disparities have grown and we have lost
our way from the path set by FDR. Today, across the
country many people working full-time jobs struggle to
simply keep a roof over their heads.
159
200
Proposal: Increase the Minimum Wage to $15 per
Hour for All New Yorkers
Governor Cuomo has consistently fought to
restore justice to hard working New Yorkers. In 2013,
the Governor signed legislation that raised the minimum
wage from $7.25 to
$9.00 as of
December 31,
2015.
160
The
Governor also
secured minimum
wage increases for
fast food workers –
from $8.75 to $15
per hour
161
– and for tipped workers – from $4.90 to
$7.50 per hour
162
– which began to be phased in on
December 31,
,
2015. Most recently, the Governor
announced that the state would raise the minimum wage
for state workers to $15 per hour, affecting
approximately 10,000 workers and making New York
the first state to set such a high wage for public
employees. Additionally, the Governor announced that
the State University of New York will raise the minimum
wage for more than 28,000 employees to $15 per hour.
“I mean more than a bare
subsistence level – I mean the
wages of a decent living.” –
Franklin Roosevelt’s
Statement on the National
Industrial Recovery Act, June
16, 1933
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While the Governor has made great strides on
minimum wage, we must go further. The minimum wage
is only one-third of the average hourly wage in New York
State, now over $27.
163
A full-time job at the current
minimum wage pays only $18,720 per year.
164
For a
single parent with two children, that is below the official
poverty line.
165
In order to raise earnings, reduce income
disparities, and increase consumer spending to spur job
growth, Governor Cuomo will push this year to make
New York the first state in the nation to enact a $15
hourly minimum wage for all workers. To give
businesses the time to plan, the increase will be phased
in incrementally, reaching $15 on December 31, 2018, in
New York City, and on July 1, 2021, in the rest of the state.
202
The scheduled increases will take place as
follows:
New York City
Statewide
(excluding NYC)
Min. Wage Effective Date Min. Wage Effective Date
$10.50 7/1/2016 $9.75 7/1/2016
$12.00 12/31/2016 $10.75 12/31/2016
$13.50 12/31/2017 $11.75 12/31/2017
$15.00 12/31/2018 $12.75 12/31/2018
-- -- $13.75 12/31/2019
-- -- $14.50 12/31/2020
-- -- $15.00 7/1/2021
Raising the minimum wage to $15 will directly
benefit over 2.3 million New York workers
166
– about a
quarter of the total workforce – and will lift more than
250,000 people in about 110,000 New York families out
203
of poverty.
167
The increase to $15 will bring the
minimum hourly wage up from 32 percent to 55 percent
of the state average wage.
168
It restores the promise of
fairness: $15 is about where New York’s minimum wage
in 1970 would be, if adjusted for inflation.
169
Not only will raising the minimum wage help keep
New York workers and their families out of poverty, it
will also increase their spending power,
170
helping to
spur the consumer demand that is critical to new hiring
and business growth. The New York State Department of
Labor estimates the increase to a $15 minimum wage
will result in more than a $15.7 billion boost for New
York’s economy.
171
While opponents argue that a minimum wage
increase leads to job loss, an independent review of 70
studies on minimum wage increases found no
discernable negative effect on employment, and instead,
researchers have found evidence of increased
employment from increasing the minimum wage.
172
Economists at Goldman Sachs found that the thirteen
states – including New York – that increased their state
minimum wage in 2014 had higher rates of employment
growth than the national average.
173
We know this to be
true from our own experience: New York has increased
204
its minimum wage eight times from 1991 through 2015,
and six of those times, employment rose following the
increase. When the minimum wage rises, productivity
tends to increase, and increased worker retention saves
employers recruitment and training costs.
174
Proposal: $20 Billion Housing and Homelessness
Plan
New York has led the nation in affordable housing
preservation and construction over the past five years.
Since taking office Governor Cuomo has committed to
preserve or build 14,300 units of affordable housing
through the landmark $1 billion House NY initiative and
also created the Tenant Protection Unit, which has
returned more than 50,000 housing units to rent
regulation, preserving the affordability of those homes
for years to come. Yet even with these investments, New
York has not been immune to rising housing costs across
the state and must take steps to deliver more affordable
housing to those who need it.
$10 Billion Affordable Housing Program
To add critical supply to the state’s stock of
affordable housing the Governor proposes House NY
2020, a new, $10 billion, five-year affordable housing
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plan that will create and preserve 100,000 units across
the state. This historic investment offers a
transformational blueprint to address the diversity of
housing need across the state, strengthen protections for
tenants, and create new opportunities for low-to-
moderate income households. The Plan —which boosts
state spending on housing programs by nearly $5
billion—will build and preserve affordable units and
individual homes; make homeownership affordable for
first-time buyers; increase investments in the
revitalization of our communities; promote housing
choice opportunities for all New Yorkers; revamp
services in ways that better serve clients including New
Yorkers seeking affordable housing; and directly support
permanent housing programs for those struggling with
homelessness as described below.
The comprehensive House NY 2020 Plan will be
released in the coming weeks and will be include
multiple strategic initiatives to prevent more New
Yorkers from getting priced out of their communities.
These strategic initiatives will include:
• Build NY through the creation of new
affordable housing including significant
investments to create new units of affordable
206
rental and single family housing to ensure young
professionals can start families in the
communities where they were raised.
• Preserve NY to extend affordability
of existing units including new resources to
create a large scale financing program that
specifically supports public housing authorities
utilizing HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration
program which ensures long term viability for
this critical housing resource that serves many
extremely low income New Yorkers.
• Welcome Home NY to combat neglect in
distressed communities and increase access
to housing through new State of New York
Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) initiatives to
facilitate the purchase and rehabilitation of
foreclosed properties in targeted, economically-
distressed communities, with the ultimate goal
of rebuilding home values and owner-occupancy
in neighborhoods.
• Ensure State investments benefit all New
Yorkers through the launch
of Opportunity NY which will include initiatives
that promote and protect housing opportunities
including the initiation of Undercover Fair
Housing Testing to identify and address housing
discrimination, especially in higher income
areas.
207
$10 Billion Homelessness Action Plan
New Yorkers should be and are profoundly
troubled by the large number of families and adults who
are homeless today and the conditions in which they live.
As New Yorkers, we will answer the call to assume
greater responsibility and step up to help our neighbors
in need.
Each night in New York, more than 75,000 people
sleep in homeless shelters of various types, and more
than 4,000 homeless people sleep on the street.
175
This
number does not represent only families and single
adults – last year, more than 8,000 victims of domestic
violence were rendered homeless and nearly 4,000
adolescents and young people accessed the runaway and
homeless youth shelter system.
176
Homeless people often choose to live on the street
rather than seek shelter because too many homeless
shelters around the state are unsafe or have other health
violations that render them out of compliance with state
and local laws and regulations. Since April 1, 2015, state
inspectors identified 2,508 health and safety violations
at homeless shelters across the state.
177
At the same
time, New York taxpayers spend $1 billion to fund the
shelter system. These problems would be bad enough if
208
families and individuals were only in shelters for short
time. Unfortunately, due to a lack of affordable housing
supply, families with children stay in shelters an average
of 430 days.
178
Living on the street, particularly in harsh
weather conditions, should never be a better choice than
living in shelter.
Governor Cuomo proposes an historic $10 billion
commitment to combat homelessness. The Governor
proposes $2.6 billion for 6,000 new supported beds,
1,000 emergency shelter beds and other homeless
services. Moreover, the Governor’s plan will fund the
construction of 20,000 new supportive housing beds
across the state.
This more than $2.6 billion in funding for
permanent supportive housing and other services over
the next five years is in addition to the $7.8 billion we
expect to spend over the next five years through our
continuing commitments in support of 44,000
supportive housing units, 77,000 shelter beds around
the state, and other homelessness-related services. New
York’s total financial commitment to address
homelessness over this five-year period will be more
than $10.4 billion.
209
New York will also invest new resources over
three years to specifically address vulnerable
populations experiencing homelessness. To coordinate
this and other funding the state will utilize the existing
federal Department of Housing and Urban Development
Continuum of Care model that engages localities and not-
for-profit providers in developing and implementing
data-driven strategies to address homelessness in
specific populations such as victims of domestic violence,
runaway and homeless youth and formerly incarcerated
individuals. Each jurisdiction will be required to
demonstrate that their proposals are consistent with
their most recent HUD Continuum of Care reports and
have the support of their local Continuum. For those
areas of the state without a Continuum of Care, the state
will partner with them on the necessary planning and
engagement processes to ensure local level partnership.
To restore the public’s trust in the shelter system
the state must improve the conditions of the shelters it
supervises and regulates. The state will partner with
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to audit shelters
statewide, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer to
review and inspect New York City shelters, and Buffalo
Comptroller Mark J.F. Schroeder to review and inspect
210
Buffalo shelters. They will do on-site inspections and
review operating and financial protocols.
Shelters determined to be unsafe or dangerous
will either immediately add local police protection or be
closed. If a shelter is determined to be unsanitary or
otherwise unfit it will be subject to contract cancellation,
operator replacement or closure because there are many
qualified nonprofits that are capable of running a good
operation. If an operator’s management problem is
systemic, a receiver will be appointed to run the system.
In addition, the state will require all social service
districts to comply with the laws and regulations of New
York State or be subject to sanctions.
Proposal: Enact Paid Family Leave for New York
Workers
The composition of America’s workforce has
changed drastically since the 1950s: 47 percent of the
state’s workforce is now female,
179
people are working
longer hours and retiring later, and families frequently
rely on dual earners to make ends meet.
180
Families must
still balance work and home responsibilities including
childcare and childbirth, tending to sick family members,
and eldercare. Federal law currently provides only for
unpaid family leave,
181
and creates a dilemma for those
211
caught between the need to care for a sick relative or
newborn and the pressure to return to work and earn
money. Moreover, federal unpaid family leave only
covers approximately 60 percent of all workers.
182
To help workers care for their families while
protecting their earnings and job security, the Governor
proposes a new paid family leave program for New York
workers. New York State’s Paid Family Leave Program
will provide twelve weeks of job-protected, employee-
funded leave to be used for bonding with a new child or
caring for a sick relative.
Statewide paid family leave will particularly
benefit low-income workers who often lack benefits or
job security, and for whom access to any leave, even
unpaid, is often not available or cost prohibitive.
183
Paid
family leave also has the potential to serve as a great
equalizer for women. This is so because in many
instances, women who leave the workforce to care for a
newborn not only forfeit their existing salaries in the
short-term, but also suffer diminished future earnings
and career trajectories in the long term.
184
Establishing
paid family leave marks a pivotal next step in the pursuit
of equality and dignity in both the workplace and the
home.
212
Proposal: Ensure Financial Security for Retirees
Americans face a growing retirement crisis.
Nearly 40 million households in the United States do not
have retirement accounts. Traditionally, retirement
savings have relied upon a combination of personal
savings, Social Security, and employer-sponsored
retirement savings plans or pensions. However,
increasing numbers of employees work for a company
that does not offer a retirement plan.
185
Approximately 3.5 million private sector workers
aged 18 to 64 in New York lack access to an employer-
sponsored retirement savings program.
186
Many of these
workers face delayed retirements and reduced
standards of living, and will be forced to rely on the
state’s taxpayer-funded social safety net.
To address this growing problem and provide
input into future legislation, Governor Cuomo will create
the NY SMART Commission (“Saving More to Achieve
Richer Tomorrows”). Carl H. McCall, Chairman of the
State University of New York Board of Trustees, will
chair the Commission. Chairman McCall has deep
expertise in the financial sector, having served as
Comptroller of the State of New York, Vice President of
Citibank and Corporate Director of the New York Stock
213
Exchange. The Commission will consist of additional
experts from the financial services industry, consumer
advocates, public officials, and state regulators. The
Commission will partner with state agencies, financial
services professionals, consumer advocates, and
academics to study available options for the creation of a
state-administered retirement savings program for
workers whose employers do not offer a retirement plan.
214
215
7. CLOSE THE SKILLS GAP
AND TRAIN YOUTH
New York State has created more than 759,000
private sector jobs since December 2010.
187
The state’s
private sector job count is at an all-time historic high
with more than 7.9 million jobs.
188
To date the state-
funded economic development projects have created
more than 200,000 jobs through the Regional Economic
Development Councils and unemployment continues to
decline in every region – from 8.4 percent in December
2010 to 4.8 percent as of November 2015 – the lowest
level in 8 years.
189
However, assuming current education and labor
market trends continue into 2020, New York State will
face a shortage of as many as 350,000 workers for jobs
that require more than a high school diploma but less
than a four-year degree – commonly referred to as
“middle-skill” jobs.
190
These jobs include electricians,
dental hygienists, elevator installers and repairers,
paralegals, and radiation therapists, among many other
professions. A large number of these jobs will potentially
remain vacant because of a lack of adequately trained
216
candidates. Many manufacturing jobs also now require
workers to hold some form of rigorous post-secondary
education, either a certificate or an associate degree, in
addition to on-the-job training.
191
According to a
nationwide survey, 67 percent of employers surveyed
indicate a moderate or severe shortage of adequately
trained workers.
192
This “skills gap” is one of the greatest challenges
facing New York State’s economic development goals.
193
There are 2.5 million youth aged 16-24 in New
York State. About 1 million of them are employed;
however, approximately 170,000 or 14.5 percent are
unemployed.
194
Governor Cuomo is committed to
helping New York’s youth obtain work skills and
employment opportunities, and believes they can play a
central role in New York’s current and future economy.
That’s why he has doubled funding and has enabled a
two-thirds increase in youth participating in New York
State’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which
provides valuable work experience to low-income young
people ages 14 to 20. More than 83,000 youth have
benefitted from this program since Governor Cuomo
came to office, and he proposes an additional $31 million
to enable another 19,000 youth to participate in the
217
coming year. To ensure that our disadvantaged youth
benefit fully from New York’s growing economic
prosperity the state will further expand availability of
incentives and skills training programs for this
population and link them to services available through
different state agencies.
Proposal: Invest $5 Million to Launch Apprentice
SUNY
Advanced manufacturing jobs are booming in
New York, with some occupations projected to grow by
29.5 percent between 2012 and 2022.
195
When hiring,
employers place high value on on-the-job training in
addition to a degree. To meet the growing need for a
skilled workforce, Governor Cuomo will work with New
York’s community colleges to develop one of the largest
statewide public-private apprenticeship programs in the
country to help students complete degrees while
participating in registered apprenticeships and generate
thousands of new employment opportunities for
community college graduates.
The Governor proposes Apprentice SUNY, a new
$5 million program that builds on the infrastructure
developed with the $15 million USDOL TAACCCT grant
awarded to Monroe Community College in 2013. The
218
TAACCCT grant in advanced manufacturing created
degree and certificate programs at the College in
occupational areas such as Mechatronics, a combination
of mechanics, hydraulics, control systems, electrical
technology and computer technology used in a wide
range of contemporary advanced manufacturing
facilities. While the College exceeded its three-year goal
of enrolling 3,000 students to 3,100 in 18 months, the
TAACCCT grant program benefits end at job training and
do not help students secure a job upon graduation.
Apprentice SUNY will help 2,000 students receive
classroom and practical training through new registered
apprenticeships linked to degrees that provide
participants with paid on-the-job skills training, a degree
or certificate, a portable, national industry recognized
credential, and a full-time job upon
graduation. Apprentice SUNY will work with employers
to leverage the Urban Youth Jobs Program to provide tax
credits for employing eligible youth and will establish a
new pathway to high demand jobs with competitive
wages in New York over the next five years and beyond.
Apprentice SUNY will develop a two pronged
approach to expand registered apprenticeships for 21
st
century jobs. One part of the program will serve the
219
needs of large semi-conductor manufacturers by linking
existing community college certificates and degrees with
on-the-job training opportunities at these employers.
The second part of the program includes a partnership
with regional private sector employers to develop a pilot
program that will partner employers with higher
education institutions to develop a new apprenticeship
model and access tax credits for employees through the
State Urban Youth Jobs Program. The pilot program will
consist of a new Department of Labor-approved Regional
Business Intermediary model that addresses the needs
of small and medium sized advanced manufacturers who
often find it difficult to participate in the New York State
Registered Apprentice program on their own.
Proposal: Create the $3 Million Middle-Skill Jobs Gap
Training Fund
New York State is ranked number one among all
states for having one of the best federal Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
196
adult and
dislocated worker programs that placed more than
260,000 jobseeker customers in jobs in the 2014-15
program year.
197
While New York only receives 6
percent of total available federal workforce funding,
198
New York accounts for roughly 30 percent of the nation’s
220
placements.
199
Under WIOA, Department of Labor (DOL)
oversees New York’s network of Career Centers, and
works in coordination and collaboration with local
government agencies to provide employment services
throughout the state. New York direct and funded job
training programs train more than 20,000 people each
year.
200
Several factors contribute to the state’s skills gap
challenge, including: more jobs available than the
number of individuals with the required skills to fill
those openings; geographic discrepancies between
where jobs are created and where the workers qualified
to fill them are located; and the broader shift in the
state’s economy from an industrial-focused economy to
one driven by the service-based innovation and
technology sectors.
To close the skills gap, Governor Cuomo will
dedicate $3 million of discretionary WIOA funds to
create the New York Workforce Training Fund. The Fund
will work with the Regional Economic Development
Councils to provide funding to training providers, not-
for-profit organizations, and private sector entities to
provide skills-based job training to new and incumbent
workers. The Fund will ensure that New York has a pool
221
of middle-skill workers available to meet the business
needs specific to each region, and innovation-based
businesses will continue to bring their employment
opportunities to New York.
Proposal: Modernize the New York Apprenticeship
and Training Council
2016 marks the 75
th
year of the New York State
Registered Apprenticeship program. This time-honored
training system administered through the Department of
Labor combines structured on-the-job training with
classroom instruction to ensure that workers gain
specific, job-related skills. This program has seen
significant growth over the last five years, from 3,419
newly enrolled apprentices in 2010, to nearly 5,200 in
2015.
201
Governor Cuomo will build upon the success of
this model to ensure that New York has the best
prepared workforce in the nation by engaging educators
and creating innovative public/private partnerships to
modernize the system.
Under Article 23 of New York State Labor Law, the
governor appoints the New York Apprenticeship and
Training Council to advise the Commissioner of Labor on
issues related to apprenticeship, including supplemental
classroom instruction, quality standards for registered
222
programs, relationships between government and the
private sector and to identify trends related to
apprentice training. In the past, we have looked to
experts, employers, and labor organizations for advice
on apprenticeships. The seven member Council is
currently comprised of three representatives each from
labor organizations and employer organizations, as well
as a single member representing the public at-large.
To ensure that registered apprenticeships in New
York State reflect the training needs of the new economy
and link to our educational institutions, the Governor
will modernize the Registered Apprenticeship Program
in New York by adding council members from public
colleges, community colleges or boards of cooperative
educational services (BOCES) who have experience
providing related instruction for apprenticeship
programs. These members will bring the higher
education skills and training perspective to the table and
advise the Commissioner on how best to leverage the
sector to train future apprentices.
Proposal: Deploy the Unemployment Strikeforce to
Western New York
In May 2014, the Governor implemented the
Unemployment Strikeforce in the Bronx to boost
223
employment through intensive job placement services
and workplace training. The Bronx has seen a dramatic
decrease in the unemployment rate, which has dropped
from 11.1 percent in November 2013, before the
Strikeforce launched, to just 6.9 percent in November
2015.
202
There are now more Bronx residents (572,000)
working than at any point in the borough’s long
history.
203
In January 2015, the Governor expanded the
Unemployment Strikeforce’s efforts to focus on nine
additional counties with
high unemployment rates:
Franklin, Jefferson, Kings,
Lewis, Montgomery,
Orleans, Oswego, St.
Lawrence, and Steuben
Counties. Over the past
year, each of those 10 counties experienced dramatic
drops in their unemployment rate – averaging more than
2.5 times the average statewide improvement.
204
To ensure continued progress, Governor Cuomo
will extend the reach of the Unemployment Strikeforce,
expanding to Western New York to focus on the cities of
Buffalo, Lackawanna, and Niagara Falls. The Strikeforce
There are now more
Bronx residents
working than at any
point in the borough’s
long history: 572,000.
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will target jobseekers in this new region that are facing
barriers to employment, such as residents in
economically distressed communities, disconnected
youth, the formerly incarcerated, long-term
unemployed, individuals on public assistance, those
lacking a high school diploma or equivalency, and
individuals with no employment experience to ensure
they have access to and the skills required for local jobs.
Proposal: Transform New York State’s One-Stop
Career Centers
The New York State Department of Labor
operates 96 One-Stop Career Centers across the state
that offer job placement services, career counseling,
resume development and vocational training to
jobseekers. Although Career Centers are state-funded
they are often co-located with local workforce and social
services agencies, often poorly branded and sometimes
difficult to find.
While the overall unemployment rate has fallen
steadily over the past four years, it remains persistently
high for underserved populations and communities.
Oftentimes, jobseekers are unaware of job training and
placement resources available at the state Career
Centers. Building upon the success in transforming the
225
DMV experience, Governor Cuomo will rebrand and
modernize the state’s 96 Career Centers. The effort will
begin with a select group of “pilot” facilities that will
serve as models for a subsequent statewide roll-out. The
offices will be attractive and easily recognizable to
businesses and jobseekers alike. They will leverage and
complement online resources as well as those provided
by other governmental entities and private providers.
To be effective, these re-imagined career centers
will be citizen-centric approach and provide the highest
levels of customer service. This includes appealing to
and supporting both traditional jobseekers as well as
underserved populations facing barriers to employment,
such as individuals with disabilities, veterans, formerly-
incarcerated persons, disconnected youth, low-income
individuals, the long-term unemployed, adults with
limited literacy, and/or immigrants.
226
Proposal: $50 Million Urban Youth Jobs Program
Governor Cuomo launched the Urban Youth Jobs
Program in 2012 to combat unacceptably high
unemployment rates among inner-city youth. The initial
launch of the program in 2012 included $62 million to
support job-training programs and $25 million in tax
credits to encourage businesses to hire unemployed,
disadvantaged youth in selected cities. Since its launch,
the program has
helped secure
more than
31,000 jobs for
youth at more
than 1,500 New
York businesses
across targeted urban communities with high youth
unemployment.
205
In response to the continued success of and demand
for this program, the Governor proposes expanding the
Urban Youth Jobs Program to $50 million to
accommodate 10,000 youth job placements and
expanding the program to employers in additional areas.
Since its launch, the Urban Youth
Jobs Program has helped secure
more than 31,000 jobs for youth
at more than 1,500 New York
businesses.
227
Proposal: Create the First State Pre-Apprenticeship
Program
Apprenticeship programs combine classroom
instruction with paid, on-the-job training. Participants
earn decent wages that increase as they gain more
experience.
206
Apprenticeship programs create an
opportunity for working age youth to obtain meaningful,
permanent employment. Pre-apprenticeship programs
give participants the necessary training and exposure to
different trades, like construction and manufacturing, as
well as direct access to positions in registered
apprenticeship programs.
207
However, disadvantaged youth have been
underrepresented in apprenticeship programs and too
often do not have the skills or opportunities to benefit
from the jobs available from state-funded projects.
Governor Cuomo will lead the nation by creating the first
State Pre-Apprenticeship Program that will leverage
state contracts to ensure that youth in need of work are
connected with businesses in need of middle skill
workers.
This initiative will first recruit approximately 100
young adults between the ages of 18 to 24. The state will
provide these youth with direct entry into a state-
228
registered apprenticeship program such as the
LaGuardia Airport reconstruction project.
229
8. PROTECTING NEW
YORK’S WORKERS
Governor Cuomo is building a better New York by
ensuring that workers have access to job opportunities
at businesses that provide safe and healthy work
environments for their employees. Since taking office,
the Governor has signed the Wage Theft Prevention Act
to increase penalties against employers who violate
workers’ rights, instituted regulations in the mold
abatement industry, and made a commitment to
aggressively enforce the state’s prevailing wage laws.
In 2015 the Governor launched the Nail Salon
Industry Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency effort
to address and prevent unlawful practices within the
industry. The Governor then successfully proposed
legislation, promulgated regulations, and advanced
administrative reforms to address problematic issues
within the nail salon industry, including wage theft,
retaliation, and unsafe working conditions, as well as
obstacles to obtaining a nail specialty license.
230
The Governor next expanded his focus beyond the
nail salon industry and created a first-of-its-kind Task
Force to Combat Worker Exploitation across multiple
industries in New York. The Governor’s Task Force to
Combat Worker Exploitation (Task Force) is comprised
of 12 state agencies and is closely supported by an
Advisory Committee of representatives from the labor,
advocacy, academia, and business communities. The
Task Force is charged with examining and ending worker
mistreatment in industries with the highest rates of labor
law non-compliance, including restaurants, home health
care, and construction. Employees in these industries
are often recent immigrants, who are isolated
geographically, work off the books, and have limited
English-language abilities.
Proposal: Protect the Rights of World Trade Center
Rescue and Recovery Volunteers
After one of the most tragic events in the history
of New York and our country, thousands of workers and
volunteers stepped in to help with the rescue, recovery,
and clean-up efforts at the World Trade Center.
208
Since
then, many of these heroes have developed health
conditions linked to the toxic dust and debris at the
231
World Trade Center that has drastically changed their
lives forever.
While affected workers were covered by their
employers’ workers’ compensation insurance,
volunteers were left out in the cold. In 2002, Congress
authorized $25 million for New York to establish the
WTC Volunteer Fund ("Fund") to provide volunteers
with medical benefits and indemnity (cash) payments to
compensate for lost wages and other non-medical
treatment needs (such as home health aides and
handicap accessible retrofits to homes).
209
While
Congress increased the funding to $50 million in 2005,
210
the Fund is expected to run out in April 2016.
In 2015, Congress reauthorized the Zadroga Act,
originally authorized in 2011,
211
to provide funding for
9/11-related health problems for volunteers and
workers for the next 75 years.
212
However, the Zadroga
Act only covers costs associated with medical treatment,
it does not cover lost wages or other non-medical
treatment needs.
To honor our heroes, the Governor will step in to
fill the gap left by the Zadroga Act and take care of our
selfless 9/11 volunteers. The Governor proposes to
commit $9 million to sustain the WTC Volunteer Fund to
232
ensure that 1,900 volunteers will continue to receive the
coverage they deserve.
Proposal: Make the Exploited Workers Task Force
Permanent
Since its inception, the Exploited Workers Task
Force has launched more than 450 comprehensive
statewide investigations into multiple industries,
identifying more than 2,700 violations, including theft of
wages, failure to protect workers with mandatory
workers’ compensation coverage, and retaliation against
workers who complain about violations of the law. The
cases affect more than 2,000 workers in New York
State.
213
To ensure that the work of these groundbreaking
initiatives continues and expands, the Governor will
make the Exploited Worker Task Force permanent. The
Task Force will also join two other worker protection
initiatives, the Joint Enforcement Task Force on
Employee Misclassification and the Nail Salon Industry
Enforcement Task Force, ensuring that their missions
and activities continue.
The permanent Task Force will partner with
advocates and business representatives to make sure
that workers understand their rights and businesses
233
understand their obligations. Additionally, the Task
Force will enhance communication, collaboration, and
training among member agencies to promote best
practices, appropriate enforcement, and inter-agency
referrals for workers who experience abuse.
Proposal: Protect Immigrant Crime Victims through
Increased Access to U-Visas
Governor Cuomo is a longtime defender of
immigrant rights and vulnerable populations. Since
taking office, he has rescinded the Secure Communities
program; required state agencies to provide
interpretation and translation services; proposed and
signed legislation that cracks down on those who commit
immigrant assistance services fraud; made national
history by making the Office for New Americans the first
state-level immigrant office created by statute; and
pushed for the adoption of the New York State DREAM
Act. Furthermore, the rights of many immigrant workers
will be protected as a result of the work of the Nail Salon
Industry Enforcement Task Force and the Exploited
Workers Task Force.
Undocumented persons are at higher risk of
exploitation at work and are often reluctant to report
violations or otherwise cooperate with law enforcement
234
out of fear of deportation.
214
Currently, there are
approximately 900,000 undocumented individuals living
in New York State, including 522,000 undocumented
workers.
215
New York State laws protect all workers,
regardless of immigration status, against workplace
discrimination, wage theft, misclassification, retaliation,
human trafficking, and other labor standards violations.
In 2002, Congress created the U Nonimmigrant
Visa (U Visa) to protect workers who assist with the
detection, investigation, or prosecution of a crime by
providing them with temporary lawful status while they
assist with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of
a crime. The U Visa is an important tool both for
protecting immigrant crime victims and for
strengthening the ability of law enforcement agencies to
investigate and prosecute crimes. U Visa holders are
eligible for lawful status for up to four years and can
receive an automatic grant of work authorization.
Holders are also eligible to adjust status to lawful
permanent resident after three years. Additionally,
immediate qualifying family members may receive
derivative visas.
216
Governor Cuomo recognizes that a U Visa is a
particularly powerful tool for agencies tasked with
235
enforcing laws that protect vulnerable undocumented
New Yorkers. In the spring of 2011, he directed the New
York State Department of Labor to certify U Visas in
agency investigations for claimants and witnesses who
met certain criteria and demonstrated that they had
been victims of qualifying crimes.
217
To help detect and
prosecute crimes, the Governor will direct the New York
State Police and the Division of Human Rights to
establish official protocols and begin receiving and
processing U Visa certifications for claimants, victims,
and witnesses. Additionally, the Governor will direct the
Office of Children and Family Services, through its
oversight of local departments of social services, to
advise districts of their responsibility as the
investigating entities, to certify U Visas, as provided for
in law.
236
237
9. KEEPING NEW YORKERS
HEALTHY
Under the Governor’s leadership, New York State
has established a reputation as a national leader in health
reform. A major component of New York’s success story
is its Medicaid reform efforts, which have gained national
recognition. When the Governor took office five years
ago, New York possessed the largest and most expensive
Medicaid program in the nation.
218
Today, Medicaid
spending per recipient has dropped to its lowest level in
13 years while savings have been reinvested into the
health care system, thereby improving quality of care
even as enrollment in Medicaid continues to grow.
219
But
the Governor’s health care agenda extends well beyond
controlling Medicaid costs.
Three crucial elements of this health care agenda
include expanding access to care, transforming the
health care delivery system to improve quality and lower
costs, and using Health Information Technology in a
strategic way to support this health care system
transformation. Over the last five years, health care in
New York State has become more affordable for families
238
and businesses because of the New York State of Health
marketplace and more affordable for taxpayers because
of the far-reaching transformation efforts of the
Medicaid Redesign Team and the related “DSRIP”
process. These crucial ongoing initiatives reached
important milestones in 2015.
220
New health care initiatives begun in 2015
included legalizing medical marijuana with the
Compassionate Care Act, providing support for
individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and their
families, and supporting family caregivers by requiring
hospitals to provide instruction on how to perform
medical tasks at home. These ongoing and new 2015
initiatives are described below.
Expanding Access to Health Care
Expanding access to health care by making
affordable health insurance available is one of the critical
accomplishments of the Governor’s health care agenda.
Through the New York State of Health, the state’s official
health plan marketplace, New Yorkers now have access
to high quality, affordable health care coverage from
more than two dozen health insurance plans.
221
As of
January 2016, more than 2.7 million New Yorkers were
239
enrolled in coverage and 92 percent of those enrolled
reported being uninsured at the time of application.
222
As a result, New
York’s uninsured
rate has fallen to
less than 6
percent as of
June 2015 - its
lowest point in
decades.
223
Additionally, the health insurance premium
rates for individuals for 2014 and 2015 were 50 percent
lower than what individuals would have paid before
creation of the marketplace in October 2013.
224
For
2016, New York State of Health has introduced an even
more affordable health insurance option for New
Yorkers whose income is at or below 200 percent of the
Federal Poverty Level, or $40,180 for a family of three -
the new Essential Plan. The Essential Plan lowers
premiums to $20 or less a month (with no deductibles
and low co-pays) and provides comprehensive benefits
for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.
225
As of January 2016, more than
2.7 million New Yorkers were
enrolled in coverage, 92 percent
of whom report being uninsured
at the time of application.
240
Transforming the Health Care Delivery System
Due to reforms implemented by the Medicaid
Redesign Team (MRT), New York is uniquely positioned
to lead the nation in health care system innovation. In
April 2014, the federal government approved a waiver
that allowed New York State to reinvest $8 billion in
savings generated by the MRT to transform New York’s
health care system and enhance services for New York’s
Medicaid members.
226
The transformation plan that is
being financed through these new federal funds is being
implemented through the Delivery System Reform
Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program. DSRIP incentivizes
coordinated care for patients among large regional
networks that include hospitals, primary care providers
and other community-based organizations – all with the
goal of improving wellness and health while controlling
health care costs. To date, New York has awarded almost
$1.7 billion to 25 of these regional provider networks
across the state to implement projects that further this
goal.
227
In 2016, DSRIP will move to the next phase of
transforming the health care delivery system in New
York by implementing pilot programs to replace
241
expensive fee-for-service payments with “value-based”
payments that reward providers for successful patient
outcomes and help to achieve one of the core DSRIP goals
of reducing avoidable hospital admissions by 25 percent
over five years.
228
Continuing Innovation in Health Information Technology
The availability of timely, accurate and
comprehensive health information is foundational to
improving New Yorkers’ health, transforming the health
delivery system, and improving health care
efficiency. Including an investment of $40 million in
2016, the state will have invested $116 million to
develop a health information technology infrastructure
capable of sharing information to support and inform
consumers, providers, payers, and other health care
stakeholders.
The first part of this investment developed the
Statewide Health Information Network of New York
(SHIN-NY), which is an interconnected, statewide health
information exchange that enables physicians and other
health care providers to share health information over a
secure network. Strict security and privacy policies
include requirements for obtaining patient consent
242
before providers are allowed to share patient-specific
information using this system. Today, health records for
more than 32 million patients are available to be shared
by healthcare providers with the consent of these
patients, far more than any other state in the country.
229
At the end of 2015, more than 90 percent of acute care
hospitals and 86 percent of community health centers
statewide are connected to the SHIN-NY.
230
The second part of this investment will create an
All Payer Database (APD), a comprehensive information
repository that will collect and integrate health care data
from all public and private payers and providers. Among
other uses, health data collected through the APD will be
used to evaluate healthcare outcomes and support value-
based payment models, and promote or incentivize
higher quality and lower cost treatments. The state will
invest $10 million in 2016 to advance the functionality of
the APD, with additional support provided by federal
funding.
Implementing the Compassionate Care Act
In July 2014, Governor Cuomo signed the
Compassionate Care Act, establishing a medical
marijuana program for New York State. The state’s
243
carefully crafted program design will allow access to
patients to help alleviate pain and enhance the quality of
life for individuals suffering from such diseases as
Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS),
Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and
neuropathies, while protecting public health and safety
through strict security requirements.
In 2015, the New York State Department of Health
awarded licenses to five organizations in different
regions of the state to grow marijuana and manufacture
it into approved forms. Each of those licensed
organizations is authorized to manufacture medical
products and sell its product at four sites, which will
provide for 20 dispensaries around the state. In addition,
this program creates a practitioner education course,
practitioner registration program, and a patient
certification system.
On January 7, 2016 the Department of Health
launched the opening of the state’s Medical Marijuana
program, just 18 months after the Governor signed the
Compassionate Care Act. Dispensaries are now open
across the state, and physicians are registering for the
program and certifying their patients who might benefit
from the treatment.
244
Supporting Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and
Family Caregivers
The 2015-2016 Budget included $25 million in
funding toward care and support services for individuals
living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias
(AD/D) and their caregivers. This investment is helping
to reduce preventable emergency department visits and
hospitalizations as well as delay or eliminate the need for
institutional placement. Under this program, the
Regional Caregiver Support Initiative awarded $1.5
million per year over five years to each of nine
organizations to support caregivers through care and
family consultations, support groups and training, and
respite services.
While caregivers may be able to manage the
everyday tasks required to maintain older persons with
chronic illnesses or disabilities in their homes, figuring
out how to address an illness or injury after a
hospitalization can be confusing and distressing.
Hospital staff often do not provide instruction or
information on what to expect and what tasks will need
to be performed.
231
245
In 2015, Governor Cuomo signed the Caregiver
Advise, Record and Enable Act, which requires that
hospitals allow patients to formally designate a caregiver
before they leave the hospital or are transferred to
another facility. It also requires hospital workers to
provide the caregiver with instruction or training on how
to perform tasks for the patient at home, such as
changing bandages or administering medication.
Ending the HIV/ AIDS Epidemic
In June 2014, the Governor announced New
York’s three-point plan to end HIV/AIDS as an epidemic
by the
end of
2020. A
primary
goal of
the
Governor’s plan is to reduce the number of annual new
HIV infections to 750, which would achieve the state’s
first-ever decrease in HIV prevalence.
232
New York
State’s successes to-date include the elimination of
mother-to-child transmission, with no new cases of
For the first time since the outbreak of
the AIDS epidemic in New York State,
there have been no new cases of
mother-to-child transmission in the
state for over a year.
246
mother-to-child transmission in this state for over a year.
This is the first time this achievement has been reached
since the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic in New York
State.
233
In addition, the state has seen dramatic
reductions in cases among injection drug users, and new
infections have been reduced significantly in almost all
categories of race and risk.
234
Proposal: New York State Certified High Quality
Foods
Public interest in safe and healthy foods
continues to grow yet consumer trust in food has eroded
significantly – for good reason.
235
The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than
48 million people in the United States suffer from
foodborne illnesses every year.
236
In addition, the
marketplace is flooded with claims such as “made with
goodness” or “natural,” many of which are neither
verified nor have real meaning. New York consumers
deserve better.
New York’s vibrant agriculture and food
industries position the state to set a national example for
providing consumers with transparent and meaningful
information about the food they purchase and eat. In
2015, the Governor created an Advisory Committee on
247
Safe and Healthy Foods to convene the nation’s top
experts in food production and food advocacy to examine
food safety and misbranding issues and to identify ways
for consumers which of New York’s food is the best
available.
The Governor will build on this work to launch
the New York State Certified High Quality Initiative – a
comprehensive plan to restore consumer confidence in
New York products, ensure that products are accurately
labeled, and identify New York producers who adhere to
best practices in food handling and environmental
stewardship.
The New York State Certified High Quality
initiative comprises five elements:
• Branding & Marketing: The state will create a
New York State Certified seal and make it
available to producers who maintain a certified
Good Agricultural Practices plan and
demonstrate good environmental stewardship.
The seal will signal to consumers which foods
are the best to buy and eat. Building on the
success of the Taste NY program, New York will
launch a full-scale advertising campaign to
inform consumers that they can trust foods that
bear this seal.
248
• Enforcement: The state will increase its ability to
enforce laws against misbranding and deceptive
business practices. This will protect not only
consumers, but the integrity of the vast majority
of honest producers as well.
• Monitoring: Inspectors from the Department of
Agriculture & Markets will conduct improved,
risk-based food safety on-site inspections and
will increase the number of food samples to test.
Further, the Department of Health Wadsworth
Center Lab and the State Food Lab will partner to
increase testing capacity.
• Training & Industry Support: The state will invest
more than $4 million to train farmers in safe
food handling practices and environmental
stewardship through the Agricultural
Environmental Management Program and the
Integrated Pest Management Program. The state
will also leverage the Taste NY and Farm-to-
School initiatives to promote consumer interest
in local, New York State Certified products.
• Investment: The state will work with the
Regional Economic Development Councils to
invest in local food distribution hubs that will
improve access to fresh and healthy food for
residents and promote local products to
restaurants and institutional buyers. New York
will also invest in farms that opt to convert to
organic grain production.
249
Proposal: Launch Statewide Effort to Increase
Awareness and Screening for Breast and Prostate
Cancer
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed
cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death
among women in New York State – responsible for
almost 15,000 diagnoses and 2,700 deaths each year.
237
Breast cancer screening has been credited with reducing
breast cancer mortality.
238
Screening can increase the
likelihood of identifying cancer at an early stage, when
treatment is most successful. As a result, a top priority
in the fight against breast cancer is to achieve earlier
detection by getting more women screened. In 2014,
about 78.6 percent of age-appropriate women in New
York State reported receiving a mammogram at least
every other year, while approximately 576,000 women
had not.
239
Excluding skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most
common cancer among men in New York State – each
year, over 15,000 men are diagnosed with prostate
cancer and over 1,700 men die of the disease.
240
The Governor is committed to increasing the
state’s breast cancer screening rate by 10 percent over
the next five years. As a result of the Governor’s
250
initiative, more than 212,000 additional women will be
screened for breast cancer by December 2020.
241
Further, 25,000 men will receive peer education and
outreach services that will encourage them to discuss
their risk for prostate cancer with their health care
providers in order to make an informed decision about
whether to be screened.
To achieve this objective, the Governor will
launch a $91 million comprehensive, statewide plan to
increase rates of breast cancer screening, help women
access the treatment they need, and educate thousands
of men about the
risks associated
with prostate
cancer. The state
will increase
women’s access to
screening facilities
and services across the state, and also work to ensure
women receive any necessary assistance in scheduling
and keeping their mammography appointments.
Additionally, peer outreach efforts will be enhanced to
help more women understand the importance of regular
The Governor is committed to
increasing the state’s breast
cancer screening rate by 10
percent over the next five
years.
251
breast cancer screening and to inform men of their risks
regarding prostate cancer.
Proposal: Launch a $15 Million Public-Private
Outreach and Public Education Campaign for Cancer
To encourage more women to get screened for
breast cancer and men to be informed of prostate cancer
risks, the state will implement a two-pronged public
awareness campaign that focuses on underserved
communities.
Every person has unique circumstances that
influence whether or not they get screened regularly for
breast or prostate cancer. To encourage more women to
get mammograms, and men to discuss their risks for
prostate cancer with their health care providers, the
state will fund 10 community-based peer education
programs throughout the state. Peer educators that are
trusted community members will deliver culturally-
relevant cancer screening messages. Breast cancer peer
education programs have been found to increase cancer
screening rates and are recommended by the
Community Preventive Services Task Force.
242
The state will also partner with the Healthcare
Education Project to raise breast cancer awareness
through a media campaign that will target low income,
252
underserved populations and encourage them to get
screened. The campaign will address commonly cited
patient barriers, including fear of the test, and women
not knowing they should be screened. In conjunction
with this campaign, the Department of Health will
establish a website containing a breast cancer hotline
and additional means of connecting women with the
component programs in the Governor’s breast cancer
initiative. The state will complement these efforts with a
$5 million education and public awareness media
campaign across the state over the next five years.
Proposal: Increase Access to Breast Cancer Screening
The Community Preventive Services Task Force,
an independent panel of experts appointed by the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
recommends various actions that can help women
overcome obstacles to obtaining breast cancer screening
appointments. These actions include modified hours of
operation at screening facilities to accommodate patient
needs, reducing the time or distance women must travel
to get screened, and providing assistance for scheduling
and traveling to mammography appointments.
243
In
addition to these general recommendations, a recent
253
survey conducted by the Department of Health
determined that approximately one-third of hospital-
based mammography facilities in New York do not offer
alternative hours of services (early morning, evening or
weekend).
244
Based upon these recommendations and
feedback, the Governor is proposing the following four
initiatives to help additional women schedule and travel
to their mammograms.
Currently, New York State employees receive four
hours of annual leave for breast cancer screening. Many
private sector employees do not have access to this type
of benefit. The state calls upon private sector employers
to provide their employees with four hours annual leave
for breast cancer screening and is happy to announce
that the following employers have already agreed to
provide this leave to their staff:
• Eastman Kodak Company
• Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
• D'Addario & Company, Inc.
• Lago Resort & Casino
• M&T Bank
• The Pike Company
• Paychex, Inc.
• Nazareth College
254
• Wilmorite Management Group, LLC
• Dixon-Schwabl Inc
• LeChase Construction Services LLC
• Hueber-Breuer Construction Company, Inc.
• Eric Mower & Associates
• Le Moyne College
To increase women’s access to mammography
services, the Department of Health will require hospital-
based screening facilities that already offer
mammograms to offer service hours at least once a week
during the early morning, evening or weekend. This
action will assist women who have difficulty scheduling
their mammograms during the typical 9am-5pm work
day.
To provide access to mammography services to
homebound patients or those who otherwise lack access,
the state will invest $59.5 million to help community
providers purchase and operate mobile mammography
vehicles. Mobile mammography services will be targeted
in areas with a high number of unscreened women per
FDA-approved mammography facility and will provide
convenient, high-quality screening services for women
who may have difficulty getting to a fixed location for an
appointment.
255
Many women make a mammography
appointment and fail to arrive or get screened and do not
follow up for further consultation or treatment. To
address this issue and provide coordinated care to
women across New York, the state will invest $11.6
million to hire additional health care workers at cancer
treatment and other health care facilities to identify and
conduct outreach to patients due for breast cancer
screening, address barriers to facilitate screening
completion such as transportation, and assist with
securing any subsequent needed diagnostic follow-up
and treatment services.
Proposal: Dedicate $5 Million in Venture Capital
Funding for Cancer-Related Research and
Technology
Governor Cuomo has prioritized the state’s fight
against cancer since taking office in 2011, investing over
$29 million in cancer research alone. These investments
include: $5 million to prevent, treat and cure breast
cancer; $3 million to improve our knowledge about the
prevention, detection and treatment of prostate cancer;
and almost $21 million to advance scientific discoveries
in stem cell biology that aim to address cancer.
256
Developing viable digital health and cancer
screening technologies can be costly. Equally challenging
for businesses are the high costs of bringing cancer
treatments to the market.
245
To assist with these
hurdles, the state will invest $5 million from the New
York State Innovation Venture Capital Fund (NYSIVCF)
to support the commercialization of promising cancer-
related technologies. Funding could support products
that help increase the number of women screened for
breast cancer, in addition to innovations that improve
the diagnosis or treatment of breast and prostate cancer.
Up to ten companies will receive state
investments of $500,000 to $1 million to support
research that has entered the early stages of the
commercialization process. To support New York
Ventures in identifying and evaluating investment
opportunities, the state will establish an Advisory Board
consisting of top oncologists, researchers and bioscience
investors. This investment initiative will increase the
opportunity for more businesses to commercialize their
early innovations in cancer research.
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Proposal: Extend the Upper Age of the Current HIV
Testing Guidelines Beyond 64
New York State law requires hospitals and
primary care providers to offer an HIV test to persons
ages 13 to 64. For older or younger patients, hospitals
and providers must assess these patients for risk before
offering them a test. There is no science supporting the
current age limit of 64.
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In fact, many older adults
beyond the age of 64 are at risk of HIV and other STD
infections. In fact, half of all people living with diagnosed
HIV infection in this state are age 50 and older,
247
and
approximately 200 cases of HIV are diagnosed each year
in persons age 60 and older.
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To address this problem,
the Governor will introduce new legislation to extend the
upper age for the offer of an HIV test beyond the age of
64.
Proposal: Broaden HIV Testing and Treatment
Consent Laws for Minors
Under current state law, minors can consent to
STD and HIV testing and to treatment for STDs without
parental or guardian consent. However, treatment
without parental consent for HIV is not explicitly
permitted in statute, even in cases where the young
person has been abandoned or abused by his parents.
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Young persons (those between 20-29) have the highest
rate of newly diagnosed HIV infection in New York
State.
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Once diagnosed, young people often face
additional barriers that can prevent or delay access to
care, including denial and fear of their HIV infection,
misinformation, HIV-related stigma, low self-esteem,
lack of insurance, homelessness, substance use, mental
health issues, and lack of adequate support systems.
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Because of these factors many young people need to have
the ability to consent to their own HIV treatment. The
proposal to expand minor consent ensures more young
people have optimal health outcomes for themselves and
do not transmit the virus to others.
In addition to consenting for health care, young
people should have the ability to consent for HIV related
preventive services. Young people at high risk who are
negative for HIV should be able to consent to pre-
exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) just as they can for other
reproductive or sexual health related services so they
can remain negative.
The Governor will address both prevention and
access to care by introducing new legislation to allow
minors determined to have capacity to give informed
consent for HIV treatment and prophylaxis and to be
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granted expanded confidentiality protections on
explanation of benefits forms.
Proposal: Link Individuals to HIV Treatment and
Improve Viral Suppression
Viral suppression is the ultimate goal for persons
with HIV, as it improves health and virtually eliminates
the possibility of further transmission of HIV.
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However, thousands of HIV-infected New Yorkers are
not linked to care and as a result do not achieve viral
suppression.
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In 2014, a change in state law allowed
medical providers to receive information from the
Department of Health on HIV-infected patients. The
Department of Health can now match HIV data with
Medicaid data to identify HIV-positive Medicaid
recipients who are not being treated. The state then can
notify providers and Medicaid managed care plans of
these individuals, thereby linking them to treatment.
A significant component of the Governor’s plan is
to identify individuals who remain undiagnosed or out of
care for purposes of engagement and retention in care.
The Governor will introduce new legislation that
expands the existing statute to allow HIV -related
information to be shared with care coordinators and care
managers. This expansion will increase the state’s ability
260
to identify HIV-positive individuals, connect them with
treatment, and suppress the development of their virus.
Proposal: Remove Limitations on the State’s
Expanded Syringe Access Program
Since the 1990s, there have been dramatic
reductions in HIV cases among injection drug users. In
1990, drug users represented 54 percent of newly
diagnosed cases; in 2013, it was less than 3 percent.
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This success is attributed to the implementation and
expansion of syringe exchange and the Expanded Syringe
Access Program (ESAP). ESAP reduces the transmission
of blood borne diseases, including HIV and hepatitis, by
enhancing access to sterile syringes. As of April 2015,
there were more than 3,000 ESAP-registered providers
in New York State.
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Under the existing statute, a maximum of ten
syringes may be sold or furnished to a person 18 years of
age or older without a prescription. However, limiting
the number of syringes available for purchase may
encourage individuals to re-use or share their syringes –
a behavior that leads to transmission of HIV and
hepatitis.
255
To further the state’s efforts to reduce HIV and
hepatitis transmission among injection drug users, the
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Governor will propose legislation to lift the ten-syringe
limit, which in turn will increase the visibility and scope
of ESAP. This legislation also will allow for syringe
exchange and for ESAP participants to provide syringes
to other injectors who otherwise would reuse syringes
or share contaminated supplies. Finally, this legislation
will lift a current ban on advertising by pharmacies and
will allow them to publicize the availability of syringes
without a ceiling on the number that can be purchased.
Proposal: Increase Funding and Expand Services for
Children’s Mental Health
Mental and behavioral health problems among
children are a large and growing challenge. While
existing mental health problems become increasingly
complex and intense as children transition into
adolescence
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even very young children are affected.
Addressing mental health problems early is critical to
children’s success in school and beyond.
To more effectively address these problems, the
Governor proposes $7.5 million in new funding, growing
to $30 million in 2017-18 , to establish six new children’s
mental health services in the state’s Medicaid program.
These services will become available starting January 1,
2017 and include services related to:
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• Crisis Intervention;
• Community Psychiatric Support and Treatment;
• Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services;
• Non-physician Licensed Practitioners;
• Family Peer Support Services; and
• Youth Peer Training and Support Services.
These new services will place an emphasis on
early intervention for children experiencing mental or
behavioral health challenges before they rise to the level
of needing high intensity clinical services in treatment,
emergency rooms and hospital settings that are more
costly and detrimental to home and community based
living outcomes.
The introduction of these six new children’s
services also represents a critical first step in preparing
the children’s behavioral health system for integration
into Medicaid managed care. One of the obstacles to
delivering effective mental health and substance abuse
services for children and adolescents in New York is that
these services have been delivered in a fragmented and
inefficient manner. Integrating these services into the
Medicaid managed care program will ensure intense
care coordination of physical, mental and behavioral
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conditions by case managers with significant mental
health experience.
Proposal: Implement the Developmental Disabilities
Transformation Panel Recommendations
New York’s Office for People With Developmental
Disabilities (OPWDD) provides services for 130,000 New
Yorkers with developmental disabilities. The work of
OPWDD plays a crucial role in the quality of life of
individuals with developmental disabilities and plays a
critically important role in supporting the families who
are caring for developmentally disabled loved ones.
The Governor is leading the transition of service
delivery for those with developmental disabilities from a
traditional system of supports provided in group
residential and day programs to a more individualized
and flexible service model that seeks to maximize
individuals’ opportunities to live and work as
independently as possible.
OPWDD invested $65 million in federal funds as
part of this long-term transformation effort in 104
initiatives that seek to promote improved outcomes for
individuals with developmental disabilities related to
employment, transition supports and establishing
community partnerships. To help guide this far-reaching
264
redesign, OPWDD in 2015 convened a Transformation
Panel comprised of individuals receiving services,
parents and industry experts. To implement important
recommendations of the Transformation Panel, the
Governor will direct OPWDD to undertake the following
initiatives:
• Allocate $120 million in new funding for new
services to support up to 6000 individuals with
developmental disabilities.
• Ensure that residential placements will be
devoted to individuals currently living at
home based on need, which will provide relief
for caregivers who are unable to continue the
care they have been providing to their child.
• Invest $15 million in capital for supportive
housing options, which will both create more
opportunities for people with developmental
disabilities to live in affordable housing in the
community.
• Design a flexible home-based service model
to allow people to get the hours of support that
work best for them and the ability to modify
these services as their needs change.
• Provide more flexibility in day services
options for people, including more
opportunities for employment, through creation
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of a day service model that offers caregivers the
security of a dependable schedule but also
allows for internships, volunteerism and part-
time work.
• Create value-based reimbursement models
that offer providers incentives for achieving
good outcomes for individuals which have been
developed in concert with individuals, families,
providers and other stakeholders.
Proposal: Combat Opioid Overdose
Almost two million New Yorkers and their loved
ones struggle with the effects of substance use disorder
(SUD)
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, and heroin and opioid addiction is growing
especially quickly among New Yorkers under the age of
25. New York’s substance use disorder treatment system
has seen a 126 percent increase in admissions over the
last ten years among people aged 18 to 25 who are
abusing opioids.
258
In 2014, the state launched the Combat Heroin &
Prescription
Drug Abuse
Campaign to
educate New
Yorkers about
the risks of
More than 1,500 lives have been
saved from opioid overdose in
the past year.
266
heroin and prescription opioid use and to provide them
with helpful resources. In 2014, the Governor adopted a
range of strong measures aimed at reducing addiction to
heroin and other opiates when he signed into law 12
pieces of legislation that dramatically improved access to
SUD treatment services in New York State.
259
One of the key elements of the Governor’s 2014
Opioid Heroin legislative package called for increasing
access to the lifesaving overdose reversal drug, Naloxone
by authorizing healthcare professionals to issue non-
patient specific prescriptions for Naloxone to certified
training programs and pharmacies. There are now more
than 250 registered opioid overdose prevention
programs in this state, with more than 85,000
individuals trained to administer Naloxone, who can take
advantage of this law. Through their efforts, more than
1,500 lives have been saved in the past year.
260
To expand access to this life saving drug and help
prevent opioid overdose deaths in New York State, the
Governor will partner with CVS/pharmacy to help
prevent opioid overdose deaths in New York State.
CVS/pharmacy will provide individual training and
naloxone statewide to their customers without requiring
them to present a prescription. The state hopes to add
267
an additional 1,000 pharmacies statewide in early
2016. The Governor will also introduce legislation that
permits any pharmacist to administer the drug in the
event of an overdose.
Proposal: Prevent Opioid Addiction Relapse
Opiate and heroin addicted individuals are at
increased risk for an overdose following a period when
they are in treatment, or incarcerated and then released,
due to their lowered resistance during the time away
from active use.
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Vivitrol contains one of the three FDA
approved medications that can help patients to stabilize
and resist relapse. Vivitrol works by fighting the
intoxicating effects of heroin, prescription opioids and
alcohol.
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The Governor will authorize the first Vivitrol
treatment pilot in State Corrections to help inmates
avoid relapse upon release. The pilot will build on an
existing collaboration between the Department of
Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and an
Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
(OASAS) licensed drug treatment program located in
New York City-based Edgecombe Correctional facility.
The pilot will specifically focus on individuals in the five
268
boroughs who have violated their parole by relapsing on
alcohol, heroin or other opioids.
Proposal: Combat Dangerous “Synthetic” Drugs
Over the last year, there has been an explosion of
synthetic drugs – herbal mixtures that produce
hallucinogenic experiences and are marketed as “legal”
substances. During the three-month period April 1 to
June 30, 2015, New York State saw more than 1,900
emergency department (ER) visits and 680 poison
control center calls due to reports of adverse health
effects associated with synthetic cannabinoid use; this
represents more than a tenfold increase over the same
time period in 2014, when there were more than 150
emergency department visits and 50 poison control
center calls reported.
263
In November 2015, the Department of Health
enacted emergency regulations combating the sale of
synthetic drugs in the state. The tougher regulations
expand the existing list of banned substances to include
new chemical compounds that drug producers have
created since Governor Cuomo first targeted so-called
synthetic marijuana in 2012. But one of the challenges in
combating synthetic drugs is that the chemicals
269
comprising them are not easily detected in standard drug
tests.
264
To overcome this challenge, New York State will
pilot the use of a portable, hand-held high-tech device
which can instantly analyze an unknown substance and
detect whether it contains any combination of these
dangerous synthetics. The Governor will provide $2
million in funding for this pilot program to purchase
portable detection units for law enforcement agencies
across the state.
Proposal: Control Rapidly Rising Prescription Drug
Costs
Rapidly rising costs for prescription drugs pose
one of the biggest risks to maintaining quality affordable
health care for New Yorkers. The Governor proposes a
series of proposals to help insulate New York taxpayers
from having the Medicaid program absorb the full effect
of these prescription drug price increases, while creating
disclosure requirements on manufacturers that will
create more transparency about the business practices
of the manufacturers of these specialty prescription
drugs. Both proposals are aimed at certain specialty
brand name prescription drugs that are prohibitively
expensive yet crucial for the treatment of certain
diseases. Specialty drugs represent 1 percent of all
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prescriptions, but 31 percent of the total cost of
prescription drugs. The treatment regimen for some of
the most expensive specialty drugs can cost as much as
$750,000 per year.
For select specialty drugs that are so expensive it
becomes difficult to offer the drug to all Medicaid
patients who could potentially benefit from it, the
Governor proposes that the Department of Health
effectively cap the price of these drugs by requiring drug
manufacturers to provide a minimum level of rebates to
Medicaid. The state will determine the amount of the
minimum rebate through an actuarial study.
The Governor also proposes that manufacturers
of the same select specialty drugs provide the
Department of Health with such information as the
actual cost of developing, manufacturing, producing, and
distributing the drug; research and development costs of
the drug, marketing, and advertising costs for the drug,
prices for the drug that are charged to purchasers
outside the United States; and the average profit margin
of each drug over the prior five year period. These
disclosure requirements will provide transparency
about the business practices of the specialty drug
271
manufacturers and put a spotlight on the problem of
rising pharmaceutical drug prices.
Proposal: Strengthen the Home Health Care
Workforce
As New York State’s population ages, more
individuals are relying on long-term care, and want to
receive that care in their own homes, rather than going
to a nursing home. Home health care is a fundamental
support needed for people to remain independently in
their homes and integrated in their communities. Home
health aides provide help with basic daily activities that
many of us take for granted—bathing, dressing, meal
preparation—that elderly and people with disabilities
may not be able to do on their own. However, home
health aides are prohibited from helping with other
activities such as medication administration or
assistance with medical equipment.
The Governor is proposing legislation to
authorize Advanced Home Health Aides (AHHAs) to
perform specified advanced tasks under the supervision
of a licensed registered professional nurse employed by
a home care services agency, hospice program or
enhanced assisted living residence. Performed under
supervision by a registered nurse, advanced home health
272
aides will be able to assist patients and allow them to live
with dignity in their homes and provide support to
family caregivers who are responsible for caring for their
loved ones.
Proposal: Ensure the Safety of Child Products
The Child Safe Products Act seeks to regulate the
use of chemicals in the manufacture of children’s
products. New York has been a national leader in
protecting consumers from using unsafe products. To
ensure that we protect our children from unsafe
products, the Governor will work with the Legislature to
adopt the Child Safe Products Act which will phase out
the use of specific chemicals of concern in children's
products.
Proposal: Expand Farm to School Partnerships to
Help Farmers and Students
New York public schools serve 400 million meals
annually to nearly three million children.
265
According to
a 2012 survey, nearly three-quarters of New York school
food service directors agree that locally procured foods
are healthier for students; yet one quarter of them have
never procured locally and want to learn how.
266
To
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increase the amount of high quality food that reaches our
children’s school lunch trays, the Governor launched the
$350,000 New York State Farm to School Competitive
Grants Program in 2015 to increase the capacity of six
schools to purchase from local farms.
To expand on these efforts, at the
recommendation of the Anti-Hunger Task Force, the
Governor proposes a second $250,000 round of grants
and will expand “NY Thursdays,” a program that
increases local sourcing in public school food programs
through commitments by school districts to source local
food for school lunches every Thursday.
274
10. ETHICS REFORM
Governor Cuomo has been fighting for ethics
reform since taking office in 2011. In his first year as
Governor, he led the effort to enact the comprehensive
Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011 to increase
transparency and accountability in Albany. This robust
set of reforms required state officials to make
unprecedented disclosures of their income, assets, and
external clients; created a public database of all
lobbyists; strengthened lobbying restrictions; and
275
required public officials to forfeit their pensions when
convicted of a felony related to public office. It also
established a new Joint Commission on Public Ethics
(JCOPE) to oversee the Executive, the Legislature, and
lobbyists.
The 2015-2016 State Budget included additional
measures to further advance ethics reform, including
new requirements to ensure that public officials disclose
the details of all outside income in excess of $1,000 –
including the source of the income and the actual
services performed – and whether there is any
connection to the state government or the office they
hold. The budget significantly expanded the Lobbying
Law to cover municipalities with a population of 5,000 or
more, from 50,000 previously. The Budget also
introduced Per Diem reform that will prevent fraud by
establishing stronger claim verification requirements
New Yorkers deserve a government they can trust.
Governor Cuomo has been fighting for ethics
reform since taking office in 2011.
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and creating a publicly accessible website showing
members’ reimbursement and travel. Campaign funds
have been barred for personal use, and the requirement
to disclose independent campaign expenditures has
been expanded from 30 to 60 days before Election Day.
The Governor also increased the JCOPE budget by 27
percent and provided for funding to modernize the
Commission’s technology systems.
This year, Governor Cuomo proposes the most
ambitious ethics and good government reform package
ever to restore New Yorker’s confidence in their
representatives. The Governor will propose closing the
“LLC Loophole,” limiting outside income for members of
the New York State Legislature, devising a system for
publicly financing campaigns, enacting comprehensive
reforms to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) to
increase transparency, requiring any legislators
convicted of corruption to forfeit their New York State
pensions, strengthening the enforcement powers of
JCOPE, and enacting new ethics and campaign finance
reporting requirements. The Governor also proposes
authorizing an expert commission to prepare for a
constitutional convention and proposes voting reforms
to institute early voting and automatic voter registration
277
to enable more New Yorkers to have their voices heard
on Election Day.
Proposal: Close the LLC Loophole and Increase
Campaign Disclosure
In order to preserve open, free, and fair elections
that are not captured by wealthy public interests, state
law limits the amounts that both corporations and
individuals may donate directly to state candidates.
267
However, because of a quirk in the way that present
election law is interpreted, wealthy individuals and
corporations are able to use Limited Liability Companies
(“LLCs”) to avoid New York’s campaign donation limits.
This “LLC Loophole” in campaign finance law has
allowed special interests to circumvent both
contribution limits and disclosure requirements. The
Governor proposes closing the LLC Loophole for all
elected officials. It is our responsibility to even the
playing field so that rich and poor New Yorkers alike
have their voices heard in our political process.
278
Currently, campaigns must disclose campaign
contributions only
twice a year and at
certain intervals before
elections. In our digital
era, money and news
move lightning-fast yet
laws on campaign
contributions have not
caught up to the reality
of our times. To provide
greater transparency in
campaign contributions, the Governor proposes that
candidates disclose campaign contributions to the Board
of Elections every 60 days.
Proposal: Limit Outside Income for Legislators
The Legislature’s part-time structure allows
professionals from diverse industries and backgrounds
to serve the public. This offers the distinct advantage of
legislators who are not career politicians but, instead,
have a diverse set of interests and experiences. To strike
the right balance, the Governor proposes that New York
The Governor proposes
closing the LLC Loophole
for all elected officials. It
is our responsibility to
even the playing field so
that rich and poor New
Yorkers alike have their
voices heard in our
political process.
279
State adopt limits on outside income for legislators akin
to the limits our federal government places on
legislators’ outside income. The proposal will limit state
legislators’ outside income to 15 percent of their base
salary.
Proposal: Adopt a Voluntary Public Campaign
Financing System
Current election laws favor wealthy donors and
special interests. Simply put, there is no incentive for
candidates to rely on ordinary, everyday people for
campaign donations. In the 2006 elections, for example,
candidates in New York relied less on small donors ($1-
$250) than in all but three other states nationwide.
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The only comprehensive way to fix this problem and
restore the voices of all New Yorkers is to adopt a
voluntary public financing system for political
campaigns that focuses on matching funds from small
donors. To accomplish this goal, the Governor proposes
a voluntary public campaign financing system.
Proposal: Enact Other Campaign Finance Reforms
Unlike federal law, New York allows unlimited
contributions to party “housekeeping” accounts by
individuals and corporations. These accounts are
280
supposed to be used for non-campaign party activities,
but they serve as a backdoor for big money to influence
political races. Our current system also allows
intermediaries of campaign contributors, known as
“bundlers,” to pass large groupings of individual
contributions to campaigns and gain political influence
without disclosing their identities. The Governor
proposes to fix both issues by placing a $25,000
contribution limit on housekeeping accounts and
requiring bundlers’ identities to be disclosed.
Proposal: Promote Transparency through New
Reforms to FOIL
The New York Freedom of Information Law
(FOIL) governs the public’s right to access government
records and provides transparency for citizens into the
workings of state government. The Governor proposes a
comprehensive reform of FOIL to improve transparency
and promote openness in state government. But
transparency cannot just be limited to the Executive, and
therefore the Governor proposes that FOIL apply equally
to the Legislature. Additionally, the Governor proposes
that both FOIL and the state’s open meetings law apply
to both JCOPE as well as the Legislative Ethics
Commission to further ensure transparency and
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accountability and enhance public confidence in our
government.
Proposal: Require Legislators Convicted of
Corruption to Forfeit Pensions
It is only fair to taxpayers that public servants
who are convicted of corruption should not continue to
collect a pension earned during public service.
Legislators who violate their duty to the people of New
York should not continue to be paid by the people of New
York in any way. The Governor proposes the adoption of
a joint resolution that will require pension forfeiture
after a legislator is convicted of a crime related to their
public office, regardless of when that legislator was
elected to office.
Proposal: Increase JCOPE Transparency and
Enforcement and Strengthen Ethical Requirements
for Lobbyists
The JCOPE Review Commission issued a report in
2015 that detailed multiple changes to enable JCOPE to
do its job better.
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In response, the Governor proposes
a package of much-needed changes to JCOPE to increase
transparency and enhance its enforcement powers.
282
All public officers are required to file Financial
Disclosure Statements (FDS), but good government
groups and the public alike have called for strengthening
these disclosure requirements. Governor Cuomo
therefore proposes legislation that would authorize
JCOPE staff to seek documents in support of statements
made on the FDS, increase enforcement authority against
public officers who fail to comply with JCOPE audits, and
create District Attorney oversight over those who
willfully submit deceptive financial information on the
FDS. This legislation would also eliminate the categories
of value on the FDS to require public officers to report
actual amounts. Finally, this legislation would impose
financial penalties for all violations of the Public Officers
Code of Conduct contained in Section 74 of the Public
Officers Law, and would create “accessory liability” to
allow JCOPE to fully prosecute persons who aid and abet
violations of the Public Officers Law.
Proposal: Convene a Constitutional Commission
As Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “the
ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President or
senators and congressmen and government officials, but
the voters of this country.” The New York Constitution
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provides that, every 20 years, New Yorkers must vote by
referendum on whether to hold a convention to amend
the state constitution.
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The next referendum will take
place in 2017, and the stakes could not be higher. From
ethics enforcement to the basic rules governing day-to-
day business in Albany, the process of government in
New York State is broken. Governor Cuomo believes a
constitutional convention offers voters the opportunity
to achieve lasting reform in Albany. The Governor will
invest $1 million to create an expert, non-partisan
commission to develop a blueprint for a convention. The
commission will also be authorized to recommend fixes
to the current convention delegate selection process,
which experts agree is flawed.
Proposal: Early Voting in 139 Locations
New York has 19.8 million residents.
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Only 11.7
million New Yorkers are registered to vote.
272
In the last
non-presidential election year, only 29 percent of
registered voters participated – less than one in three.
273
In the last presidential election, only 53.6 percent of
registered voters participated.
274
New York ranked 44th
in the nation for voter turnout in the 2012 presidential
284
election.
275
Research has shown that scheduling conflicts
with work or school and being too busy are some of the
main reasons voters cite for not participating.
276
As
Lyndon Johnson said, “The vote is the most powerful
instrument ever devised by man for breaking down
injustice.” Governor Cuomo is committed to making
reforms that ensure fairness and increase participation
in New York’s democratic system.
According to the Brennan Center, early voting
leads to shorter lines on Election Day, early identification
and correction of registration errors, and greater access
to voting.
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Currently, New Yorkers can vote early via
absentee ballot, but only if s/he meets certain
qualifications such as being absent from his or her
county on Election Day or being unable to get to the polls
due to a disability. For many working New Yorkers, it can
be difficult to get to the polls on Election Day.
285
Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia
already allow voters to cast ballots in person, before
Election Day.
278
To increase voter participation,
Governor Cuomo proposes legislation that will allow
New Yorkers to vote early in all elections. This legislation
will require every county to offer residents access to one
early voting polling place that will allow residents to vote
for 12 days leading up to Election Day. Voters will have
at least eight hours on weekdays and five hours on
weekends to cast early ballots. Counties must have one
early voting polling site
for every 50,000
residents and the bi-
partisan county boards of
elections will determine
the specific location of
early voting polling
places, subject to
standards of convenience
and accessibility. Early voting will increase participation
and make our elections more inclusive and democratic.
Proposal: Automatic Voter Registration
To increase voter
participation, Governor
Cuomo proposes
legislation that will
allow New Yorkers to
vote early in all
elections.
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Our voter registration system is outdated and
makes it difficult for people to participate. Paper
applications can introduce errors to the voter rolls, and
inaccurate registrations sometimes lead to voters being
turned away at the polls. Governor Cuomo is committed
to modernizing the voter registration system. Voter
registration should be a presumption, not a hurdle.
This year, the Governor will make New York the
third state in the nation—and the first on the East
Coast—to adopt automatic voter registration at the
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
279
Citizens can
already register to vote at the DMV, but the current
process is unnecessarily onerous, requiring a potential
voter to include additional voting information in their
application for a DMV service. Under the new system,
unless a DMV user opts out, the information used in any
DMV application will be automatically sent to county
boards of elections to register the applicant or update
registration information. New Yorkers who do not wish
to register to vote can simply check an "opt out" box. This
change will help maintain accurate voter rolls and
facilitate New Yorkers' participation in elections.
287
Proposal: Embrace Good Government and
Transparency
For years, good government groups have
clamored for more transparency in state finances.
Governor Cuomo therefore proposes legislation that will
allow concerned taxpayers from across the state to
access more information about where and how money
flows from the state to private citizens.
The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) and the
Attorney General (AG) already have various powers to
undertake audits and investigations regarding the use of
state funds. However, under current practice, OSC and
the AG do not coordinate when they are auditing state
vendor contracts with private businesses. This should
change. The Governor’s legislation would therefore
direct the AG, OSC, and the Office of General Services to
conduct a study and make recommendations regarding
initiatives that would better enable the public to track
state contracts.
Proposal: Reform Lobbying Laws
Our lobbying laws must be strengthened to close
existing loopholes and enhance enforcement. This
legislation will require political consultants who advise
288
elected officials to register as lobbyists, and will repeal
the exclusion for activities of commission salespersons
from the definition of “lobbying.” Further, the Governor
proposes legislation that will impose a $10,000 penalty
on a lobbyist who fails to comply with an audit by JCOPE,
impose financial penalties for already-illegal “contingent
fee agreements” for lobbyists, and require mandatory
electronic filing so that all lobbyists would also be
subject to federal wire fraud charges for misstatements.
289
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New York State Department of Labor. Chart 1: Private Sector Job
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188
New York State Department of Labor. Table 2: Number of
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New York State Department of Labor. Chart 1: Private Sector Job
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194
New York State Department of Labor. Analysis of Bureau of
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195
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196
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is a
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Reflects an estimated annual average derived from NYSDOL
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201
New York Apprenticeship and Training Council (2015).
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206
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209
Public Law 107-117, 115 STAT. 2312 (January 10, 2002).
210
Public Law 109-148, 119 STAT. 2814 (December 30, 2005).
211
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212
42 U.S.C. 300mm–61.
213
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216
72 Fed. Reg. 53014 (2007)
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217
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New York State Department of Health. (2014). MRT Waiver
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New York State Department of Health (2015). Ending the AIDS
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ringe_for_Every_Drug_User_Injection_.9.aspx.
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New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
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2012-2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016, from
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Chapters 31-42 of the Laws of 2014.
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Inmates. Retrieved January 10, 2016, from
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264
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pdf.
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269
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0Report%20FINAL.pdf
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279
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california
FY 2017 Executive Budget
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Contents
Director’s Message ...................................................................... 315
FY 2017 Executive Budget
1. Financial Plan Overview....................................................... 319
2. Revenue Actions and STAR ................................................. 331
3. Investing in New York ........................................................... 349
Program Overview
4.Economic Development .........................................................355
5. Education.................................................................................... 365
6.Environment and Energy .......................................................377
7.Health Care .................................................................................. 389
8.Higher Education ......................................................................403
9.Human Services .........................................................................417
10.Local Government ..................................................................427
11.Mental Hygiene .......................................................................441
12.Public Safety .............................................................................457
13.State Workforce ......................................................................465
14.Transportation ........................................................................473
Additional Information
15.Legislation Required for the Budget ..............................487
16. The Citizen’s Guide to the Executive Budget............. 499
315
DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
New York State’s finances are in their best shape in
decades. Under the direction of Governor Cuomo, and as
a direct result of his policies, the massive deficits that
used to plague the budgeting process have been
eliminated and turned into operating surpluses used to
lower taxes and bolster reserves to the highest levels on
record.
Debt outstanding at the end of FY 2016 is on track to
be lower than when the Governor took office in 2011,
representing the first time in modern times that total
State debt has declined for four consecutive years. State
debt measured as a percent of personal income has
decreased from 6.0 percent in FY 2010 to 4.6 percent
today – the most favorable debt to income ratio since
the 1960s. During this period of declining debt, the State
has still made major capital investments through use of
settlement funds and prudent debt management. This
Budget continues making targeted capital investments
for housing, health care, transportation and economic
development, while the ratio of debt to personal income
is expected to improve even further.
316
For the sixth year in a row, the Executive Budget is
balanced while limiting spending growth to two
percent. The Governor’s two percent State spending cap
has changed the very nature of the State Budget
process. For decades, revenue projections would define
the level of State spending. This practice has ended
under Governor Cuomo. No longer do we spend every
dollar that we bring in, instead leaving more money in
the hands of the people.
Because of the State's two percent cap, spending
growth has been constrained to sustainable levels that
do not outpace the growth in personal income,
improving New York’s livability and competitiveness.
The spending cap allows the financial plan to better
weather financial volatility. The cycle of boom and bust
spending is over – no longer does the State ramp up
spending in the good years, requiring cuts to programs
in the bad years.
Finally, the fiscal discipline required by the State
spending cap is driving innovation in government. New
York State agencies are working more closely together
than ever before, streamlining processes and
eliminating waste, while improving services on which
people depend. New Yorkers have every right to expect
317
their government to be efficient and effective, and
government must honor the responsibility of being
entrusted with public resources.
Governor Cuomo has instituted fundamental
reforms that have reduced the cost of both State and
local government. From eliminating unsustainable
inflators in major State programs, to lowering pension
costs for all levels of government, to helping counties
comply with the property tax cap by relieving them of
future Medicaid growth, the finances of government in
New York State are on more solid ground.
The financial markets and employers have taken
notice of New York’s financial turnaround. Private
sector investment is up, and New York now has the
most private sector jobs in its history. Standard and
Poor’s, Fitch, and Moody’s, recognized New York’s
outstanding financial performance by upgrading the
State to its highest credit rating since 1972. The State
now enjoys the second highest investment-grade credit
rating possible from all three raters on its general
obligation bonds, and S&P rates the State's Personal
Income Tax Bonds and Sales Tax Bonds at AAA, the
highest rating possible.
318
With our finances in order, this Budget makes a
significant investment in education, providing a record
level of support to our schools. It lowers taxes for small
businesses and provides tax credits to support
education and encourage employers to hire urban
youth. It prudently uses an additional $2.3 billion
windfall from monetary settlements with financial
institutions for time-limited investments. New York is
taking on long-overdue infrastructure projects that for
generations were held back by lack of confidence and
imagination.
During the last five years, Governor Cuomo has
rebuilt the State’s fiscal house. Now, under his bold
leadership, we are rebuilding the State itself. It is in the
very nature of New Yorkers to believe in the possibility
of a brighter tomorrow – we are indeed built to lead.
Today, we step towards that future with confidence.
319
1. FINANCIAL PLAN
OVERVIEW
Overview
Governor Cuomo has led a bipartisan effort with the
Legislature to enact five timely, fiscally responsible
budgets. The passage of the FY 2016 Budget marked the
first time since 1978 that New York has enacted five
consecutive on-time budgets. The Governor’s budgets
embrace the principle that State spending must grow
more slowly than the overall economy to leave more
money in the hands of the people and to discipline the
government to use its resources prudently. This
principle has been put into practice with the
establishment of the two percent spending benchmark
at the State level, and with the two percent property tax
cap at the local level.
The effort to rein in State government spending is
working. In the 50 years prior to Governor Cuomo
taking office, the annual State Budget grew faster than
income 60 percent of the time (or three out of every five
budgets), and spending over the entire period grew at
320
an average rate of approximately 7.0 percent, compared
to income growth of 6.2 percent. With the adoption of
the two percent spending benchmark, the unsustainable
trend has been reversed. Since 2011, State spending has
grown more slowly than income each year – and will
again with the FY 2017 Executive Budget.
Importantly, the fiscal actions of the past five years
have reduced volatility from the budget-making
process. Rather than including large spending increases
in good economic times that cannot be sustained when
the economy slows, the past five budgets have been
disciplined, sustainable and affordable in the long term.
The budgets of the last five years have instituted
fundamental reforms that have reduced the cost of State
and local government in New York. These reforms
include:
• Limiting the annual growth in State Operating
Funds to two percent;
• Eliminating unsustainable inflators in major
programs;
• Negotiating landmark collective bargaining
agreements that provide fair and affordable
wages and benefits;
• Creating a new tier of fair and affordable pension
benefits, which is expected to save the State and
321
local governments more than $80 billion over 30
years;
• Relieving localities of the growth in the Medicaid
program, and all its administrative costs, as a
way to help counties remain with tax cap;
• Controlling and targeting new borrowing to keep
debt service affordable and within the State’s
debt limit; and
• Setting aside more than $1 billion in reserves to
reduce debt and meet unforeseen “rainy day”
needs.
The combination of spending restraint and the
accompanying budget reforms have led to measurable
improvements in the State’s financial position.
• General Fund deficits totaling tens of billions of
dollars have been eliminated and turned into
operating surpluses used to bolster reserves to
the highest levels on record.
• Total State debt has declined in each of the last
three fiscal years, and will decline again in FY
2016. This is the first instance in modern times
that New York’s debt has declined for four
consecutive years. Debt outstanding at the end of
FY 2016 is on track to be lower than when the
Governor took office in 2011. State debt
measured as a percent of personal income has
decreased from 6.0 percent in FY 2010 to 4.6
percent – the most favorable debt to income
ratio since the 1960s – and is expected to decline
annually over the plan period, even as the State
makes targeted capital investments for housing,
322
health care, transportation, and economic
development.
• The accumulated GAAP-basis deficit of $3.5
billion inherited when the Governor took office
has been eliminated.
In the summer of 2014, all three major credit rating
agencies, Standard and Poor’s, Fitch, and Moody’s,
recognized New York’s outstanding financial
performance by upgrading the State to its highest credit
rating since 1972. The State now enjoys the second
highest investment-grade credit rating possible from all
three raters on its general obligation bonds (S&P rates
the State’s Personal Income Tax Bonds and Sales Tax
Bonds at AAA, the highest rating possible).
FY 2017 Executive Budget Highlights
• The Executive Budget continues the disciplined
approach to fiscal matters that has defined the
Governor’s first five budgets. It proposes
recurring savings through targeted reforms, as
well as continuation of the spending controls and
cost-containment put in place in prior years.
Agency operations are generally expected to
remain at current levels across the Financial Plan
period. The projections for receipts and
disbursements continue to be based on
conservative assumptions.
323
• The Budget again limits the annual growth in
State Operating Funds spending to two percent
or less, consistent with the spending benchmark
adopted in FY 2012. In addition, the Governor is
expected to propose, and the Legislature is
expected to enact, balanced budgets in future
years that continue to limit annual growth in
State Operating Funds to two percent or less.
• An additional $2.3 billion windfall from
monetary settlements with financial institutions
is again set aside primarily for one-time
investments and reserves. The FY 2017
Executive Budget proposes using these
settlement proceeds for investments that
supplement State activities, including
transportation ($900 million), homeless and
affordable housing ($640 million), and economic
development ($255 million). In addition,
settlements are used to increase funding for the
Environmental Protection Fund ($120 million),
create a toll credit for regular users of the
Thruway ($340 million), support the Empire
State Poverty Reduction Initiative ($25 million),
and promote municipal consolidation ($20
million).
324
• The combination of effective budget
management and adherence to the two percent
spending benchmark in future fiscal years would
produce surpluses, based on current projections.
The Budget proposes a small business tax
reduction plan and several new and expanded
tax credits, which are sized to absorb much of
the surplus that would otherwise be expected to
occur if the State is successful in adhering to the
two percent spending benchmark in future
years. The following table summarizes the multi-
year impact of the Executive Budget Financial
Plan on General Fund operations.
325
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• Consistent with the Governor’s approach in
balancing his first five budgets, all of which
emphasized spending restraint, the Executive
Budget reduces spending in FY 2017 by $2
billion compared to prior projections. The
reductions reflect reestimates to spending based
on updated information, specific cost-
containment proposals, and the prepayment of
FY 2017 expenses from excess resources
available in FY 2016.
o Agency Operations. Since the Governor took
office in January 2011, State Executive
agency operating costs have been held
constant through ongoing State agency
redesign and cost-control efforts. These
efforts have included closure and
consolidation of facilities to reduce excess
capacity; strict controls on attrition and
hiring; enterprise-wide consolidation of
procurement, information technology, and
workforce management functions; and a
range of operational measures to improve
efficiency. The FY 2017 Executive Budget
generally holds Executive agency operations
at a fixed level of spending over the Financial
Plan period. Projected cost of employee
health insurance and worker compensation
has been increased based on market
conditions.
327
o Local Assistance. The Budget contains $64.3
billion in Aid to Localities funding. Medicaid
and School Aid are the State’s largest local aid
programs, comprising over 40 percent of the
State Operating Funds budget. School Aid is
increased by $2.1 billion over the next two
school years, including a $991 million (4.3
percent) increase for the 2016-17 school year
(SY 2017), bringing total aid to $24.2 billion
in SY 2017. Medicaid will grow at the indexed
rate of 3.4 percent, consistent with the
statutory index (“Global Cap”), to $17.7
billion. In total, State-funded Medicaid will
increase to $18.0 billion, including spending
outside the Global Cap. In addition, the State
continues to provide a substantial amount of
capital funding to improve and restructure
the State’s health care delivery system.
General Fund savings in the Executive
Budget are expected from, among other
things, aligning financial responsibility for
City University of New York (CUNY) Senior
Colleges with CUNY’s governance (Currently,
New York City appoints one-third of the
CUNY board but provides virtually no
financial support to Senior Colleges). The
Budget proposes reinvesting $240 million
from this proposal to fund a potential
retroactive labor agreement with CUNY
employee unions. Other Executive Budget
savings include: targeted reforms to STAR,
medical malpractice, and early intervention;
the reinstitution of New York City’s
contribution to the annual growth in
Medicaid costs in recognition of the financial
328
capacity derived from the City’s exemption
from the Property Tax Cap; and updated cost
estimates for a range of State programs,
reflecting the impact of cost containment and
spending controls enacted in prior years.
o Debt Service. Savings are expected through
the prepayment of FY 2017 debt service in
the current year, continued use of
competitive bond sales, refundings, and
proactive management of debt issuances.
• The forecast for tax receipts has been revised
over the multi-year Financial Plan based on
collections experience and an updated economic
forecast. Other significant resource adjustments
include downward revisions to expected Federal
resources to fund the mental hygiene system;
savings realized from the refunding in 2014 of
bonds funded exclusively from State sales tax
receipts paid to STARC; and tax receipt changes
from the proposed changes to the STAR
program.
• The Budget proposes tax reductions for small
businesses, a new Education Tax Credit to
encourage private investments in education, an
expansion of the Urban Youth Jobs Program Tax
Credit, and a new Thruway toll credit. In
addition, the Budget extends several tax credits.
329
Annual Spending Growth
The Executive Budget holds FY 2017 annual
spending growth in State Operating Funds to 1.7
percent, below the two percent spending benchmark.
All Funds spending, which includes spending from
capital funds and Federal funds, is expected to increase
by 1.2 percent from the level estimated for FY 2016,
excluding extraordinary aid.
330
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331
2. REVENUE ACTIONS AND
STAR
Overview
The FY 2017 Executive Budget continues efforts to
improve New York’s business climate and lower taxes
on small businesses, simplify the tax code, and improve
the fairness of the tax system.
The Budget builds upon five years of tax relief
accomplishments, including: the enactment of a
property tax cap; the property tax freeze credit; the
lowest middle class income tax rate in 60 years;
elimination of the MTA payroll tax for more than
700,000 small businesses and the self-employed;
creation of a new family tax relief credit; tax cuts for
small businesses and manufacturers; reforms to
unemployment insurance and workers compensation
insurance; new START-UP NY tax free zones; and the
most important overhaul of corporate taxes in seven
decades including a reduction in corporate rates.
332
The additional tax relief proposed in the Executive
Budget is made possible by continued adherence to the
two percent spending limit.
Tax Cuts and Credits
The Executive Budget presents five tax cuts and
credits that will provide $444 million in direct tax relief
by FY 2018, growing to $594 million when fully
annualized.
• Lower Taxes on Small Businesses. Small
businesses are the backbone of the State’s
economy, accounting for 43 percent of all private
sector jobs in New York. The Budget includes
reforms that will improve competitiveness for
small businesses, promote continued growth
within the small business sector, and help
further the expansion of the State’s economy.
Taxes are lowered both for small businesses who
pay via the corporate tax and those paying
through the personal income tax.
o Corporate: The Budget reduces the net
income tax rate from the current 6.5 percent
to 4 percent effective January 1, 2017 for
small businesses that file under Article 9-A.
For the purpose of this tax cut, the definition
of “small business” is a business with less
than 100 employees, with net income below
$390,000. To avoid a “cliff” and stay
consistent with how the dual rates are
333
treated under current law, the lower tax rates
would be available to small businesses with
net income below $290,000, and the rate is
phased up to the standard rate applicable to
businesses with net income of $390,000 or
more. Small businesses have traditionally
paid a lower rate than large corporate
taxpayers, but their current advantage would
disappear as corporate tax rates were
lowered effective January 1, 2016. This
change preserves the small business tax
advantage in the new lower-tax environment.
As an example, a small business taxpayer
with $285,000 in net income currently pays
$18,525 at a tax rate of 6.5 percent. Under
this proposal, the same taxpayer would pay
$11,400 when their corporate tax rate falls to
4 percent.
o Personal Income Tax: For small businesses
whose members pay taxes via the personal
income tax, the Budget provides new and
expanded tax cuts. The existing 5 percent
sole proprietor and farm business income
AGI subtraction, available to taxpayers with
small business income of $250,000 or less, is
increased to 15 percent. As an example, a
farmer or sole proprietor with net business
income of $240,000 in the current year and
an effective tax rate of 6 percent would
exempt 5 percent of his net income to save
$720. Under the proposed 15 percent
exemption, the savings would grow to
$2,160. In order to create tax parity between
small business types, the Budget also
expands this 15 percent AGI subtraction to
334
include members of partnerships, S-
corporations, and LLCs as long as at least
some of their business income is derived
from a business entity with less than $1.5
million in NY gross receipts, and their total
business income from these sources is below
$250,000. As an example, if a taxpayer is a
member of a qualifying partnership with net
business income of $200,000, at an effective
tax rate of 6%, she would currently pay
$12,000 in tax. Under this proposal, 15
percent of her income would be exempted,
lowering her tax bill by $1,800.
• Enhance the Urban Youth Jobs Program Tax
Credit. This program encourages businesses to
hire unemployed, disadvantaged youth, ages 16
to 24, living in the cities and towns with the
highest poverty and unemployment rates. The
annual allocation is increased from $20 million
to $50 million for hiring years 2016 and 2017, of
which $10 million annually may be allocated
statewide.
• Establish Thruway Toll Tax Credits. To lower
the cost of traveling the New York State Thruway
for commuters and other heavy users, and to
lower the cost of bringing products to market for
businesses, the Executive Budget provides a
nonrefundable credit for Thruway tolls paid
electronically. Drivers of passenger vehicles who
spend at least $50, annually, and businesses and
commercial account holders who spend between
$100 and $9,999 in Thruway tolls, annually,
would receive a tax credit worth 50 percent of
tolls paid. For farmers, the Budget provides a
335
100 percent nonrefundable credit, regardless of
usage, for farm vehicle use on the Thruway. Over
the three years, drivers will save $340 million.
• Establish the Parental Choice in Education
Act. The Executive Budget promotes educational
choice and philanthropy, and provides support
for teachers in recognition of their personal
spending for their classrooms. The new credits
provide $150 million in tax relief annually
through the Parental Choice in Education Act. An
aggregate total of $50 million is dedicated to a 75
percent nonrefundable credit for charitable
contributions to educational scholarship
organizations that provide support to low
income students seeking to attend a nonpublic
school or a public school outside of the student’s
district. Corporation franchise and individual
taxpayers may claim this credit, up to a
maximum annual credit of $1 million. Another
$20 million is dedicated to a credit for
contributions to public education entities, school
improvement organizations, and local education
funds, based on the same parameters as the
credit for contributions to educational
scholarship organizations. The Act also
establishes a refundable tax credit worth an
aggregate $70 million, against the personal
income tax, for up to $500 in tuition costs per
pupil for families with New York Adjusted Gross
Income below $60,000. Finally, recognizing that
many teachers spend their own money on
materials for their classroom, the Act creates a
refundable credit equal to the cost of
instructional supplies purchased by a public,
charter, or private school educator, up to a
336
maximum of $200, with an aggregate cap of $10
million.
• Establish Additional Alcohol Beverage Tax
Tasting Exemptions and Production Credits.
The beer, wine and spirits industry has created
over 1,600 jobs since mid-2011. Further, wine,
beer, cider and liquor tastings are a tourist
attraction, helping bolster travel and exploration
of New York products. Alcoholic beverages used
in tastings are currently exempt from the sales
and use tax. The Budget expands benefits for this
industry by also: exempting any product used in
on-site tastings from the alcoholic beverage tax;
amending the beer production credit to also
include New York wine, liquor and cider
production; and by conforming provisions of the
Tax Law with the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Law to eliminate confusion and uncertainty.
Tax Simplification Actions
• Simplify the Taxation of Remarketed Rooms.
The Budget streamlines the collection of sales
tax on remarketed hotel rooms. The purchase of
hotel room occupancies by room remarketers
such as Travelocity or Hotels.com would be
exempt from the sales tax when those purchases
are made from hotels for later resale to
consumers. Currently, room remarketers collect
the full amount of tax at the time of final sale to
the consumer, then request a refund from the
Department of Taxation and Finance for the
amount of tax already remitted to the hotel.
337
Enforcement Initiatives
• Expand Jeopardy Assessments to the
Cigarette and Tobacco Tax. The Department of
Taxation and Finance currently has the authority
to issue a jeopardy (i.e. accelerated) assessment
when a delinquent sales tax vendor is at-risk of
fleeing the State. The Budget expands this
authority to the assessment of cigarette and
tobacco products. Currently, inter-state and
international bootlegging operators are avoiding
the payment of taxes by fleeing the State before
their assets can be seized through the normal
assessment process. This provision will support
the efforts of the Governor’s Cigarette Strike
Force, which was established in 2014 to curtail
bootlegging and its effects.
Tax Law Extenders
• Extend the Empire State Commercial
Production Tax Credit for Two Years. This tax
credit covers 20 percent of qualified commercial
production costs in New York State that exceed
the average of the three prior years’ costs, plus
five percent of costs above $500,000 in the
Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District
(MCTD), and above $200,000 outside the MCTD.
• Authorize an Additional $8 Million for the
Low-Income Housing Credit in Each of the
Next Five Fiscal Years. To help expand
affordable housing in New York, this program
338
provides credits to develop qualifying low
income housing projects. The Executive Budget
authorizes the Division of Housing and
Community Renewal to allocate an additional $8
million for the program in each of the next five
fiscal years, beginning April 1, 2016. Credits are
awarded in equal installments for a ten-year
period. The total amount of credits to be
awarded from this new authorization will be
$400 million over a multi-year period.
• Extend the Hire-A-Vet Credit for Two Years.
To support veterans in their return to the
workforce, the Budget extends this credit for an
additional two years, adding the 2016 and 2017
hiring periods. The program provides a
refundable tax credit to employers equal to 10
percent of wages paid to a qualified veteran (up
to $5,000) and 15 percent of wages paid to a
disabled veteran (up to $15,000).
• Extend the Clean Heating Fuel Credit for
Three Years. To support efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and to mitigate the
effects of climate change, the Executive Budget
modifies and extends, for an additional three
years, the Clean Heating Fuel credit. The current
credit is equal to one cent per percent of
biodiesel per gallon of biofuel purchased by an
eligible taxpayer. This proposal amends the
credit to apply only to biofuel blends that are
comprised of more than five percent biodiesel.
The credit is currently scheduled to expire on
December 31, 2016.
• Extend the Alternative Fuels Tax Exemptions
for Five Years. The existing exemptions for e85,
339
CNG, hydrogen and B-20 from the sales,
petroleum business and motor fuel taxes are
extended for five years.
• Extend the Excelsior Jobs Program for Five
Years. The Excelsior Jobs Program claims period
is extended through 2029, allowing Empire State
Development the ability to continue to offer a 10
year benefit period for the next several years.
Unused credits from previous years will be used
to fund the extension.
• Extend the Credit for Companies that Provide
Transportation to Individuals with
Disabilities for Six Years. The credit for
companies who provide transportation to
individuals with disabilities is extended for an
additional six years. The current credit,
scheduled to expire on December 31, 2016,
offsets up to $10,000 in costs associated with
upgrading vehicles, or purchasing qualifying new
vehicles, to accommodate the transportation of
disabled individuals.
• Permanently Extend the Non-Custodial
Earned Income Tax Credit. The non-custodial
parent earned income tax credit is permanently
extended, providing parity with the existing
permanent earned income tax credit. The
current credit is scheduled to expire on
December 31, 2016. The credit complements the
regular EITC by allowing a lower credit for
parents who pay child support for a qualifying
child with whom they do not reside.
• Permanently Extend Tax Shelter Reporting
Requirements. The requirement for taxpayers
340
to provide the Department of Taxation and
Finance with copies of federal tax shelter reports
is permanently extended.
• Make Permanent and Update Certain
Modernization Provisions of the Tax Law. The
tax modernization provisions relating to
electronic filing, payment requirements, sales tax
compliance tools, and preparer penalties are
made permanent.
• Extend Tax Preparer E-File Failure Penalties.
Expiring and expired tax preparer e-file failure
penalties are extended and tax law sections
regarding the regulation of tax preparers are
consolidated.
School Tax Relief (STAR) Program Actions
• Convert the STAR Benefit into a Tax Credit for
New Homeowners. The STAR program is
simplified by transforming the exemption into a
refundable personal income tax credit, allowing
school districts to collect revenue without having
to wait for reimbursement from the State. The
change will only apply to first-time homebuyers
and homeowners who move. Under current law,
school districts collect reduced revenue as a
result of the STAR exemptions, and the State
compensates them for the cost of the exemption.
There is no change to the amount of the STAR
credit for taxpayers, only the mechanism used to
claim the credit.
341
• Convert New York City Personal Income Tax
STAR Credit into a State Personal Income Tax
Credit. Currently, eligible NYC taxpayers apply
for a NYC STAR Personal Income Tax credit on
their NYS tax forms. The State reimburses the
City for the lost revenue. The Executive Budget
gives eligible taxpayers a credit against their
State PIT, as opposed to their City PIT, thereby
eliminating the need for the State to reimburse
the City government. This simplification effort
has no impact on the taxpayer and no impact on
revenues for the City of New York.
• Cap Annual Growth in Basic and Enhanced
Exemption Benefit at Zero Percent. The
Executive Budget maintains FY 2017 STAR
exemption benefits at no more than their FY
2016 levels, rather than allowing them to grow
by up to two percent. The significant reduction in
property tax growth resulting from Governor
Cuomo’s property tax cap and the existence of
the Property Tax Freeze program has diminished
the necessity of growing the STAR benefit.
• Allow Late Filing of Enhanced STAR Renewal
Applications and Senior Exemptions for Cases
of Hardship. The Budget allows late filing of
Enhanced STAR renewal applications for cases of
hardship (such as a serious personal illness or
hospitalization for the taxpayer or an immediate
family member), as late as the last day of the
interest-free period for payment of school taxes.
Additionally, the local option under the senior
exemption in RPTL 467 is expanded to allow a
late filing of renewal applications for hardship
342
up to the last day of the interest-free period for
payment of school taxes.
• Make Participation in Income Verification
Program (IVP) Mandatory. Under current law,
participation in IVP is optional and seniors who
are not enrolled have to re-apply for their
Enhanced STAR benefits annually. The Budget
makes participation in the Income Verification
Program (IVP) for Enhanced STAR recipients
mandatory, therefore eliminating the annual
need to re-apply. IVP allows seniors who are re-
applying for Enhanced STAR to authorize the
assessor to have their incomes verified in
subsequent years by the Department of Taxation
and Finance. This change will make it easier for
qualified senior citizens to keep their Enhanced
STAR exemptions.
• Make Direct STAR Payments to Property
Owners in Appropriate Cases. The Budget
would allow the Commissioner of Taxation and
Finance to directly reimburse a STAR-eligible
property owner who didn’t receive the STAR tax
savings to which she was entitled due to an
administrative error, and where no other
remedy is readily available.
Other Revenue Actions
• Authorize Combative Sports. The Executive
Budget proposes to legalize and regulate
combative sporting events in New York State.
Currently, only New York State bans such events.
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• Amend State and Local Tax Law to Comply
with Newly-Adopted Federal Tax Regulations
on Aviation Fuel. All petroleum business tax
revenue imposed on aviation fuel is directed to a
new dedicated airport fund effective April 1,
2017 and the local sales tax on such aviation fuel
is repealed, effective December 1, 2017.
• Conform to New Federal Tax Filing Dates. NYS
law is conformed to new federal tax filing
deadlines for certain business taxpayers. Recent
Federal legislation changed the federal tax filing
deadline for partnerships from April 15 to March
15, and from March 15 to April 15 for
corporations.
• Eliminate Charitable Giving as a Factor in
Determining Domicile for the Estate Tax. The
Department of Taxation and Finance’s long-
standing administrative practice of not using
qualifying charitable gifts of time or money as a
means of determining domicile for purposes of
calculating New York State estate tax liability is
codified.
Gaming Initiatives
• Extend Certain Tax Rates and Certain
Simulcasting Provisions for One Year. The
pari-mutuel tax rate and other racing-related
provisions are extended for one year.
• Extend the Video Lottery Gaming (VLG)
Vendor’s Capital Awards Program for One
Year. VLG operators are provided one additional
344
year to earn qualifying capital awards, which
encourage facility upgrades and improvements.
• Extend Monticello Video Lottery Terminal
Rates for One Year. The higher commission rate
for the Monticello Video Lottery Terminal
Facility is extended for one additional year.
• Amend the Upstate New York Gaming and
Economic Development Act for Technical
Changes. The Tax Law is amended to clarify that
the reduced tax rate paid by a Video Lottery
Terminal facility that competes with a
commercial gaming facility in the same region
only applies to the pro-rated portion of the year
when the competing commercial gaming facility
is open, and not for the whole of such opening
year. Additionally, the Budget clarifies that host
county payments are based solely on the net
gaming income of the specific commercial
gaming in that host community.
• Provide for an Additional Commission for
Certain Video Lottery Terminal Facilities.
The intention of the Upstate Gaming and
Economic Development Act of 2013 was for a
Video Lottery Terminal Facility competing with a
commercial gaming facility to pay the same
percentage share of net gaming income to
support education. However, since the Finger
Lakes facility is not in the same gaming region as
the proposed LAGO facility, even though it is less
than 30 miles away, no such relief from the
Gaming Act would be provided to Finger Lakes.
The Budget corrects this inequity.
345
• Increase Purse Surcharge and Regulatory Fee
to Support Racehorse Health and Safety.
Under current law, one percent of purse
enhancements is redirected from the VLT
program to fund costs associated with
recommendations made by the Task Force on
Racehorse Health and Safety report and 0.5
percent of regulatory fee is imposed on
thoroughbred, harness, off-track pari-mutuel
betting and simulcast racing. To fully fund the
recommendations of the Task Force and to
enhance Gaming Commission’s capacity to
promote equine health and safety, the Budget
increases the amounts to 1.6 percent and 0.6
percent, respectively.
• Adjust Timing of Reimbursement to Gaming
Commission of Per Diem Costs for Harness
Racing Judge and Starter. Licensed harness
tracks are required to pay the per diem costs for
one associate judge and one starter at each
harness track facility. Currently, the Gaming
Commission is required to notify the facility of
the per diem costs before the month begins,
which the track pays on the last business day of
the month. However, actual costs and race days
are not known until well after the month has
concluded, leading to a lengthy reimbursement
process. The reimbursement timing
requirements of harness tracks are adjusted to
establish a more efficient requirement process.
• Remove Restriction for a Single Lab Testing
Provider. Section 902 of the Racing Law dictates
that drug testing for race horses shall be
conducted by a “state college within this state
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with an approved equine science program.”
Morrisville State College is the only college that
fulfills this statutory requirement. This
restriction is eliminated to allow the Gaming
Commission to entertain bids from other
facilities which might provide lab testing
services at a lower price.
Fee Actions
• Extend Waste Tire Fee. In order to avoid cuts to
essential programs, the Budget extends the
Waste Tire Fee, which is scheduled to expire
December 31, 2016. This $2.50 fee, which has
been in place since 2003, funds the abatement of
waste tire sites and supports approximately 140
Department of Environmental Conservation
employees involved in critical solid and
hazardous waste cleanup activities.
• Redirect DMV Funds to Dedicated Highway
and Bridge Trust Fund. The DMV Seized Assets,
Compulsory Insurance, Internet Point Insurance
Reduction Program and the Motorcycle Safety
Funds are consolidated into the Dedicated
Highway and Bridge Trust Fund (DHBTF). This
will increase efficiency and transparency by
reducing the overall number of DMV fund
sources, and improve programmatic flexibility.
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FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2017 FY 2018
Tax Cuts and Credits (1) (444) (1) (444)
Provide a Corporate and Personal Income Tax Small Business Tax
Cut
- (298) - (298)
Enhance the Urban Youth Opportunity Program Tax Credit - (30) - (30)
Establish Thruway Toll Tax Credits - (113) - (113)
Establish Education Tax Credits - - - -
Establish Additional Alcohol Beverage Tax Tasting Exemptions and
Production Credits
(1) (3) (1) (3)
Tax Simplification Actions - - - -
Simplify the Taxation of Remarketed Rooms - - - -
Enforcement Initiatives - - - -
Expand J eopardy Assessments to the Cigarette and Tobacco Tax - - - -
Tax Law Extenders 17 9 16 6
Extend the Empire State Commercial Production Tax Credit for Two
Years
- - - -
Authorize Additional Credits of $8 Million for the Low-Income
Housing Credit for Each of the Next Five Fiscal Years
- (8) - (8)
Extend the Hire-A-Vet Credit for Two Years - - - -
Extend the Clean Heating Fuel Credit for Three Years - - - -
Extend the Alternative Fuels Tax Exemptions for Five Years (1) (1) (2) (4)
Extend the Excelsior J obs Program for Five Years - - - -
Extend the Credit for Companies who Provide Transportation to
Individuals with Disabilities for Six Years
- - - -
Permanently Extend the Non-Custodial Earned Income Tax Credit - - - -
Permanently Extend Tax Shelter Reporting Requirements 18 18 18 18
Make Permanent and Update Certain Modernization Provisions of
the Tax Law
- - - -
Extend Tax Preparer E-File Failure Penalties - - - -
School Tax Relief (STAR) Program Actions 240 409 - (185)
Convert the STAR Benefit into a Tax Credit for New Homeowners -
Credit Portion
- (98) - (98)
Convert the STAR Benefit into a Tax Credit for New Homeowners -
Spending Savings
98 194 - -
Convert New York City Personal Income Tax STAR Credit into a
State Personal Income Tax Credit - Credit Portion
- (87) - (87)
Convert New York City Personal Income Tax STAR Credit into a
State Personal Income Tax Credit - Spending Savings
87 284 - -
Cap Annual Growth in Basic and Enhanced Exemption Benefit at
Zero Percent
56 112 - -
Allow Late Filing of Enhanced STAR Renewal Applications and
Senior Exemptions for Cases of Hardship
(1) (1) - -
Make Participation in Income Verification Program (IVP) Mandatory - 5 - -
Authorize the DTF Commissioner to Make Direct Payments of STAR
Tax Savings to Property Owners in Appropriate Cases
- - - -
Other Revenue Actions 1 1 1 1
Authorize Combative Sports 1 1 1 1
Amend State and Local Tax Law for Consistency with Federal Tax
Regulations on Aviation Fuel
- - - -
Conform to New Federal Tax Filing Dates - - - -
Eliminate Charitable Giving as a Factor in Determining Domicile for
the Estate Tax
- - - -
Gaming Initiatives - - (1) 2
Extend Certain Tax Rates and Certain Simulcasting Provisions for
One Year
- - - -
Extend the Video Lottery Gaming (VLG) Vendor's Capital Awards
Program for One Year
- - - -
Extend Monticello Video Lottery Terminal Rates for One Year - - (3) -
Amend the Upstate New York Gaming and Economic Development
Act for Technical Changes
- - - -
Provide for an Additional Commission for Certain Video Lottery
Terminal Facilities
- - - -
Increase Purse Surcharge from 1.0%to 1.6%and Regulatory Fee
from 0.5%to 0.6%
- - 2 2
Adjust Timing of Reimbursement to Gaming Commission of Per
Diem Costs for Harness Racing J udge and Starter
- - - -
Remove Restriction for a Single Lab Testing Provider - - - -
Fee Actions - - 6 24
Permanently Extend Waste Tire Fee - - 6 24
Redirect DMV Funds to Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund - - - -
257 (25) 21 (596) TOTAL REVENUE ACTIONS and STAR
REVENUE ACTIONS and STAR
(millions of dollars)
General Fund All Funds
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3. INVESTING IN NEW YORK
The State has received a total of $8.3 billion from
financial settlements with banks and insurers in FY
2015 and FY 2016, well beyond typical levels and what
was budgeted in the Financial Plan. Using these
resources, the FY 2016 Enacted Budget earmarked $5.4
billion for one-time purposes, including $4.6 billion for
capital projects to support economic development and
bolster some of the state’s most vital infrastructure. The
FY 2017 Executive Budget programs the remaining $2.3
billion of available settlement funds for critical time-
limited priorities.
Putting Settlement Revenues to Work
The FY 2017 Executive Budget directs $2.3 billion in
unallocated settlement funds to additional projects that
will grow the economy over the long-term and position
every region of the state for growth. Settlement funds
will support transportation, housing, environmental
infrastructure, economic development and other capital
investments. These resources will support a wide array
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of projects, from large-scale infrastructure projects and
complex program enhancements, to smaller
strategically critical needs in project funding. Specific
investments include:
• Thruway Stabilization Plan ($700 million).
The Budget invests $700 million in Thruway
infrastructure, on top of last year’s commitment
of $1.285 billion. This two-year investment of
nearly $2 billion will support both the New NY
Bridge project and other transportation
infrastructure needs on the rest of the Thruway
system across the State. Further, it will enable
the Thruway to freeze tolls for all drivers until at
least 2020.
• Thruway Toll Reduction Plan ($340 million).
The Budget effectively cuts tolls in half for New
York residents and businesses who utilize the
Thruway most often by creating a three-year
nonrefundable credit for Thruway tolls paid
electronically. The toll reduction would benefit
nearly one million passenger, business and farm
vehicles. Drivers of passenger vehicles who
spend at least $50, annually, and businesses and
commercial account holders who spend between
$100 and $9,999, annually, in Thruway tolls
would receive a tax credit worth 50 percent of
tolls paid. For farmers, the Budget provides a
100 percent nonrefundable credit, regardless of
usage, for farm vehicle use on the Thruway. The
program would begin on January 1, 2016 and
sunset December 31, 2018. Over the three years,
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drivers will save $340 million, paid for with
settlement funds.
• Transportation Capital Plan ($200 million).
The Budget funds an unprecedented $22 billion
multi-year transportation capital plan to
upgrade critical roads, bridges and other vital
transportation infrastructure throughout the
New York, especially Upstate. $200 million in
settlement funds will be allocated to DOT to help
fund the plan. The $22 billion plan includes $1
billion each for the BRIDGE NY and PAVE NY
programs to replace, rehabilitate, pave and
maintain state and local bridges and roads. It
also includes $500 million for the Extreme
Weather Infrastructure Hardening program,
which will make investments in roadways across
the state susceptible to flooding and other
extreme weather related events.
• Homeless and Affordable Housing ($640
million). The Budget commits $640 million in
settlement funds towards the $20 billion
comprehensive multi-year investment in
affordable housing and services for individuals
and families who are homeless or at risk of
homelessness. Funding will be used to expand
efforts to create, improve, and ensure homeless
and affordable housing opportunities through a
statewide multiagency housing program, and to
support the State’s emergency homeless
response.
• Environmental Protection ($120 million). The
Budget uses $120 million of settlement funds to
support capital projects within the
Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Overall
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funding for the EPF is increased to $300 million –
the highest amount ever and more than twice the
Fund’s level when the Governor first took office.
The EPF offers wide ranging benefits to
communities around the state and plays an
important role in preserving the state’s natural
resources and habitats. It funds land acquisition,
farmland protection, waterfront revitalization,
municipal recycling, and local government
assistance to improve wastewater treatment
plants and municipal parks. It supports the
stewardship of public lands, including state
parks and millions of acres of public lands
throughout the state. Beginning in FY 2017, the
EPF will also support programs for greenhouse
gas management and resiliency.
• Economic Development ($255 million). The
Budget includes $170 million in settlement funds
to support Upstate Revitalization Initiative
projects to help continue to restore economic
opportunity to regions across Upstate New York.
An additional $30 million is provided through
Empire State Development capital
appropriations, for a total of $200 million. This
program, modeled on the Buffalo Billion
initiative and the existing structure of the
Regional Economic Development Councils
(REDCs), targets investment to economically-
distressed Upstate regions. These additional
funds are available to the four regions (North
Country, Capital District, Mohawk Valley and
Mid-Hudson) that were eligible for the first
round of the Upstate Revitalization Initiative but
were not a 2015 Best Plan Awardee. An
additional $85 million of settlement funds will
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support other critically-needed economic
development or infrastructure projects in the
Budget to continue driving growth across New
York State.
• Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative
($25 million). The Budget includes $25 million
of new funding to significantly expand the anti-
poverty initiative, begun in 2015. Planning
grants totaling $5 million will be available in ten
communities with high concentrations of
poverty. In addition, $20 million will be available
for grants to match private sector and
foundation funding.
• Municipal Consolidation ($20 million). $20
million in settlement funding is used to advance
and enhance programs that encourage local
municipal government consolidations. These
programs will help lower the cost of government
and reduce the burden placed on property
taxpayers.
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4. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The FY 2017 Executive Budget continues Governor
Cuomo’s focus on the revitalization of Upstate regions,
job-creating programs and investing in key capital
projects across the State. This aggressive job-creation
agenda leverages the success of Governor Cuomo’s
regionally-focused economic development strategy to
create jobs, strengthen and diversify economies, and
generate economic opportunity across the State.
Overview
In the last five years, Governor Cuomo has
completely redesigned the State’s economic
development strategy through his Regional Economic
Development Councils (REDC). Economic revitalization
has been fast tracked by replacing New York State’s
traditional top-down development strategy with an
innovative approach that enables regional stakeholders
to develop long-term plans based on regional priorities
and unique assets. The REDCs have awarded nearly $4
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billion for job creation and community development
projects that will create or retain over 200,000 jobs.
As part of this regional economic strategy, the
State’s unprecedented $1 billion investment in the
Buffalo area economy is helping to create thousands of
jobs and spur new investment and economic activity.
START-UP NY, the groundbreaking initiative
established in 2013 to transform SUNY and private
college and university campuses and communities
across the State into tax-free zones, is attracting new
businesses and encouraging existing businesses to
expand. To date, a total of 155 businesses have been
approved for START-UP NY participation and are
projected to create over 4,200 net new jobs and nearly
$221 million in investment.
Through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI)
$1.5 billion was awarded to three Upstate regions –
Central New York, the Finger Lakes and the Southern
Tier. Each region received $500 million over a multi-
year period to support transformative investments that
build upon its assets and leverage private sector capital
to create jobs and strengthen regional economies.
The Executive Budget builds upon this framework of
success and continues the Upstate Revitalization
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Initiative (URI) to inject an additional $200 million of
State resources to drive revitalization in the North
Country, Capital District, Mohawk Valley and Mid-
Hudson regions. It also makes additional investments
through the successful public-private partnership
model developed by the SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (SUNY
Poly CNSE) targeted at leading-edge technologies and
industries of the future.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
• Continue Upstate Revitalization. The Budget
includes an additional $200 million to support
Upstate Revitalization Initiative projects that will
further bolster economic opportunity to regions
across upstate New York. Modeled on the Buffalo
Billion initiative and the existing structure of the
Regional Economic Development Councils, this
initiative will target investment within a set of
economically-distressed upstate metropolitan
areas and their surrounding regions. By focusing
investment on infrastructure projects as well as
quality of life initiatives, Upstate New York is
becoming a better place to live, work, and visit.
These additional funds are available to the four
regions (North Country, Capital District, Mohawk
Valley and Mid-Hudson) that were eligible for
the first round of the Upstate Revitalization
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Initiative but were not selected as a 2015 Best
Plan Awardee.
• Support for Nano Utica. The Budget includes
$200 million to support a cutting edge, 360,000
square foot wafer fabrication facility to be
constructed at the Nano Utica site in Marcy. This
project is expected to generate more than 1,000
new jobs and attract over $2 billion in private
investment.
• Support Regional Economic Development
Councils. In 2011, Governor Cuomo established
ten Regional Economic Development Councils
(REDCs) to develop long-term regional strategic
economic development plans. Since then, the
REDCs have awarded nearly $4 billion in State
funding through a competitive process to spur
job creation based on regional priorities. This
new strategy has resulted in 200,000 new or
retained jobs in New York.
The Executive Budget includes core capital
and tax-credit funding that will be combined
with a wide range of existing agency programs
for a sixth round of REDC awards. The Budget
continues to make resources available from
other State agencies to support community
revitalization and business growth consistent
with the existing Regional Council plans through
the Consolidated Funding Application process.
The core funding includes:
o $150 million to fund high value regional
priority projects; and
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o $70 million in State tax credits – set aside
from the Excelsior Jobs tax credit program to
fund regional priority projects.
• Invest in Strategic Initiatives. The Budget
authorizes new funding for the following key
economic development projects:
o New York Power Electronics
Manufacturing Consortium. The Budget
includes an additional $33.5 million towards
the State’s $135 million multi-year
commitment, to support the New York Power
Electronics Manufacturing Consortium to
develop and commercialize the use of wide
bandgap power electronic devices.
o Clarkson-Trudeau Partnership. An
additional $12 million is included in the
Budget to support the partnership between
the State, Clarkson University and the
Trudeau Institute to form a world-class
biotech enterprise and further establish the
North Country Region as a premier center of
biotechnology research and development.
o Brookhaven National Laboratory. The
Budget provides $50 million over 5 years to
support research facilities at the Brookhaven
National Laboratory in Stony Brook,
including $10 million in FY 2017.
o Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing
Innovation Hub. $100 million over 10 years
is provided to support the development of
the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing
Innovation Hub at Riverbend, including $10
million in FY 2017.
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o Albany Nano G450C. An additional $60
million over 4 years is allocated to fulfill the
State’s investment at the Albany Nano G450C
facility, including $15 million for FY 2017.
o Olympic Regional Development Authority
(ORDA) Capital Improvements. The Budget
includes $10 million in new capital funding
for ORDA, including $7.5 million for critical
maintenance and energy efficiency upgrades
to the Olympic and ski facilities, and $2.5
million appropriated from the Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation budget
as part of the New York Works initiative.
o Economic Development Initiatives. The
$99 million New York Works Economic
Development Fund Program will provide
capital grants to support projects that
facilitate an employer’s ability to create new,
or retain existing jobs, or fund infrastructure
investments necessary to attract new
businesses or to expand existing businesses.
• Launch Another Round of NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020. To build upon the success of the
initial Challenge Grants, the Budget includes
$110 million to launch a new round of NYSUNY
2020 and NYCUNY 2020. Priority will be given to
plans that use technology to improve academic
success, leverage public-private partnerships
through the START-UP NY program, and better
connect students to the workforce.
• Support New York Open for Business. To
continue the enhanced marketing effort to
demonstrate the benefits of investing and doing
business in New York and to promote the State’s
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tourism assets, $50 million will be appropriated
through Empire State Development for the Open
for Business initiative.
• Expand and Promote Tourism. In FY 2017, the
State’s economic development agencies will
implement a $50.5 million tourism campaign to
attract visitors from around the world, a $5
million increase in funding from FY 2016. The
program includes a fourth round of $13 million
in competitive funding through the Market NY
initiative to support tourism marketing plans
and projects that best demonstrate regional
collaboration among counties to promote
regional attractions.
Other Budget Actions
• Javits Center Expansion. The Governor’s 2016
economic development agenda includes a
proposal to dramatically expand and improve
the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, by 1.2
million square feet, resulting in five times more
meeting and ballroom space. The project will
include construction of a truck marshaling
facility capable of housing hundreds of tractor-
trailers simultaneously to improve pedestrian
safety and local traffic flow. The Budget includes
legislation which would authorize design-build
contracting for this project to accelerate project
delivery and reduce cost.
• Empire Station Complex. Governor Cuomo also
proposes to create the Empire Station Complex, a
$3 billion transformation of Penn Station and the
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historic James A. Farley Post Office into a world-
class transportation hub. The complex will
feature significant passenger improvements,
including first-class amenities, natural light,
increased train capacity and decreased
congestion, and improved signage to
dramatically enhance the travel experience. The
project will be expedited by a public-private
partnership in order to break ground in 2016
and complete substantial construction within the
next three years. The Budget includes legislation
which would authorize design-build contracting
for these projects to accelerate project delivery
and reduce cost.
• Fund the Innovation Hot Spots and
Incubators Program. The Executive Budget
authorizes $5 million in new funding to continue
to foster innovation by offering start-up
companies valuable business support services to
help commercialize academic research and
promote further collaboration between business
and academia.
• Continue Commitment to Critical Economic
Development Investments. The Budget
includes nearly $46 million to support ongoing
economic development initiatives including the
New York State Economic Development Fund,
the Minority- and Women-Owned Business
Development and Lending Program, the Urban
and Community Development Program, the
Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, tourism
marketing initiatives, and international trade
efforts.
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• Support High Technology Grants. The
Executive Budget authorizes over $35 million to
support ongoing university-based matching
grants and other high technology and research
and development programs administered by the
Department of Economic Development’s Division
of Science, Technology and Innovation.
• Excelsior Jobs Program. The Budget includes
legislation that extends the Excelsior Jobs
Program claims period five years from 2024 to
2029 to provide Empire State Development with
the ability to continue offering a ten year benefit
period to eligible companies.
• Department of State (DOS) Agency
Modernization. As the State’s general recording
officer, DOS is responsible for keeping all
corporate filing certificates and documents. The
Budget contains $3.7 million of one-time funding
for DOS to convert all of these corporate
documents to electronic images. Digitization will
improve ease of access for official corporate
documents available to businesses and the
general public while streamlining business
processes and alleviating DOS staffing pressures.
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5. EDUCATION
The FY 2017 Executive Budget reflects the
Governor’s strong commitment to education through a
$2.1 billion increase in education aid over the next two
years. The Budget also commits to fully restoring the
GEA for every district by the SY 2018.
The Budget provides support for several key
initiatives, including $340 million to continue the
Empire State Prekindergarten program, an expansion of
prekindergarten for three-year-old children, the
conversion of high-need schools into community
schools, and increased funding for charter schools.
Together, these initiatives will continue to transform
public education across the State. Important initiatives
from prior years are also sustained, including significant
investments in prekindergarten and from the Smart
Schools Bond Act.
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Overview
Public education in New York represents a
significant commitment of State and local resources.
With total State and local spending levels exceeding $60
billion, education is the largest area of State spending
and the largest component of local property taxes. This
is a reflection of New York State’s long-standing
commitment to provide all students with the
opportunity for a strong, rigorous education. In the last
four years alone, the Governor has enacted budgets
with school aid increases totaling $4.3 billion. The FY
2016 Budget included an additional $1.4 billion (6.1
percent) increase, bringing school aid funding to its
highest level ever at $23.5 billion.
The Executive Budget continues the progress made
during this administration to strengthen educational
offerings and increase access across New York. Building
upon the State’s first investment in full-day
prekindergarten for three-year-olds, the Budget
provides additional funding to expand prekindergarten
access for three-year-olds in the most vulnerable
districts. In addition, the Budget reflects the Governor’s
commitment to support the conversion of failing
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schools into community schools. These initiatives, along
with programs already underway, will continue to
transform public education across the State—reaching
students earlier, providing more flexibility, and
ensuring that students have access to highly effective
teachers, programs and schools.
Support for Public Education
Statewide increases in school spending, State
support for education, and school property taxes have
combined to far outpace the rate of inflation over the
last ten years. New York public schools spend more per
pupil ($19,818) than any other state and 85 percent
above the national average.
Several recent initiatives have focused on improving
the State’s ability to expand educational opportunities
for young students and ensure all students are college
or career ready. These major initiatives include:
• Prekindergarten Programs. The State
currently spends over $785 million on public
prekindergarten programs for three- and four-
year-olds, serving nearly 120,000 students
statewide. The FY 2015 Enacted Budget
committed $1.5 billion over five years to support
the phase-in of full-day prekindergarten for four-
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year-olds, with the majority of funds being used
to support the State’s prekindergarten expansion
in New York City. In addition, in December 2014,
New York received a $25 million grant award
($100 million over four years) from the United
States Department of Education to expand access
to full-day prekindergarten in high-need school
districts. Following that, the FY 2016 Enacted
Budget included $30 million to support the first
State-funded full-day prekindergarten program
for three year olds, while also allowing expanded
access for four-year olds.
• Smart Schools Bond Act. In November 2014,
the Smart Schools Bond Act Referendum
proposed by Governor Cuomo was approved by
voters. The Smart Schools Bond Act provides $2
billion in funding to schools to reimagine our
classrooms and provide New York’s students
with the technological resources, skills, and safe
learning environments necessary to succeed in
the evolving 21st century economy. Bond
proceeds will fund enhanced education
technology, including infrastructure
improvements to bring high-speed broadband to
schools and their surrounding communities and
the purchase of classroom technology for use by
students. Additionally, the Smart Schools Bond
Act will enable long-term investments in full-day
pre-kindergarten through the construction of
new prekindergarten classroom space, the
replacement of classroom trailers with
permanent classroom space, and high-tech
school safety programs.
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Summary of Spending
Category
SY 2016
(millions)
SY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollar
(millions) Percent
Total
Education Aid
23,233 24,224 991 4.3
Category of Increase
Change
(millions)
Reimbursement for Expense-Based Aids / Other 408
Additional Foundation Aid 266
Gap Elimination Adjustment Restoration 189
Community Schools Aid 100
Empire State Prekindergarten Program for Three-Year-Olds 22
Early College High Schools 4
QUALITYstarsNY 2
Total School Aid Increase 991
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
The Executive Budget reflects the Governor’s
continued commitment to improved student outcomes
and builds upon the foundational work of prior years,
including the implementation of recommendations of
the New NY Education Reform Commission’s Final
Action Plan.
In FY 2017, School Aid will continue to represent the
largest State-supported program, accounting for
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roughly 29 percent of total General Fund spending. For
SY 2017, the Budget recommends $24.2 billion in total
education aid.
School Aid
The Executive Budget provides a $2.1 billion
increase in education aid over the next two years. The
Budget also commits to fully restoring the GEA for every
district by the SY 2018. For SY 2017, this growth
consists of a $991 million (4.3 percent) increase in
formula-based aids and competitive grants. The
increase reflects a Foundation Aid increase of $266
million and a $189 million Gap Elimination Adjustment
(GEA) restoration, including fully restoring the GEA for
approximately 200 higher need districts.
Empire State Prekindergarten
The Budget includes an additional $22 million
investment in prekindergarten to expand high quality
half-day and full-day prekindergarten programs to
three-year-olds in the highest need school districts. This
funding builds upon the State’s first investment in full-
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day prekindergarten for three-year-olds included in the
FY 2016 Enacted Budget.
The State will also provide $5 million to support the
implementation of QUALITYstarsNY, a quality rating
and improvement system intended to ensure that we
offer our youngest children the highest quality
programs possible. This is an increase of $2 million
from the State’s first investment in QUALITYstarsNY in
the FY 2016 Enacted Budget.
Community Schools
The Budget continues the Governor’s push to
transform New York’s 144 failing schools. Pursuant to
SED regulations, a school is identified as “failing” if it
has been in a monitored or “accountability status” for
the previous three school years and has been among the
bottom five percent in the State in English Language
Arts (ELA) and math performance or has a graduation
rate below 60 percent.
The FY 2016 Budget committed $75 million to
support the turn-around efforts in schools identified as
“persistently failing,” meaning they have been in the
lowest accountability status for a decade. The FY 2017
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Executive Budget provides an additional $100 million to
expand this initiative, $75 million of which is
specifically allocated amongst 17 school districts with a
failing or persistently failing school. The remaining $25
million will be available to other high-need school
districts statewide that do not have a failing or
persistently failing school. Schools will be able to use
these funds for community school coordinators, before-
and after-school mentoring services, summer learning
activities, health and dental care referrals and
connections, and other strategies to maximize student
achievement.
Charter Schools
The Executive Budget increases statewide funding
for charter schools by $27 million so that they can
continue to innovate, recruit high-quality teachers and
staff, and provide a strong educational option for
students and families. Further, the Executive Budget
unfreezes the charter school tuition formula in New
York City to allow local funding amounts to be reflective
of the current economic environment. In addition, the
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Budget makes permanent the calculation of rental aid
for New York City charter schools.
Early College High Schools
New York has more than 65 early college high
school programs with more than 7,000 students
enrolled. These programs allow students to get a jump
start on college by providing opportunities to earn
college credit. To build upon the success of the existing
programs, the FY 2017 Executive Budget commits $4
million to expand the State’s early college high school
and career and technical education programs.
Other Budget Actions
• Establish the Parental Choice in Education
Act. The Executive Budget promotes educational
choice and philanthropy, and provides support
for teachers in recognition of their personal
spending for their classrooms by creating three
new tax credit programs totaling $150 million
under a Parental Choice in Education Act.
o The Education Scholarship and Program
Tax Credit. This program provides $50
million in credits to support scholarships for
low- and middle- income students to attend a
non-public school or a public school outside
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of their district, and $20 million in credits to
support public school educational
improvement programs such as
prekindergarten and after-school activities.
Corporation franchise and individual
taxpayers who make donations will receive a
nonrefundable credit equal to 75 percent of
their authorized contributions, up to a
maximum annual credit of $1 million.
o The Family Choice Education Tax Credit.
This credit provides $70 million in
reimbursements to families with incomes
below $60,000 per year for eligible tuition
expenses paid to elementary and secondary
schools in New York State. Families would be
eligible to claim a credit of up to $500 per
student.
o The Instructional Materials and Supplies
Credit. Recognizing that many teachers
spend their own money on materials for their
classrooms, the Act creates a refundable
credit equal to the cost of instructional
supplies purchased by a public, charter, or
private school educator, up to a maximum of
$200, with an aggregate cap of $10 million.
• Extend Mayoral Control of New York City
Schools. The existing governance structure for
New York City schools is extended for an
additional three years, until June 30, 2019.
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• Supporting Non-Public School Programs.
Approximately 400,000 elementary and
secondary students attend more than 1,600 non-
public schools in New York State. The Executive
Budget increases aid by approximately four
percent to $174 million to reimburse non-public
schools’ costs for State-mandated activities. The
Budget also provides $125 million in
extraordinary aid, first authorized in June 2015,
to reimburse non-public schools for the costs of
performing State-mandated services in prior
years.
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6. ENVIRONMENT AND
ENERGY
The FY 2017 Executive Budget increases funding for
the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), maintains
State funding for core environmental, parks and
agricultural programs, expands outdoor recreational
opportunities, and provides a new round of capital
funding for environmental facilities and wastewater
infrastructure. State agency and public authority
funding will continue to make New York a leader in the
clean tech economy, reduce emissions that contribute to
climate change, and allow the transformation of our
electric power transmission system to a distributed
smart grid network.
Overview
The State’s environmental, energy and natural
resource agencies support and regulate land use
planning and preservation, recreation and tourism,
agricultural development, protection of water
resources, food safety, and energy programs.
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The Department of Environmental Conservation’s
(DEC) mission is to conserve, improve and protect New
York’s natural resources and environment and to
prevent, abate and control water, land and air pollution
in order to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the
people of the State and their overall economic and
social well-being. DEC is responsible for administration
and enforcement of the State’s Environmental
Conservation Law.
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation (OPRHP) provides enjoyable and safe
recreational and interpretive opportunities for New
York State residents and visitors and functions as a
steward of our valuable natural, historic and cultural
resources. OPRHP operates the State park system that is
comprised of 180 State parks and 35 historic sites. In
2014, the system welcomed a record 62 million visitors
to these sites.
Together, DEC and OPRHP oversee 5.1 million acres
of open space statewide, including 2.6 million acres in
the Adirondack Park and nearly 300,000 acres in the
Catskill Forest Preserve.
The Department of Agriculture and Markets
(Ag&Mkts) is charged with wide-ranging
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responsibilities including food safety inspection,
agricultural economic development, farmland
protection, animal and plant health surveillance, and
the control of agricultural runoff (nonpoint source
pollution) that can lead to the contamination of water.
The Department of Public Service (DPS), the staff
arm of the Public Service Commission (PSC), regulates
the rates and services of public utilities – an industry
with an estimated $35 billion in annual revenue. DPS
oversees the siting of major utility infrastructure, and
provides oversight on cable franchise agreements and
telecommunications service. Additionally, in
conjunction with the New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority (NYSERDA), DPS oversees
the State’s energy efficiency and renewable energy
programs.
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) supplies
power statewide through two large hydroelectric
facilities and more than 1,400 miles of transmission
lines.
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Protecting the Environment
In Governor Cuomo’s first term, more than $16
billion was committed to environmental and energy
programs for infrastructure, resiliency, and clean
energy. This investment directly benefits the State’s
economy and was the boldest commitment to the
environment by any first term New York Governor in a
generation. In 2015, the Governor continued this
commitment by establishing a $200 million clean water
infrastructure grant program, extending the State
Superfund program, which funds the cleanup of
hazardous waste sites, by $1 billion, and unveiling the
NY Parks 2020 initiative, to invest $900 million in State
parks by 2020.
The Governor’s commitment to open space
protection and improved access to wildlife-related
recreation was reflected in the acquisition of the former
Finch Pruyn Lands, the largest addition to the
Adirondack Forest Preserve in a century. In addition,
the enactment of the NY Open for Fishing and Hunting
initiative streamlined and reduced hunting and fishing
license fees and provided for dozens of new and
improved ways to access the State’s natural resources.
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The FY 2017 Executive Budget increases support for
critical environmental protection and energy programs.
Funding for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF),
which provides dedicated funding to communities
throughout New York to improve the environment, will
be increased by $123 million, to $300 million. This
represents the highest level of funding since the
creation of the EPF, and exceeds the previous high by
$45 million. Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has
more than doubled funding for the EPF, increasing
annual funding by a total of $166 million. Reflecting the
Governor’s commitment to combat climate change and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the EPF for the first
time will include a new climate change mitigation and
adaptation account to provide funding for adaptive
infrastructure, greenhouse gas management, and
resiliency planning programs.
The Budget also includes $135 million of new capital
appropriations for DEC, OPRHP, Ag&Mkts, and the
Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). This
infusion of capital funds will accelerate capital
infrastructure projects statewide, spur the creation of
jobs, and leverage private sector and Federal
investment. Further, the Budget provides $100 million
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of new funding for clean water infrastructure grants to
support drinking water and waste water capital
improvements across the State.
Summary of Spending (All Funds)
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
( millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions)
Percent
Total Environment
and Energy Spending
1,467 1,534 67 4.6
Department of
Agriculture and
Markets
120 105 (15) (12.5)
Department of
Environmental
Conservation
922 998 76 8.2
Office of Parks,
Recreation and
Historic Preservation
323 326 3 0.9
The Budget increases capital funding for the
environment, and maintains funding at current levels
for agricultural, environmental and parks operating
programs.
• Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Primarily due to a transfer of agricultural
marketing responsibilities ($12.4 million) to
Empire State Development, along with the
discontinuation of one-time local assistance
program funds and the completion of one-time
capital spending, total funding for Ag&Mkts is
decreased by $15 million.
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• Department of Environmental Conservation.
Total spending for DEC is increased by $76
million, reflecting increases in the EPF and other
capital program spending.
• Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation. Total funding for OPRHP is
increased by $3 million, reflecting growth in
capital spending.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
• Environmental Protection Fund. The Budget
includes appropriations of $300 million for the
EPF, the highest level of funding in the program’s
history and an increase of $123 million from FY
2016. Appropriations include $33.8 million for
solid waste programs, $76.8 million for parks
and recreation, $156.9 million for open space
programs, and $32.5 million for a new climate
change mitigation and adaptation program. The
increase will provide record funding for critical
environmental programs such as land
acquisition, farmland protection, invasive
species prevention and eradication, water
quality improvement, and an aggressive
environmental justice agenda. Further, this
funding level will allow for the creation of new
programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and adapt to climate change. Funding to support
the increase in FY 2017 will come from monetary
settlement funds. No funding from Regional
Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) proceeds will
be used to support the EPF.
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• Clean Water Infrastructure. Recognizing the
growing infrastructure needs across the State,
the Budget includes an additional $100 million
two-year commitment for municipal drinking
water and waste water infrastructure grants, for
a total $250 million commitment including
reappropriations. These funds will be used in
conjunction with the Environmental Facilities
Corporation’s (EFC) revolving loan program.
• Infrastructure Investment. The Budget
provides $135 million of new capital
appropriations that will address a backlog of
environmental capital needs and spur job
creation and economic development.
Specifically:
o $90 million is allocated to OPRHP to support
health and safety projects and critical
infrastructure rehabilitation.
o $40 million is allocated to DEC to address a
variety of capital needs including public
access projects to connect hunters, anglers,
bird watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts
to un-tapped State owned lands. This funding
will also provide for investments in
information technology, and in health and
safety repairs to State infrastructure,
including dams, wetland restoration, State
lands and fish hatcheries.
o $2.5 million is allocated to the Department of
Agriculture and Markets to improve and
rehabilitate the State fairgrounds.
o $2.5 million is allocated for ORDA
infrastructure, supplementing $7.5 million of
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capital appropriations in the Authority’s
budget.
• Expand Access to New York Grown
Agricultural Products. Building on last year’s
success, the Budget includes $1.1 million for the
“Taste NY” program. This program is branding
and expanding New York’s food and beverage
industry by making the wide variety of foods and
beverages grown and produced in the State
readily available and recognizable to New
Yorkers and the public across the globe. In 2015,
Taste NY achieved the Governor’s goal of tripling
gross sales of participating vendors, with sales of
New York products jumping to $4.5 million.
Taste NY products are now available in over 30
retail locations statewide, and in 2015 over 1.3
million people attended 43 Taste NY events. The
Budget also includes $350,000 for the
FreshConnect farmers’ market program, which
benefits farmers’ and consumers alike, by
awarding competitive grants to create and
expand farmers markets in underserved
communities. To increase the availability of
locally grown hops for the State’s growing craft
brew industry, the Budget continues $40,000 for
a program to evaluate and test hop varieties in
New York.
• Maintain Core Agriculture and Markets Local
Assistance Funding. Funding for core
agricultural programs that protect health and
safety, provide education, and support the
promotion of New York State products will
continue. These programs include the Migrant
Childcare program, Cornell Veterinary
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Diagnostic Laboratory, Cornell Pro-Dairy, the
Wine and Grape Foundation, and Farm Family
Assistance.
• Agricultural Marketing Orders. The Budget
includes legislation that will transfer
administration of agricultural marketing
programs (known as marketing orders) from
Ag&Mkts to Empire State Development (ESD).
This transfer will enable the State’s agricultural
associations involved with the marketing
programs to utilize ESD’s marketing expertise to
better increase awareness and promotion of the
State’s agricultural products.
• NYS Certified High Quality Initiative. Utilizing
Ag&Mkts, ESD, EPF, and other capital resources,
the Budget will support implementation of the
NYS Certified High Quality initiative. This
program will fund marketing, branding, food
safety, environmental management, and
economic development initiatives to create the
safest food system in the nation. A unique label
will be created that identifies food from a New
York producer who uses best practices in food
safety, food handling, and environmental
stewardship.
• Transfer the Canal Corporation to NYPA. The
Budget includes legislation that transfers the
New York State Canal Corporation from the New
York State Thruway Authority to the New York
Power Authority (NYPA). This transfer will
enable the canal system to benefit from NYPA’s
experience in managing our State’s water assets
while ensuring the continued efficient operation
of the canal system. NYPA operates seven hydro-
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electric plants throughout the State, including
three located within the canal system. NYPA and
the Canal Corporation already share services on
the canal system, and this transfer will only
strengthen this partnership.
• Clean Energy Workforce Opportunity
Program. In order to educate the next
generation of clean energy workers, this new
$15 million fund will expand clean technology
and renewable energy programs offered by
SUNY. In partnership with clean energy
businesses located on or near SUNY campuses,
the fund will allow these schools to offer
additional courses, hire new faculty, and
purchase or upgrade the advanced machinery
and lab equipment necessary to teach students
the skills to succeed in the green energy
workforce.
• Department of Public Service Operations. The
Budget includes legislation that will enable the
Department of Public Service (DPS) to more
effectively utilize its resources by streamlining
the review and approval of utility service rates
changes requested by municipally owned gas
and electric utilities. The Budget also includes
legislation that will allow for more
comprehensive reviews of highly technical and
complex rate cases by extending the length of
time the Public Service Commission has to
approve utility sought rate increases, from
eleven to fifteen months.
• Make the Waste Tire Fee Permanent. In order
to avoid cuts to essential programs, the Budget
permanently extends the Waste Tire Fee, which
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is scheduled to expire December 31, 2016. This
$2.50 fee, which has been in place since 2003,
funds the abatement of waste tire sites and
supports approximately 140 Department of
Environmental Conservation employees
involved in mission critical solid and hazardous
waste cleanup activities.
• Reduce Navigation Law Reimbursement. To
provide nearly $1 million in annual savings, the
Executive Budget includes legislation which
reduces the reimbursement provided to local
municipalities for the costs of voluntary patrols
of the State’s waterways from 50 percent to 25
percent.
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7. HEALTH CARE
The FY 2017 Executive Budget builds upon the
Medicaid Redesign Team’s historic reforms that are
achieving better health care outcomes at a more
sustainable cost. The Budget supports more effective
models of care, sustains the State’s health benefit
exchange, encourages regional collaborations among
providers and communities, promotes the State’s
Prevention Agenda, and continues investments in health
care infrastructure and caregiver supports.
Overview
The Department of Health’s (DOH) mission is to
ensure high quality health services are available to all
New Yorkers. Consistent with this mission, DOH
manages comprehensive health care and long-term care
coverage for low- and middle-income individuals and
families through the Medicaid, Child Health Plus (CHP),
and Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC)
programs.
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In addition to its health insurance programs, DOH
protects public health, supervises public health
activities throughout the State, and operates health care
facilities including Helen Hayes Hospital, four veterans’
nursing homes, and the Wadsworth Laboratories. The
Department also regulates all health care facilities in the
State.
The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General,
established as an independent entity in 2006, preserves
the integrity of the Medicaid program by conducting
and coordinating fraud, waste and abuse control
activities for all State agencies responsible for Medicaid-
funded services.
The State Office for the Aging (SOFA) promotes and
administers programs and services for New Yorkers 60
years of age and older. The Office oversees community-
based services provided through a network of county
Area Agencies on Aging and local providers.
Assuring Quality Health Care for All New
Yorkers
New York’s Medicaid program is the State’s largest
payer of health care and long-term care. Over six million
individuals receive Medicaid-eligible services through a
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network of more than 60,000 health care providers and
more than 16 managed care plans. Total Federal, State
and local Medicaid spending is expected to be $63
billion in FY 2017.
Prior to 2011, Medicaid spending had grown at an
unsustainable rate while failing to deliver quality
outcomes for New Yorkers, despite years of attempted
cost containment. In 2009, according to a
Commonwealth State Scorecard of Health System
Performance, New York State ranked 22nd among
states in quality of health care measures and worst
among all 50 states in avoidable hospitalization.
Recognizing the need to control spending growth
and improve health care results, Governor Cuomo
commissioned the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT), a
new and inclusive approach to developing health care
policy. Comprised of individuals representing virtually
every sector of the health care delivery system, and
with widespread public input, the MRT advanced
proposals that create models of care to significantly
improve health outcomes and tie future spending to a
rational measure of growth – the 10-year rolling
average of the Medical Consumer Price Index (currently
estimated at 3.4 percent).
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The MRT’s innovative and collaborative work has
bent the cost curve for the Medicaid program and has
saved the State and Federal governments over $17
billion each, through FY 2016. In addition, these efforts
have significantly improved the health care landscape.
In the Commonwealth Fund’s 2015 Scorecard of Health
System Performance, New York State improved
virtually across-the-board, achieving a rank of 13
among states in overall health system performance and
climbing 24 spots to 26th among all 50 states in
avoidable hospitalization.
Building on this success, and through further
collaborations, New York is positioned to continue the
transformation of health care for all payers and
recipients. The Executive Budget advances this
transformation through continued investments that will
help introduce integrated models to improve care
delivery and positive health outcomes at lower cost
through New York’s Medicaid waiver.
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Summary of Spending
(All Funds Unless Otherwise Noted)
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions)
Percent
Medicaid (Total All
Funds)*
63,656 63,308 (348) -0.5
Medicaid (Global Cap) 17,104 17,692 588 3.4
Department of Health
Spending (Excluding
Medicaid and BHP)
4,052 4,183 131 3.2
Essential Health Plan 1,660 2,461 801 48.2
Office of the Medicaid
Inspector General
53 51 (2) -3.8
Office for the Aging 224 225 1 0.5
*The decline in the Medicaid All Funds number is primarily associated with shift
of Medicaid funds to the Essential plan and a year to year reduction in
supplemental Federal Medicaid payments to localities that reflects the approval
of multiple years of Federal payments in FY 2016.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
The Executive Budget reflects the continuation of
the Medicaid spending cap enacted in FY 2012 and
recommends funding consistent with its provisions. The
Budget achieves modest savings from public health and
aging programs through program reforms, enterprise-
wide efficiency measures, and general cost-control
efforts.
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Health Care Transformation
The success of the MRT and other State initiatives
demonstrates that through constructive collaboration,
unsustainable spending trends can be reversed while
improving care delivery and health outcomes. The
Federal government has recognized the success of New
York’s efforts and the saving that has been generated. In
April 2014 the Federal government awarded New York
State an $8 billion, 5 year Medicaid waiver. In the first
two years, $1.7 billion has been awarded under the
waiver. This includes $963 million to 25 Performing
Provider Systems (PPSs) statewide so that these
consortiums of regional providers can implement
approved Delivery System Reform Incentive Payments
(DSRIP) program transformation projects; $280 million
for Health Homes and other reform initiatives; and $500
million for financially distressed safety net hospitals
whose viability is critical to achieving ongoing reforms.
Over the next year these PPSs will increase their
participation in value-based payment arrangements,
continue to receive performance based payments
reflecting their system transformation, clinical
management and population health improvements and
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progress towards the goal of reducing avoidable
hospital use by 25 percent over the next five years.
In addition, the State will continue its
implementation of the State Health Innovation Plan
(SHIP) under the terms of a $100 million Federal award.
Implemented over four years, this plan will provide
statewide access to high quality and coordinated care.
The intent is to build upon Medicaid reform efforts and
translate these efforts to achieve similar outcomes
across New York’s entire health care system.
The Budget also maintains $2.5 billion in capital
investments to make infrastructure improvements and
provide additional tools to stabilize health care
providers to further advance transformation goals.
Medicaid Redesign
The Executive Budget continues the implementation
of MRT recommendations. These reforms represent the
most comprehensive Medicaid reform in State history,
with initiatives designed to improve the full spectrum of
health care delivery. A cost neutral package of new MRT
initiatives is proposed to make critical investments in
health care delivery and support health care
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transformation. This package includes increased
payments to essential community providers and new
payments to enhance population health improvements.
These investments are balanced by savings resulting
from targeted Medicaid integrity initiatives to eliminate
fraud and abuse, improvements in benefits design,
greater pharmaceuticals controls, and compliance with
the Federal spousal support law.
The Budget also re-institutes the New York City
contribution toward financing the growth in Medicaid
expenses, effective October 1, 2016. The contribution
level is increased by 3.6 percent in FY 2017 and 5.8
percent in FY 2018, with annual growth of about two
percent thereafter. The Medicaid cap was introduced as
a means of helping counties remain within the two
percent property tax cap. Since 2012, all local
governments and school districts, except New York City,
have been subject to the State’s Property Tax Cap.
Because of this exception, the City’s property tax levy
has been growing at a significantly higher rate each year
than what is allowed under the tax cap. In 2016, the
City’s levy is approximately $3.5 billion more than if it
had been held to the property tax cap’s growth limits.
This makes New York City uniquely positioned to
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assume responsibility for a portion of its Medicaid
growth.
New York Health Benefit Exchange
In 2013, in accordance with the ACA, the Governor
issued Executive Order #42 to establish a New York
Health Benefit Exchange. The Exchange – NY State of
Health – serves as a centralized marketplace to shop for,
compare, and enroll in a health plan. The health plans
offered through NY State of Health are, on average, 50
percent less expensive than those available in 2013
prior to the creation of the marketplace. To date, over
2.7 million New Yorkers have enrolled in coverage
through the marketplace. The Executive Budget
includes $484 million in total funding for the operation
of the NY State of Health.
Public Health and Aging Programs
DOH and SOFA administer programs that support
New York’s public health and senior care systems. The
Executive Budget provides more than $350 million for
local government activities, makes new investments
and reduces costs by restructuring programs and
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implementing administrative efficiencies. These actions
will save an estimated $87.4 million in FY 2017 and
$106.6 million in FY 2018. Key items include:
• Access Federal Health Services Initiative
Funding. Through the Child Health Plus
program, states have the option to receive
Federal funding to support health initiatives that
benefit CHP eligible children. To receive
additional Federal funding, the Executive Budget
shifts a portion of the Medical Indemnity Fund
(MIF) and support for Poison Control Centers to
CHP. This initiative will result in $36.2 million in
annual State savings, primarily associated with
shifting eligible MIF costs and reducing annual
State support payments.
• Focus Excess Medical Malpractice Funding.
The State currently provides a second layer of
medical malpractice coverage to qualified
physicians and dentists, which supplements
their primary individual coverage. This program,
however, has become over-subscribed and has
strayed from its original intent to enable
community hospitals to attract doctors in high-
risk specialties. The Budget will modify the
existing program and prioritize funding to
support doctors in high-risk specialties and high
risk areas. This initiative will result in $25
million in State savings annually.
• Reform Early Intervention (EI) Program. The
EI program provides a comprehensive array of
therapeutic and support services to children
under the age of three with confirmed
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disabilities (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy) or
developmental delays. The program serves
approximately 68,000 children annually and is
jointly financed by Federal, State and local
governments. The Budget includes a series of
program improvements that will result in a net
State savings of $5.0 million in FY 2017 and
$20.3 million in FY 2018. These actions also
provide fiscal and administrative mandate relief
to counties and generate cumulative local
savings of more than $105 million over five years
without impacting service levels. They include:
o Increase Insurance Reimbursement. While
over 40 percent of EI recipients have health
insurance coverage, only two percent of total
service claims are reimbursed by health
insurers. This reform would require insurers,
including Child Health Plus (CHP) plans to
pay medically appropriate claims, abide by
existing prompt payment requirements, and
send payments to the billing provider.
o Streamline Eligibility Determinations. The
State will take advantage of options under
revised Federal regulations to achieve
program efficiencies by requiring initial
screenings for children who may not require
more costly comprehensive medical
evaluations and by using medical and other
records to establish eligibility where
appropriate.
o Increase Administrative Reimbursement.
To more appropriately reimburse providers
for their costs, the Budget increases the
administrative component of provider rates
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by 1 percent. The administrative component
of EI rates has not been modified since 1994
despite changes in program and
reimbursement requirements for providers.
• Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative.
The Budget includes $25 million of new funding
to significantly expand the anti-poverty
initiative, begun in 2015. Planning grants
totaling $5 million will be available in ten
communities with high concentrations of
poverty. In addition, $20 million will be available
for grants to match private sector and
foundation funding. In addition, the Budget
continues the $4.5 million increase enacted in
FY2016 to the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition
Assistance Program to allow the program to
respond to the emergency food needs of hungry
New Yorkers, increasing support for the program
to $34.6 million.
• Continue Support for the Spinal Cord Injury
Research Program (SCIRP). SCIRP supports
peer-reviewed research efforts designed to
develop, test and validate therapies for the
treatment of spinal cord injuries. The Budget
continues SCIRP funding at $8.5 million annually.
• Continue Alzheimer’s Caregiver Supports. The
Budget continues the $25 million investment in
care and support services for individuals living
with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
and their caregivers.
• Maintain Aging Supports. The Budget
continues the $3 million increase in both the
Community Services for the Elderly Program and
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the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
(LTCOP).
• Better Target Naturally Occurring
Retirement Community (NORC/NNORC)
Funding. NORC programs provide support
services to older persons in designated
community residential settings statewide, but
largely in metropolitan areas. As the housing
preferences of older persons change, some
existing NORC locations may no longer meet the
statutory requirements for funding. This
initiative would specifically target funding to
those NORC/NNORC programs that continue to
meet statutory requirements. This initiative is
estimated to save the State $951,000 annually.
• Implementation of the Human Services Cost
of Living Adjustment (COLA). The Budget
includes $1.2 million to support the statutory
cost of living adjustment for not-for-profits that
provide services on behalf of DOH and SOFA.
Other Initiatives
• Ending the AIDS Epidemic. New York’s
successful strategic investments in the
prevention and care for individuals with
HIV/AIDS places the State in the position of
being able to advance a plan for the end of the
HIV/AIDS epidemic. The FY 2017 Executive
Budget reflects the initial installment of a $200
million multi-year commitment of new funding
toward HIV/AIDS efforts, which is in addition to
the $2.5 billion in public funding that the State
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currently directs toward addressing the health
care needs of those living with the disease.
Specifically, these funds will be used to expand
the availability of affordable housing and
housing assistance for those living with HIV and
identify undiagnosed persons, link them with
treatment and facilitate access to necessary
medications to keep them HIV negative to
prevent spreading the disease.
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8. HIGHER EDUCATION
The FY 2017 Executive Budget strengthens the
ability of New York’s public system of higher education
to excel academically and act as an economic engine. A
renewed NYSUNY 2020 program and new strategic
investments will yield further academic gains, create
employment opportunities, and connect graduates to
jobs. The Budget also realigns financial support for
CUNY senior colleges commensurate with its
governance structure.
Overview
Each year, New York State’s higher education
institutions educate over 1.2 million students. The State
University of New York (SUNY) and the City University
of New York (CUNY) administer 47 four-year colleges
and graduate schools that provide 396,000 full- and
part-time students with an array of undergraduate,
graduate, and first professional educational
opportunities. SUNY and CUNY also support 37
community colleges, serving 333,000 students. In
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addition, 532,000 students attend the more than 100
private colleges and universities across the State. Over
the past 10 years, total enrollment at New York’s
institutions of higher education has increased by
127,000 (11 percent).
The State University Construction Fund (SUCF), City
University Construction Fund (CUCF), and the
Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY)
administer and oversee a capital program for over
3,000 academic, research, hospital, dormitory, and
multi-use facilities, which make up the physical
infrastructure of the university systems.
To help students obtain and afford a college
education, the Higher Education Services Corporation
(HESC) provides students and families with various
types of financial aid services. HESC oversees numerous
State-funded aid programs, including the Tuition
Assistance Program (TAP), the Aid for Part Time Study
program, and 18 scholarship and award programs.
Together these programs provide more than $1 billion
in financial aid to over 360,000 students. HESC also
partners with the Office of the State Comptroller in
administering the College Choice Tuition Savings
program.
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The State Education Department administers over
$100 million in funding for higher education including
opportunity programs that help support the success of
disadvantaged students and aid to private colleges.
Higher Education: Developing a Modern
Workforce
SUNY/CUNY Senior Colleges
In 2011, Governor Cuomo signed groundbreaking
legislation implementing the NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program. This five-year
program, which is scheduled to end on July 1, 2016,
strengthened New York State’s system of higher
education by introducing a rational and predictable
tuition plan, a commitment to maintain State financial
support, a competitive grant program making our State
universities incubators of academic excellence and
economic growth, and assistance to make college
affordable for students with limited income.
The rational tuition policy replaced an era of
unpredictable and sometimes extreme tuition increases
by allowing each SUNY and CUNY campus to raise
tuition by $300 per year for five years. The program
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enabled families to plan for college expenses, while
making it possible for the public university systems to
add faculty, reduce class sizes, expand program
offerings, and improve academic performance.
NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020 also maintain
higher education affordability by augmenting the State’s
TAP program. Using a portion of the additional tuition
revenue, students who receive TAP awards and attend
SUNY State-operated colleges or CUNY senior colleges
also receive financial aid in the form of tuition credits
ensuring students with limited economic resources
continue to have access to educational opportunities.
In addition, NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
launched a competition-based challenge grant program.
This program has made New York’s public universities
incubators of academic excellence and economic growth
at the center of the State’s regionally based economic
revitalization strategy. These grants leverage State
capital funding to incentivize bottom-up, individualized,
long-term economic development plans on campuses
and their surrounding communities.
Governor Cuomo built upon these initiatives by
launching START-UP NY, the groundbreaking initiative
established in 2013 to transform SUNY and private
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college and university campuses and communities
across the State into tax-free zones. This program is
attracting new businesses and encouraging existing
businesses to expand. To date, a total of 155 businesses
have been approved for START-UP NY participation and
are projected to create over 4,200 net new jobs and
nearly $221 million in investment.
In 2015, to promote student success and
institutional excellence, the Governor began the process
of shifting State support from an enrollment-driven
formula to one that bases a portion of state aid on
performance. SUNY and CUNY received $30 million in
new investment and performance funds allocated to
campuses based on their performance improvement
plans that identify and implement best practices from
around the systems. These plans include goals to
improve outcomes in student access, completion, and
post-graduation success.
Community Colleges
Several recent initiatives have combined to help
modernize our community college system. In 2013, the
Next Generation NY Job Linkage Program was
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established to connect students to careers by having
community colleges partner with regional employers to
provide students with improved opportunities for post-
graduation employment in a field related to their
education. This initiative provides $5 million in
incentive funding to reward community colleges based
on the success of their students in job placement and
academic performance.
To further align community college offerings with
regional needs, in 2015 SUNY created regional planning
councils to ensure that community colleges collaborate
with neighboring colleges as well as stakeholders from
state agencies, local governments and business. In
addition, a new Community College Community Schools
program was launched to provide our most
disadvantaged students the tools and support they need
to persevere and graduate.
Making College More Affordable
Governor Cuomo has made several strategic
investments to make college more affordable and to
encourage the best and brightest students to build their
future in New York State and help to fill critical jobs. For
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the first time in 14 years, New York State increased the
maximum TAP award, from $5,000 to $5,165.
The Governor also created a new scholarship
program for the top 10 percent of students in each high
school. These students receive full tuition scholarships
to any SUNY or CUNY college or university if they
pursue a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM) career and work in New York for five years.
The FY 2016 Budget included the new Get on Your
Feet Loan Forgiveness Program to provide Federal
student loan relief to New York residents who graduate
from college and continue to live in the state for the first
two years out of school if their income is not high
enough to cover their student debt burden without
significant financial hardship. Recognizing that the
rising cost of college and sub-optimal student outcomes
make college choice more critical than ever, New York
created a standard financial aid award letter for colleges
and universities to provide students and their families
with information on the total costs of education and the
success of other students after graduation.
Finally, both SUNY and CUNY have played key roles
in implementing the New NY Education Reform
Commission’s recommended action plan to improve the
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quality of New York’s education system. In particular,
the university systems have taken action to raise
admission requirements and strengthen the curriculum
for teacher preparation programs.
Summary of Spending (General Fund)
Category
Academic
FY 2016
(millions)
Academic
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions)
Percent
SUNY State-Operated
Campuses*
2,646 2,676 30 1.1
CUNY Senior Colleges* 1,217 1,232 15 1.2
SUNY and CUNY Debt
Service
1,187 1,188 1 0.1
HESC Financial Aid
Programs
1,066 1.134 68 6.4
Community Colleges 735 729 (6) (0.8)
SED Programs 106 106 0 0
SUNY Hospitals
Subsidy**
88 69 (19) (21.2)
Subtotal 7,045 7,134 89 1.3
NYC Share of CUNY
Senior Colleges
0 (485) (485) --
CUNY Retroactive Salary
Increases
0 240 240 --
General Fund Total 7,045 6,889 (156) (2.2)
*Includes funding for campus operations and employee fringe benefits.
**Returns to the FY 2016 Executive Budget funding level.
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Strategic Investments in Higher Education
The Executive Budget renews the NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 program for another five-year period
and makes strategic investments including $30 million
to implement SUNY and CUNY performance
improvement plans, creation of a $15 million Clean
Energy Workforce Opportunity Program to develop a
new clean-tech workforce development program on
SUNY campuses, and $110 million for another round of
NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020 capital challenge
grants.
In a continued effort to modernize our community
college system, the Executive Budget establishes a new
Apprentice SUNY: NY State Advanced Manufacturing
Apprenticeship Program for community colleges to
develop one of the largest statewide public/private
partnership apprenticeship programs in the country.
The Budget also expands the Community College
Community Schools program to provide more support
services to ensure student success, and supports the
advancement of undocumented immigrants by enabling
them to apply for State college tuition assistance under
a DREAM Act initiative.
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Finally, the Executive Budget will rationalize funding
for CUNY senior colleges by having the City of New York
pay a share of financial support that aligns with the
City’s participation in the governance of CUNY.
Major Initiatives
• Renew NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020. To
maintain an affordable and stable system of
funding New York’s public university systems,
the Budget extends the NYSUNY 2020 and
NYCUNY 2020 program for an additional five
years. A new rational tuition plan will allow
SUNY and CUNY to increase the New York
resident tuition rate up to $300 per year,
provided they demonstrate considerable efforts
to reduce spending and justify tuition increases
based on inflationary indices. Additional revenue
generated by a tuition increase would be used to
support investments in faculty, instruction and
tuition credits for TAP-eligible students. The
renewed NYSUNY 2020 plan also continues the
Governor’s commitment to provide a consistent
level of support for SUNY and CUNY. In addition,
the Budget includes $110 million for a new
round of NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
capital challenge grants, $55 million for each
university system. Funding will continue to be
awarded through a bottom-up competitive
process by which campuses develop plans for
improving academic outcomes, finding
efficiencies, and promoting innovation and
economic development.
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• Expand SUNY and CUNY Performance
Initiatives. The Budget continues the process of
shifting state support from an enrollment-driven
formula to one that bases a portion of State aid
on performance. SUNY and CUNY will receive a
new investment of $30 million to implement
campus performance improvement plans that
identify and implement best practices from
around the systems to improve outcomes in
student access, completion, and post-graduation
success. The Executive Budget also includes $5
million for the Next Generation NY Job Linkage
Incentive Fund.
• Establish a Clean Energy Workforce
Opportunity Program. The Budget builds
SUNY’s capacity to educate the next generation
of green energy workers. The $15 million Clean
Energy Workforce Opportunity Program will
enable SUNY to work with clean energy
companies to develop a new jobs training and
certification program that will make New York a
leader in clean tech workforce development. The
funding will be used to hire new faculty and
purchase cutting-edge equipment that will be
used in these new academic programs.
• Create Apprentice SUNY: NY State Advanced
Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program. To
meet the growing need for a skilled workforce,
the Budget provides funding for New York’s
community colleges to develop one of the largest
statewide public/private partnership
apprenticeship programs in the country,
generating thousands of new employment
opportunities for community college graduates.
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In partnership with NYSDOL, this new $5 million
program will leverage the resources and capacity
of the community colleges by building on the
infrastructure developed with the $15 million
USDOL Trade Adjustment Assistance Community
College and Career Training grant awarded in
2013. Apprentice SUNY will help 2,000 students
receive classroom and practical training through
new registered apprenticeships linked to
degrees that provide new participants with paid
on-the-job skills training, a degree or certificate,
a portable, national industry-recognized
credential and a full-time job upon graduation.
• Expand Community College Community
Schools. To help more students and their
families have the support they need to reach
their educational goals, the Budget includes $1.5
million to provide three additional Community
College Community Schools grants. This
program, which begun in 2015, helps community
colleges to address student needs such as child
and elder care, transportation, health care
services, family counseling, and employment
assistance.
• Make the Dream of Higher Education
Available to All. The Executive Budget supports
the advancement of undocumented immigrants
by enabling them to apply for State college
tuition assistance under a DREAM Act. This
initiative continues the State’s tradition of
welcoming immigrants and honoring their
contribution to our culture and economy.
• Realign Funding and Governance for CUNY
Senior Colleges. The Budget adjusts financial
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responsibility for CUNY senior colleges to better
align with CUNY governance. New York City’s
share of public support for CUNY senior colleges
is only two percent, yet the City controls 30
percent of appointments to the CUNY Board of
Trustees. This governance and funding structure
dates back to a time when New York City was
experiencing a fiscal crisis and was unable to
support CUNY senior colleges. As New York City
is no longer in a fiscal crisis – it ended 2015 with
a multi-billion dollar surplus and billions in
reserves – the Budget resumes the practice of
sharing CUNY senior college expenses with the
City. Commensurate with the percentage of
CUNY appointments, the Budget requires that
the City of New York assume a 30 percent share
of CUNY senior college net operating and debt
service expenses, totaling $485 million in the
2016-17 City fiscal year.
Enactment of this cost sharing arrangement
will enable the State to provide $240 million
from the General Fund to CUNY to support
retroactive salary increases needed to ensure
fair and affordable agreements with CUNY’s
labor unions.
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9. HUMAN SERVICES
The FY 2017 Executive Budget increases the
minimum wage, makes an unprecedented $20 billion
investment in affordable housing, homeless housing and
homeless services, provides funding for core supportive
services for needy populations, and provides funding
for child care subsidies that allow low-income
individuals to seek or maintain employment.
Overview
New York’s human services programs promote the
safety and well-being of the State’s most vulnerable
residents.
The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
(OTDA) and the Office of Children and Family Services
(OCFS) oversee programs that support and provide
assistance for financial assistance to elderly and
disabled persons who are unable to work, supportive
services to public assistance recipients to prepare for
and secure employment, child support enforcement,
child care subsidies to assist low-income working
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families, juvenile justice, and child and adult protective
services.
Programs funded through the Department of Labor
(DOL) protect workers and promote workforce
development. DOL also operates the State’s
Unemployment Insurance System.
Programs funded through Homes and Community
Renewal (HCR) preserve and create affordable housing.
Programs funded through the Division of Human
Rights (DHR) protect civil rights in the areas of
employment, housing, public accommodations,
education and credit.
Programs funded through the Office of National and
Community Service (NCS) support community service
grants that provide youth education, assistance to
individuals with disabilities, public health services, and
disaster preparedness.
Programs funded through the Division of Veterans’
Affairs (DVA) connect veterans, members of the armed
forces, and their families to various economic, medical,
and social benefits and services available as the result of
active duty military service.
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Providing Opportunity for All New Yorkers
Since the enactment of the Federal Welfare Reform
Act of 1996, the State’s public assistance caseload has
declined by approximately one million recipients. The
FY 2017 caseload is estimated at 557,000 recipients.
New York’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
program supplements Federal SSI benefits to low-
income elderly, blind, and disabled persons. The FY
2017 caseload is estimated at 712,000 recipients.
New York State’s child welfare programs are
monitored by OCFS and administered by 58 local social
services districts (LSSDs). The LSSDs are responsible for
conducting direct investigations of alleged child abuse,
as well as providing services to prevent foster care
placements for at-risk youth by keeping them with their
families, and for foster care services when out-of-home
placement is necessary.
The Child Welfare Services program supports
approximately 156,000 child protective services
investigations with more than 45,000 cases receiving
protective and preventive services. Federal funds
support approximately $486 million of statewide
program costs. The State supports 62 percent of non-
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federal costs, and LSSDs finance the remaining 38
percent. This funding approach, authorized in FY 2003
through Child Welfare Financing Reform, provides an
incentive to use preventive services to keep families
safely intact and to avoid unnecessary foster care
placements. The front-end investment is paying
dividends, as the foster care caseload has dropped by 47
percent, from 34,900 to approximately 18,500 in FY
2016.
The Executive Budget proposals provide for core
supportive services for needy families, while limiting
spending growth and implementing measures to
improve program performance.
In Juvenile Justice, the State continues
implementation of the Close to Home initiative. Under
this initiative, in FY 2013, New York City youth
requiring a non-secure placement were transferred
from OCFS to New York City custody to receive services
closer to their home community. New York City also
worked with OCFS on a plan to take custody of its youth
that require a limited secure placement. The limited
secure phase of Close to Home began in November 2015
and will be fully implemented in FY 2017.
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Summary of Spending (All Funds)
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FYY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions)
Percent
Human Services 8,899 8,837 (62) (0.7)
OTDA 4,989 5,024 35 0.7
OCFS 3,162 3,016 (146)* (4.6)
DOL 492 467 (25) (5.1)
HCR 210 286 76 36.2
DVA 17 15 (2) (11.8)
NCS 15 15 0 0
DHR 14 14 0 0
*$100 million of this change reflects a decrease in General Fund support for
child care subsidies that results from an equal increase in Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) fund support for child care subsidies in
OTDA.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
Labor
• Increase the Minimum Wage. Governor Cuomo
has consistently fought to increase the minimum
wage in New York State. The FY 2014 Budget
increased the minimum wage from $7.25 to
$8.00 effective December 31, 2013; to $8.75
effective December 31, 2014; and to $9.00 on
December 31, 2015. The Executive Budget builds
upon these previous increases and includes
provisions to further increase the minimum
wage to $10.50 in New York City and $9.75 in the
remainder of the State, effective July 1, 2016,
gradually increasing the minimum wage to
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$15.00 in New York City on December 31, 2018
and across the rest of the State on July 1, 2021.
This would bring the minimum wage more in
line with the cost of living and the wage required
to lift a family out of poverty. The Budget reflects
that the phased-in increase towards a $15
minimum wage has already been put in place for
the State workforce and SUNY employees.
The current minimum wage represents less
than one-third of the average hourly wage in the
State, which is almost $29. Eight states and the
District of Columbia currently have a higher
minimum wage than New York. A reasonable
minimum wage increases the standard of living
for workers, reduces poverty, and results in
fairer business practices. Since low-income
individuals spend a larger percentage of their
income on basic needs than higher-income
earners, salary increases in low-wage
occupations lead to increased demand for goods
and services and help spur economic growth.
• Paid Family Leave. Bonding with a new child or
caring for a seriously ill family member should
not cost employees their entire savings or
job. The Budget includes legislation creating a
paid family leave program. Under this program,
employees will be eligible for twelve weeks of
paid family leave when caring for an infant or ill
family member. The maximum paid benefit will
grow to 50 percent of the State's Average Weekly
Wage by 2021. This program will be funded
entirely through a nominal payroll deduction on
employees.
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• Workers' Compensation Reforms. New York's
Workers’ Compensation program delivers
medical and lost wage benefits to thousands of
injured workers. As currently structured, this $7
billion program is complicated and cumbersome,
delaying claim settlements and payments, and
increasing costs to employers. The Budget
includes legislation to reform the program to
benefit both workers and employers. Major
reforms will:
o Redesign current operations to ensure the
system will provide more timely and
appropriate medical and wage replacement
benefits to workers;
o Create a new pooling agreement freeing
employers’ committed reserves;
o Provide broader and more accessible options
for medical care by expanding the list of
eligible providers;
o Make hearings more accessible through
flexible scheduling and use of virtual
hearings; and
o Continue support for the World Trade Center
Volunteer Fund.
Housing
• 100,000 Unit Affordable and Homeless
Housing and Services Initiative. The Executive
Budget establishes a $20 billion, comprehensive
five year investment in affordable housing and
housing opportunities and services for the
homeless. The program will invest $9.7 billion to
establish 94,000 units of affordable housing, $2.6
billion for 6,000 units of supportive housing and
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will also establish 1,000 new emergency shelter
beds. Over 15 years, the plan will result in
20,000 units or shelter beds, including 18,000
new supportive housing units.
Human Services
• Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction. New
York is one of only two states in which the age of
juvenile jurisdiction ends on a youth’s 16th
birthday. This means that all 16 and 17 year olds
are processed in the adult criminal court system,
and not through the Family Courts, regardless of
the nature of their offense.
On December 22, 2015, as part of the
continued efforts to protect youth involved in
the criminal justice system, the Governor issued
Executive Order #150 directing the Department
of Corrections and Community Supervision
(DOCCS), in collaboration with OCFS, to
implement a plan to gradually remove minors
from adult prisons in the State.
Beginning in August 2016, 16 and 17 year
olds will be housed at Hudson Correctional
Facility, currently a DOCCS operated facility that
is undergoing transformation to appropriately
house and serve younger offenders. Youth will
receive specialized programming geared toward
younger offenders and individuals presenting
with mental health needs will have access to
services provided by staff from the Office of
Mental Health.
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The FY 2017 Executive Budget reflects the
next steps to juvenile justice reforms by
advancing legislation to raise the age of juvenile
jurisdiction to age 17 on January 1, 2018 and to
age 18 on January 1, 2019. Additional reform
measures include comprehensive diversion,
probation, and programming services for 16 and
17 year old youth who will be involved in the
juvenile justice system.
• Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative.
The Budget includes $25 million of new funding
to significantly expand the anti-poverty
initiative, begun in 2015. Planning grants
totaling $5 million will be available in ten
communities with high concentrations of
poverty. In addition, $20 million will be available
for grants to match private sector and
foundation funding.
• Increase Support of Child Care Provider
Inspection Activities. The Budget includes a
$10 million State Operations appropriation to
support child care provider inspection activities
necessary to comply with the Federal Child Care
and Development Block Grant Act of 2014.
• Implementation of the Human Services Cost
of Living Adjustments (COLA). The Budget
includes $1.4 million to support the 0.2 percent
statutorily required Cost of Living Adjustment at
OCFS not-for-profits, for foster and adoptive
parents, and the Nutrition Outreach and
Education Program (NOEP) administered by
OTDA.
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• Invest Annual Adoption Savings in Post-
Adoption and Preventive Services. In
accordance with Federal law, the Budget will
invest adoption assistance savings of $5 million
into post adoption and preventive services for
children at risk of entering foster care. The $5
million savings results from a greater Federal
share of adoption assistance costs as income is
no longer a factor in determining eligibility for
Federal adoption assistance.
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10. LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The FY 2017 Executive Budget continues Governor
Cuomo’s commitment to reducing property taxes,
improving local government efficiency, and assisting
distressed local governments, while maintaining core
local government assistance.
Overview
New York’s local government assistance programs
provide general purpose aid to municipalities, as well as
targeted grant programs and incentives for local
government efficiency and consolidation actions. The
Aid and Incentives to Municipalities (AIM) program
provides unrestricted, general purpose aid to cities,
towns, and villages.
Grant and incentive programs that provide funding
related to municipal shared services, efficiencies, and
consolidations include: the Citizens Reorganization
Empowerment Grants, Citizen Empowerment Tax
Credits, Local Government Efficiency Grants, and the
Local Government Performance and Efficiency Program.
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Other programs provide aid to specific local
governments, including Aid to Municipalities with Video
Lottery Gaming Facilities (VLT Impact Aid),
Miscellaneous Financial Assistance, and Small
Government Assistance.
The Financial Restructuring Board for Local
Governments assists distressed municipalities by
conducting Comprehensive Reviews to develop
recommendations for restructuring and improving
fiscal stability. The Board may offer grants or loans to
help implement its recommendations.
Addressing the Property Tax Burden
New York residents face some of the highest
property tax burdens in the nation. Since taking office
Governor Cuomo has focused on fighting this burden by
capping property taxes, improving local government
efficiency, restructuring distressed local governments,
and relieving mandates.
In his first year in office, Governor Cuomo advanced
and secured approval of one of the strongest property
tax caps in the country. In the first three years under the
tax cap, property taxes grew an average of just 2.2
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percent per year – less than half the average annual
growth from 2000 to 2010. It is estimated that if these
growth trends continue, the typical taxpayer will have
saved more than $2,100 in local property taxes by 2017.
To provide further relief, the Governor proposed the
Property Tax Freeze. Enacted in 2014, the Property Tax
Freeze provides New York homeowners an average of
$525 in direct relief over three years, bringing the
combined average savings from the property tax cap
and the Property Tax Freeze to $2,625. The Freeze
program also encourages local shared services,
cooperation agreements, mergers, and efficiencies. In
the first year (2014 for school taxes and 2015 for local
government taxes), homeowners with incomes at or
less than $500,000 who reside in a school district or
local government that stayed within the tax cap
received a State tax credit equal to the increase in their
property taxes. In order for their homeowners to get the
tax credit in the second year, school districts and local
governments must have continued to stay within the tax
cap and have submitted an approved Government
Efficiency Plan that demonstrates savings through
shared services, cooperation agreements, mergers, or
efficiencies.
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As a result of the Property Tax Cap and the Property
Tax Freeze program, local taxpayers will have saved
more than $17 billion through 2016. To ensure that this
savings continues, at the end of the 2015 Legislative
session, the Governor and Legislature extended the
property tax cap through 2020.
In June, 2015, an additional program was enacted to
provide direct relief to struggling New York taxpayers –
the Property Tax Credit. The program is progressively
structured so that taxpayers with lower incomes
receive a higher benefit.
Credits will be remitted in the fall of each year, close
to when the majority of New York homeowners have to
pay their largest property tax bill – their local school
district property taxes. All STAR-eligible homeowners
with incomes below $275,000 who live in school
districts that comply with the property tax cap will be
eligible to receive the credit. In the first year, 2016, the
program will be coupled with the third and final
installment of the Property Tax Freeze credit. Upstate
homeowners will receive $185 from the program, while
taxpayers in Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam,
Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties will receive
$130 from the new program. Beginning in 2017, the
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program will provide property tax relief based on a
percentage of a homeowner’s STAR benefit, with lower
incomes receiving a larger percentage. When the
program is fully phased-in for benefits provided in
2019, it will provide $1.3 billion of property tax relief
and an average credit of $530.
Improving Local Government Efficiency
One of the drivers behind New York’s high local
government cost and property tax burden is its
duplicative and overlapping local government structure.
To address this problem, the State provides a variety of
grant and incentive programs for local governments.
As part of the FY 2016 Budget, Governor Cuomo
advanced and secured approval of the Municipal
Restructuring Fund, a program that provides funding to
help local governments implement transformational
projects that contribute to lower operating costs and
reduced property tax burdens on a permanent basis.
Representatives from the Department of State met with
local leaders at regional roundtables and held a Local
Government Innovation Conference in Albany in order
to best structure the program to ensure that it meets
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the needs of local governments. Applications for grants
will be accepted beginning in early 2016.
In addition to the Municipal Restructuring Fund
grants, the Budget continues funding for other
programs that improve local government efficiency.
This support will empower local governments and
school districts to implement actions that reduce the
property tax burden on their taxpayers.
• Citizens Reorganization Empowerment
Grants. These grants provide funding of up to
$100,000 for local governments to cover costs
associated with planning and implementing local
government reorganization activities, such as
consolidations and dissolutions. Expedited
assistance is given to local governments that
have received a citizen petition for consolidation
or dissolution. This program shares a $35 million
appropriation with the Citizen Empowerment
Tax Credits.
• Citizen Empowerment Tax Credits. For cities,
towns, or villages that consolidate or dissolve,
these tax credits provide an annual aid bonus
equal to 15 percent of the newly combined local
government’s tax levy. At least 70 percent of
such amount must be used for direct relief to
property taxpayers. This program shares a $35
million appropriation with the Citizens
Reorganization Empowerment Grants.
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• Local Government Efficiency Grants. These
competitive grants provide funding to help cover
costs associated with local government efficiency
projects, such as planning for and/or
implementing a functional consolidation, shared
or cooperative services, and regionalized
delivery of services. The maximum
implementation grant award is $200,000 per
municipality/$1 million per grant consortium,
and the maximum planning grant award is
$12,500 per municipality/$100,000 per grant
consortium. A $4 million appropriation supports
this program.
• Financial Restructuring Board Awards. Grants
and/or loans of up to $5 million per municipality
may be awarded by the Financial Restructuring
Board for Local Governments. There is $80
million in Local Government Performance and
Efficiency Program reappropriations available
for these awards.
Restructuring Distressed Local Governments
The Financial Restructuring Board for Local
Governments was created in 2013 to help distressed
local governments restructure and regain solvency
before the strict enforcement of a control board is
needed. The ten-member board is chaired by the Budget
Director and includes the State Comptroller, the
Attorney General, the Secretary of State, and six other
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members appointed by the Governor. Of these six
appointees, one is recommended by the Temporary
President of the Senate, and one is recommended by the
Speaker of the Assembly.
Any eligible county, city, town, or village may
request a Comprehensive Review from the Board. The
Review will assess the local government’s operations,
finances, and management structure. Based on this
information, the Board may make recommendations on
restructuring municipal operations to improve the local
government’s finances and efficiency. In addition, the
Board can offer grants and/or loans of up to $5 million
per municipality through the Local Government
Performance and Efficiency Program to implement the
recommendations. To receive the aid, the local
government must agree to fulfill the terms of the
recommendations.
The Board has undertaken Comprehensive Reviews
for twelve local governments: the cities of Rochester,
Albany, Utica, Jamestown, Elmira, Lockport, and Fulton,
the villages of Alfred, Owego, Hoosick Falls, and Wilson,
and the Town of Fishkill. Additional Comprehensive
Review requests are expected.
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Relieving Local Government Mandates
Governor Cuomo made mandate relief a priority and
has eliminated dozens of burdensome requirements,
including many of the most expensive. These important
reforms are helping local governments manage their
budgets and reduce the burden placed on property
taxpayers. Reforms that have been advanced by the
Governor and enacted include:
• Medicaid Relief. The State has eliminated
growth in the local share of Medicaid, saving
counties $800 million over five years (FY 2015-
2019). For FY 2015 and beyond, the cost of
Medicaid to counties subject to the property tax
cap will not increase – all growth in the Medicaid
program for these counties is being absorbed by
the State. The State is also assuming Medicaid
administrative responsibilities for counties. This
will result in greater efficiencies and help
achieve State and Federal health care reform
initiatives.
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• Pension Reform. In recent years, pensions have
been one of the fastest growing costs for local
governments and school districts. In 2012, a new
pension tier was created in the State pension
system that will save the State, local
governments, and school districts more than $80
billion over the next 30 years. In 2013, local
governments and school districts were given the
option to have a more stable pension
contribution rate, which has greater
predictability and allows for access to the
savings from the 2012 reforms.
• Binding Arbitration. After decades of local
government calls for change to the binding
arbitration process with police and fire unions,
reforms were enacted in 2013 to require
arbitrators to give significant weight to a
distressed local government’s ability to pay and
to consider the property tax cap when making
awards. This will help ensure that awards reflect
the high burden already faced by property
taxpayers in these communities. The Budget
extends these reforms for three years.
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Summary of Spending
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FY2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions) Percent
AIM – Cities Outside
NYC
647.1 647.1 0 0
AIM – Towns and
Villages
67.6 67.6 0 0
Total AIM 714.7 714.7 0 0
Citizens
Empowerment Tax
Credits and Grants*
1.9 2.4 0.5 29
Local Government
Efficiency Grants*
9.3 5.5 (3.8) (40)
Local Government
Performance and
Efficiency Program*
9.9 16.7 6.8 68
VLT Impact Aid 29.3 29.3 0 0
Miscellaneous
Financial Assistance
16.2 0.8 (15.4) (95)
Village Per Capita Aid 2.0 0.0 (2.0) (100)
Small Government
Assistance
0.2 0.2 0 0
Buffalo/Erie Efficiency
Grants**
1.6 0.0 (1.6) (100)
* For FY 2017, Citizens Empowerment Tax Credit and Grants, Local Government
Efficiency Grants, and the Local Government Performance and Efficiency Program
are being funded out of the Special Infrastructure Account instead of the General
Fund.
** Spending will be reduced to zero as the programs reach completion.
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Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
• Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The
Budget provides $100 million for a new initiative
to fund transformative housing, economic
development, transportation, and community
projects designed to attract and retain residents,
visitors, and businesses to downtowns. Ten
communities that are currently experiencing
population loss and/or economic decline will be
able to submit revitalization plans for their
downtown area, developed in collaboration with
policy and planning experts.
• Municipal Consolidation Competition. To
further encourage local government
consolidation, the Budget creates a new $20
million consolidation competition designed to
empower counties and other local governments
to pursue opportunities for consolidation, shared
services, and other changes that permanently
reduce the property tax burden. This
competition is designed to bring forth
aspirational consolidation ideas that will change
the structure of local government.
• Continue Restructuring Programs. The Budget
continues funding to support the Municipal
Restructuring Fund, the Local Government
Performance and Efficiency Program, Citizen
Empowerment Tax Credits, Citizens
Reorganization Empowerment Grants, and Local
Government Efficiency Grants. These programs
will be funded through the Special Infrastructure
Account, as authorized in the FY 2016 Budget.
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• Maintain Local Government Aid. The Budget
maintains most local government aid programs
at FY 2016 levels, including: $715 million in
unrestricted AIM funding to cities, towns, and
villages; $29.3 million in VLT Impact Aid; and
$217,300 in Small Government Assistance.
Legislative adds, such as Miscellaneous Financial
Assistance and Village Per Capita Aid, are
discontinued.
Overall Fiscal Impact on Local Governments
The Executive Budget results in a year-to-year net
positive local impact of $1.3 billion for municipalities
and school districts for their fiscal years ending in 2017.
This net local benefit is primarily the result of a
statewide school aid increase of $991 million, including
competitive school grants, and the continuation of the
State’s Medicaid growth takeover with adjustments to
the program. The benefit is primarily offset by an
impact to New York City related to rationalizing funding
and governance for CUNY senior colleges while
providing CUNY contract funding.
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Impact of the FY 2017 Executive Budget on Local Governments
(Local Fiscal Year Ending in 2017)
($ in millions)
Total NYC
School
Districts
(non-NYC) Counties
All
Other
School Aid 963.0 364.0 599.0 0.0 0.0
Other Education (95.1) (185.1) 90.0 0.0 0.0
Revenue Actions (13.0) (13.0) 0.0 0.0 0.0
Medicaid 349.5 145.9 0.0 203.6 0.0
Health 20.9 12.5 0.0 8.4 0.0
Mental Hygiene (1.5) (2.0) 0.0 0.5 0.0
Municipal Aid (1.6) 0.0 0.0 0.0 (1.6)
Environment (0.9) (0.1) 0.0 (0.8) 0.0
Other (2.8) 0.0 0.0 (2.8) 0.0
Subtotal FY 2017
Executive Budget
Actions
1,218.5 322.2 689.0 208.9 (1.6)
Wastewater
Infrastructure Funds
50.0 0.0 0.0 TBD TBD
New Competitive
School Grants
28.0 TBD TBD 0.0 0.0
Municipal
Consolidation
Competition
20.0 0.0 0.0 TBD TBD
Grand Total FY
2017 Executive
Budget Actions
1,316.5 322.2 689.0 208.9 (1.6)
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11. MENTAL HYGIENE
The FY 2017 Executive Budget supports the
expansion of community-based care, strengthens the
oversight of services for vulnerable persons, and makes
investments to ensure that individuals are served safely
in the most integrated and cost-effective setting
possible.
Overview
The Mental Hygiene agencies and associated not-for-
profits provide services to individuals with mental
illness, developmental disabilities, and addictions.
These agencies are comprised of the Office of Mental
Health (OMH), the Office for People with Developmental
Disabilities (OPWDD), the Office of Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), the Developmental
Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC), and the Justice
Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs
(Justice Center). The Mental Hygiene agencies support
services for more than 1 million individuals, including
more than 700,000 people with mental illness, 245,000
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people with chemical dependencies or gambling
problems, and 130,000 individuals with developmental
disabilities.
Caring for New York’s Vulnerable Citizens
The State’s Mental Hygiene system provides care
and services for individuals in institutional facilities,
community residences and community settings. The
State operates institutional and community-based
services and research facilities, and oversees
residential, outpatient, employment, clinic, habilitative,
and treatment programs operated by not-for-profit
provider agencies that help individuals live in the
setting they desire and lead full and productive lives.
The Budget reflects the Governor’s ongoing efforts
to fundamentally improve the protection and care of
vulnerable individuals. Strategic investments are
funded by programmatic efficiencies and system-wide
solutions to reduce State operations costs in service
delivery, purchasing, business services, information
technology, and other areas. To ensure that individuals
receive appropriate services, the Budget increases
funding for community-based programs, and redirects
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funding from high-cost institutional services to more
effective lower-cost program models that provide
expanded services to more people.
Proposed actions for the Mental Hygiene agencies
include enhancing community mental health services,
right-sizing and improving State-operated inpatient
services, investing in behavioral health provider
systems to help avoid more costly inpatient services,
enhancing employment opportunities for individuals
with disabilities, improving the investigatory process
for abuse and neglect complaints, placing cost controls
on State agency operations, and maximizing payments
from third-party payers.
The Executive Budget proposals result in Mental
Hygiene system spending of $8.2 billion in FY 2017,
reflecting annual spending growth of $260 million (3.3
percent). However, due to technical adjustments such as
interactions with the Department of Health (DOH)
Global Cap, and recognition of the previous year’s costs
for a 53rd Medicaid cycle, the 27th Institutional payroll,
and non-centralized billings for ITS services, projected
spending decreases by $219 million.
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Summary of Spending (All Funds)
Category FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollar
(millions) Percent
OPWDD 4,039.3 4,213.9 174.6 4.3
OMH 3,296.1 3,369.1 73.0 2.2
OASAS 592.4 603.6 11.2 1.9
Justice Center 41.8 42.7 0.8 2.0
DDPC 4.2 4.2 0.0 0.0
Subtotal 7,973.8 8,233.4 259.6 3.3
53
rd
Medicaid Cycle
and 27
th
Payroll
168.6 0.0 (168.6) N/A
NPS Transfer to OITS 27.3 0.0 (27.3) N/A
Adjustments* (908.6) (1,191.1) (282.5) N/A
Total 7,261.1 7,042.3 (218.8) (3.0)
*Adjustments reflect spending of $909 million in FY 2016 and $1.1 billion in FY
2017 for OPWDD services that are reflected in DOH Medicaid spending.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
OPWDD
Over the past five years, Governor Cuomo has taken
substantial steps to ensure the continued health and
safety of individuals with developmental disabilities,
and to improve the overall quality, availability and cost-
effectiveness of community-based, person-centered
services. This Budget continues the long-standing
commitment to support individuals with developmental
disabilities in the most appropriate community-based
settings, and reflects a 4.3 annual percent spending
increase. Specifically, the Executive Budget will:
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• Continue to Improve the Quality and Variety
of Services. Over the past 18 months, OPWDD
has made significant progress in providing
services to people with intellectual and/or
developmental disabilities through new resource
investments and reallocation of existing
resources. During this time, approximately 2,600
new people received certified community
residential housing, including individuals
transitioning from their homes, institutional
facilities and school residential programs. At the
same time, 3,800 individuals were new to
employment supports; 2,300 people were
provided the opportunity to self-direct their
services; 5,500 new individuals received respite
services; and 6,400 people were new to day
service opportunities. In addition, approximately
$65 million in Balancing Incentive Program (BIP)
transformation grants were awarded to over 100
agency providers to develop systematic
improvements to delivery systems, enhance
community integration, and increase
employment opportunities for individuals with
developmental disabilities.
• Implement the Recommendations of the
Transformation Panel. In early 2015, a
Transformation Panel was formed to share and
discuss ideas to help shape the future of the
OPWDD system. Members included individuals
with developmental disabilities, parents,
providers and advocates. Their formal
recommendations will be released in 2016 and
OPWDD will develop and implement strategies
to enhance service delivery and provide high
quality community- integrated services.
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• Invest $120 Million for OPWDD New Service
Opportunities. This annual investment will
support new service opportunities for
individuals currently living at home or in
residential schools. Services will be based on
OPWDD’s person-centered processes, which
include an individualized needs assessment.
These new resources will support expanded
services throughout OPWDD’s continuum of
care, including certified and non-certified
residential opportunities, day programs,
employment, case management, and respite
services for qualifying individuals. This level of
funding will support up to 6,000 new or
expanded opportunities for individuals with
developmental disabilities to support the array
of services necessary to meet their individual
needs, including needs identified in OPWDD’s
recent Residential Request List survey. This
funding is in addition to separate investments
for the transition of individuals from
institutional settings.
• Invest $15 Million in Expanded Affordable
Housing. In FY 2017, OPWDD will provide an
additional $10 million in capital funding ($15
million in total) to support the development of
affordable housing, which will ensure the
availability of safe and accessible residential
opportunities for individuals with intellectual
and/or developmental disabilities.
• Invest $15 Million to Expand Crisis Services.
In 2014, OPWDD implemented START (Systemic
Therapeutic Assessment, Respite and
Treatment) programs in two geographic regions.
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START is a crisis and prevention response model
focused on ensuring effective treatment and
reducing dependency on higher levels of service;
OPWDD will invest an additional $15 million to
expand these services to other regions.
• Dedicate $24 Million to Transition
Individuals to More Appropriate Community-
Based Settings. Consistent with the Olmstead
Cabinet report and the Federal Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
requirements, the Budget continues to transition
individuals from developmental centers (52
individuals) and intermediate care facilities (100
individuals) to more integrated, community-
based support systems. As part of this effort,
OPWDD will utilize a combination of not-for-
profit and State-operated services to deliver
appropriate community-based services specific
to individualized needs.
OMH
The Executive Budget builds on Governor Cuomo’s
ongoing efforts to expand community services and
transition individuals to more appropriate community
settings. Specifically, the Budget will:
• Continue to Improve the Quality and Variety
of Services. With investments in community-
based services made in FY 2016, OMH has
developed new mobile crisis teams, expanded
clinic services, provided additional peer support
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services, and funded additional supported
housing units throughout the State. The
expansion in community investments since FY
2015 has resulted in 7,500 new individuals
receiving services and funded nearly 850
supported housing beds. This funding was also
used to support rental subsidies for over 14,000
supported housing units statewide. The success
of these community investments has resulted in
the reduction of over 400 unnecessary, vacant
inpatient beds.
• Invest $16 Million in Additional Community
Services. Building upon the community
reinvestments funded in the FY 2016 Enacted
Budget, this additional annual investment will be
used to expand a variety of community services
based on regional needs reflecting stakeholder
input, and is expected to reduce the need for
more costly inpatient beds.
• Expand Services for Children. The Budget
proposes to provide six new “State Plan”
Medicaid services for children: crisis
intervention, community psychiatric support and
treatment, psychosocial rehabilitation services,
family peer support services, youth peer training
and support services, and services from other
licensed practitioners. These new services focus
on earlier intervention for children experiencing
behavioral health issues, helping to keep
children with their families, thus preventing the
need for more costly, high-intensity services and
out-of-home placements.
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• Provide $50 Million to Support New
Residential Opportunities. The Budget
provides full annual support to continue ongoing
residential projects, including nearly 1,200 units
planned to open this year from the New
York/New York III homeless housing agreement
and about 800 other residential pipeline beds.
• Invest $1 Million to Implement Raise the Age.
OMH will provide additional staffing resources to
provide mental health services to support
minors who, in 2016, will be relocating from
several rehabilitation facilities to a single
separate juvenile facility. OMH will partner with
the Office for Children and Family Services
(OCFS) and the Department of Corrections and
Community Supervision (DOCCS) on this effort.
• Establish Jail-Based Restoration Programs for
Felony-level Defendants. OMH will work with
participating counties to develop restoration
units for felony-level defendants while they are
restored to competency as they await trial. The
restoration units will be operated in counties
that volunteer to participate, and will be
maintained as separate residential treatment
units within the jail. This program has been
identified as a best practice by the National
Judicial College, and has been implemented in 10
other states with well-documented success. This
program will also result in reduced operational
costs for the State and participating counties.
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• Provide Mental Health Supports for OMH
Long Term Care Patients Moving to Skilled
Nursing Facilities or Managed Long Term
Care Programs. OMH will utilize either a
Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) Program with
wrap-around community support, or a Skilled
Nursing Facility (SNF) to serve approximately
100 long-term care patients. This initiative will
ensure that the population requiring both long-
term care and mental health services will receive
care in more appropriate settings.
OASAS
The Executive Budget supports OASAS’ continued
efforts to better serve individuals with dependencies on
alcohol and chemical substances, and to provide
services to those experiencing problem gambling issues.
Specifically, the Budget will:
• Combat the Heroin Epidemic. In total, the
Budget provides $141 million, an increase of $6
million from FY 2016, to address the growing
heroin and opiate epidemic in communities
across the State. These funds will continue to
support prevention, treatment and recovery
programs targeted toward chemical dependency,
residential service opportunities, and public
awareness and education activities. Specifically,
the funding will enable OASAS to implement the
following initiatives:
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o Family Support Navigators. Navigators will
assist and inform those seeking treatment
and their families of options for insurance
coverage and OASAS treatment systems.
o On-Call Peers. Peers will be available to
assist individuals who are in need of
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment to
make the connection from hospital
emergency rooms to the OASAS treatment
system.
o Adolescent Clubhouses. These safe,
welcoming spaces will help teens and young
adults who are in recovery or are at-risk for
SUD to develop social skills that promote
long-term health, wellness, recovery and a
drug-free lifestyle.
o Recovery Community and Outreach
Centers. These facilities provide recovery
supports in a comfortable environment to
individuals and their families that are in, or
seeking, recovery from SUDs. The centers
provide information and education on how to
access treatment supports and wellness
activities, and they extend peer supports and
volunteers to assist in all areas of the Centers’
operations.
o Treatment Availability Tool. This on-line
tool will allow New Yorkers to search (in real
time) for available treatment statewide; and
o Kitchen Table Toolkit and Talk2Prevent.
New resources are offered including videos
which can be used by parents, teachers and
community members to help begin
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conversations with youth concerning the
health risks and dangerous consequences of
heroin and prescription painkiller abuse.
Talk2Prevent is designed to help New
Yorkers talk early and often with your kids
regarding alcohol and its dangers.
• Transition Behavioral Health to Managed
Care. The Budget supports a total of $7 million in
new Medicaid rate enhancements to stabilize
providers as they transition to managed care,
including those that operate Free Standing
Inpatient Alcohol Rehabilitation, Residential
Rehabilitation Services for Youth, Residential
Detox and Outpatient Detox services.
• Implement Residential Redesign. OASAS will
continue to implement a redesign of residential
treatment capacity which creates flexibility
within the system to allow providers to serve
individuals in need of short-term and long-term
treatment as they detox from heroin and
prescription painkillers.
• Increase Housing and Community Capacity.
The Budget includes $7 million in new funding
for 300 new beds scheduled to be developed
over the next two years. This includes 170 new
congregate care beds associated with the NY/NY
III program and 130 new beds in Suffolk, Albany,
and Westchester counties, and in the Southern
Tier to support the Governor’s Combat Heroin
initiative.
• Provide for Synthetic Drug Testing. The
Budget also includes $2 million in new capital
funding to purchase synthetic drug testing
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devices to be used by State Police and local law
enforcement officials. These portable, hand-held
machines can instantly analyze unknown
substances and determine if they contain any
dangerous synthetics drugs or any other
substance. This information will enable officers
to more accurately distinguish between
individuals with symptoms of drug use and those
experiencing non-drug induced psychotic
episodes, as well as enable quicker treatment of
these individuals if they are admitted to a
hospital.
Justice Center
To protect the health and safety of vulnerable
individuals in the State’s care, the Justice Center has
primary responsibility for receiving, investigating
and/or reviewing abuse and neglect allegations at
certain facilities and programs that are operated,
certified, or licensed by the following six agencies: OMH,
OPWDD, OASAS, DOH, OCFS, and the State Education
Department. The Justice Center is responsible for
ensuring the safety and well-being of the approximately
one million adults and children with physical or
intellectual disabilities and who require services or
placement from one of the over 3000 facilities or
service providers overseen by the six State agencies.
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To fulfill its mission, the agency operates 13
locations across the State, and employs investigators,
prosecutors, advocates, and others. The Justice Center
investigates nearly 10,000 reported allegations of abuse
and neglect annually, and in 2015 assumed more
investigative responsibilities in State-operated facilities.
Operational efficiencies have resulted in an accelerated
case closure process, allowing the agency to close 4,000
more cases than were opened during the year and
permanently accelerate the average case-closure
timeframe. The Executive Budget recommends $54.5
million in new appropriations, providing the necessary
funding for the agency to perform its core functions
timely and efficiently. Specific investments include the
statewide training of local law enforcement officers to
facilitate effective interviewing techniques of
individuals with special needs and disabilities.
Multi-Agency Budget Actions
The Executive Budget includes $12 million to
support the statutorily driven Cost of Living Adjustment
and Medicaid trend at not-for-profits that provide
services on behalf of OPWDD, OMH and OASAS.
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The Budget continues longstanding flexibility in the
delivery of services operated, funded, or approved by
various State agencies, including OMH, OPWDD, OASAS,
and OCFS by extending for five years the existing
requirements for certain social work and mental health
workers.
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12. PUBLIC SAFETY
The FY 2017 Executive Budget reflects an approach
to public safety that is smart, tough and fair, while
providing new resources to State and local responders
to better protect New York families and their property
during emergencies.
Overview
The State spends $4.8 billion annually to protect
New York residents. The public safety agencies assist
local communities with crime prevention, supervise
criminal offenders both in prison and in the community,
patrol the highways, protect critical State assets, and
respond to natural disasters and terrorist threats.
Focusing on Emergency Preparedness and
Crime Prevention
Emergency Preparedness
In September 2014, Governor Cuomo initiated a
counter terrorism surge in the New York City metro
area with enhanced security measures and an increased
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State Police, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
police, and National Guard presence. This year, the State
began utilizing the “See Something, Send Something”
mobile app to help New Yorkers report suspicious
activity. The Governor also proposed, through the
Department of Financial Services, new anti-terrorism
and anti-money laundering regulations to detect, deter,
and prevent illicit transactions that fuel worldwide
criminal and terrorist networks. The FY 2017 Executive
Budget builds upon these actions and strengthens
preparedness by expanding the current surge to deploy
law enforcement to critical infrastructure throughout
the state.
Criminal Justice
New York has one of the lowest crime rates in the
country, and also has the lowest imprisonment rate of
any large state. From 2005 to 2014, the crime rate in
New York declined 18 percent, with a continued decline
in the first six months of 2015. In 2014, the number of
major crimes committed reached the lowest levels ever
recorded, when there were 80,014 fewer major crimes
reported statewide than in 2005. Simultaneous with
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this significant decline in crime, the State’s prison
population has fallen from a peak of 72,600 in 1999 to a
current population of approximately 53,000 – the
lowest level in more than two decades.
Last year, the Governor issued an Executive Order to
establish a facility to house 16- and 17-year old youth
who are in the State’s correctional system. This action
will relocate certain juvenile offenders from adult
prison facilities into an age-appropriate alternative. The
Governor also offered pardons to persons convicted of
non-violent crimes committed when they were 16 or 17
years old, and who have since lived crime-free for 10 or
more years, giving an opportunity for over 10,000
people to escape the limitations of a criminal record
and become productive citizens. The FY 2017 Executive
Budget takes additional measures to advance the
Governor’s Raise the Age Campaign.
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Summary of All Funds Spending
Category FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollar
(millions)
Percent
Department of
Corrections and
Community
Supervision
2,988 2,943 (45) -1.5%
Division of State
Police
730 726 (4) -0.5%
Division of Criminal
Justice Services
229 232 3 1.3%
Division of
Homeland Security
and Emergency
Services
577 578 1 0.2%
All Other 260 305 45 17.2%
Total Public Safety 4,784 4,784 0 0.0%
Spending for public safety agencies is projected at
$4.8 billion for FY 2017. The year-to-year change in the
Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
is primarily attributable to the elimination of funding
for a non-recurring 27th institutional payroll.
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
Disaster Recovery and Preparedness
• Continue the Surge and Make State Police
Presence in New York City Permanent.
Reinforcing the Governor’s 2014 counter-
terrorism surge, the State will establish a
permanent State Police presence in New York
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City. These specially-trained uniformed State
Troopers will partner with dozens of
investigators to strengthen the law enforcement
presence in and around New York City’s transit
hubs and other critical infrastructure.
• Protect Critical Infrastructure. The State
currently engages public and private
organizations to conduct security assessments of
critical infrastructure and key resources. These
assessments help local governments and
businesses develop comprehensive protection
strategies against evolving threats. The FY 2017
Executive Budget will increase the number of
exercises performed annually and ensure
exercises occur in each of New York State’s 16
Counter Terrorism Zones.
Criminal Justice
• Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction. New
York is one of only two states in which the age of
juvenile jurisdiction ends on a youth’s 16th
birthday. This means that all 16 and 17 year olds
are processed in the adult criminal court system,
and not through the Family Courts, regardless of
the nature of their offense. All other states,
except for North Carolina, have set this age at 17
or 18 years old.
Beginning in August 2016, 16 and 17 year old
youth will be housed at Hudson Correctional
Facility, currently a DOCCS operated facility that
is undergoing transformation to appropriately
house and serve younger offenders. Youth will
receive specialized age-appropriate
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programming, and individuals presenting with
mental health needs will have access to services
provided by staff from the Office of Mental
Health.
The FY 2017 Executive Budget reflects the
next steps in juvenile justice reforms through
legislation to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction
to age 17 on January 1, 2018 and to age 18 on
January 1, 2019. Additional reform measures
include comprehensive diversion, probation, and
programming services for 16 and 17 year old
youth who will be involved in the juvenile justice
system.
• Re-entry Initiatives. In FY 2017, the State will
undertake reforms to hold fewer people in
prison pre-trial, bring sentencing practices into
the 21st century and expand alternatives to
incarceration. Through a comprehensive re-
entry initiative, New York will provide citizens
who enter the criminal justice system the
opportunity to rehabilitate, return home, and
contribute to their communities.
• Alternatives to Incarceration. In FY 2017, $1
million will be invested to expand and
modernize ATI programs, ensuring that they are
focused on high-risk and high-need populations.
• Video Visitation. Incarcerated individuals who
have regular contact with family members fare
better upon release. This initiative will increase
opportunities for video visitation between
parents, children, and other family members.
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• Reduce Criminal Behavior through
Education. Expand college level education
programs for incarcerated individuals through
$7.5 million investment of criminal forfeiture
funds obtained by the Manhattan District
Attorney.
• Provide Transitional Support. The first six
months immediately following a person’s release
from the criminal justice system are the most
crucial. The Governor’s re-entry agenda supports
transitional housing, connections to
employment, and provision of medical and
mental health services.
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13. STATE WORKFORCE
Overview
The New York State workforce delivers vital public
services and manages a range of critical facilities and
provider networks. There are 180,252 full-time
equivalent State employees within 59 Executive
agencies, the SUNY and CUNY systems and in the Offices
of the Attorney General and State Comptroller. The
Executive has direct control over 65 percent of the State
workforce (118,311 full-time equivalent employees).
Staffing levels are expected to remain relatively stable
in FY 2017.
Category
FY 2017 Change
3/31/16
Est.
3/31/17
Est.
Number Percent
Workforce Subject to
Direct Executive Control
118,311 118,538 227 0.19
University Systems 57,465 57,465 0 0.00
Office of the State
Comptroller
2,643 2,663 20 0.76
Department of Law 1,833 1,839 6 0.33
Grand Total 180,252 180,505 253 0.14
Approximately 94 percent of the State workforce is
unionized with the remaining portion serving in
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Management/Confidential (M/C) assignments. State
employees receive an average compensation (salary
and other pay) of roughly $69,000. Over the past five
fiscal years, the State has spent an average of $6.6
billion on employee fringe benefit programs, including
employee and retiree health insurance, pensions and
workers’ compensation.
In FY 2013, the State enacted Tier VI pension reform
to help control escalating retirement costs for State
government, local governments and school districts. As
of April 1, 2012, all newly hired public employees
belong to Tier VI. This reform will significantly diminish
long-term pension costs, saving the State, local
governments and school districts more than $80 billion
over 30 years.
Consistent with Governor Cuomo’s push to restore
economic justice by making New York the first state in
the nation to enact a $15 minimum wage for all
workers, the Budget includes the phased-in minimum
wage increase for State employees and employees of the
State University of New York.
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Promoting Workforce Fairness and
Affordability
Minimum Wage for State Workers
The minimum wage for State workers is being
increased on the same phased-in schedule as is
currently underway for fast food workers. The initial
increase took effect in the first pay period beginning on
or after December 31, 2015. As of that pay period, all
State workers are receiving an hourly wage that is no
less than:
• $10.50 per hour for State employees whose job
location is within the five boroughs of New York
City; or
• $9.75 per hour for State employees in all other
job locations.
This initial increase will benefit nearly 2,000
employees. When fully phased-in on July 1, 2021, the
$15 minimum wage will benefit approximately 10,000
Executive Branch State employees (including
employees of the Office of the Attorney General and
Office of the State Comptroller), as well as employees of
the State Legislature and the State Judiciary. The
minimum wage is also being increased for more than
28,000 employees of the State University of New York.
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The immediate costs of the increases will be absorbed
in agency budgets as a result of increased efficiencies.
Collective Bargaining
Most State employee union contracts will expire at
the end of FY 2016. Employees represented by the
Public Employees Federation (PEF) and the Police
Benevolent Association of New York State (PBANYS) are
currently working under expired contracts. The union
representing State Police Investigators has had no
contract in place for the period beginning April 2011.
The State is currently engaged in collective bargaining
with these unions. The State Police Troopers and
Commissioned and Non-Commissioned Officers whose
contracts expire at the end of FY 2018 will receive a 1.5
percent general salary increase at the start of FY 2017
and again in FY 2018.
Meeting Emerging Priorities
Since 2013, the workforce levels in agencies subject
to direct Executive control have remained stable, with
annual changes of 1 percent or less. The FY 2017
Executive Budget continues that trend – there are no
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planned layoffs and no newly announced facility
closures.
In FY 2017, the State workforce will remain stable in
most agencies or modestly decline via attrition
primarily associated with continued efforts to improve
operating efficiencies. The Budget includes workforce
increases in select State agencies to support
investments to meet emerging priorities, including:
• The Department of Corrections and
Community Supervision. Additional staff will
support a variety of efforts, including meeting
the requirements of Executive Order #150,
which requires 16 and 17 year old youth to be
housed at a separate facility from adults. Youth
offenders will be transitioned to the Hudson
Correctional Facility where they will receive
specialized age-appropriate programming and
individuals with mental health needs will have
access to services provided by the Office of
Mental Health.
• The Department of Health. Additional staff will
support the continued take-over of Medicaid
Administration from the counties.
• The Office of General Services. Additional staff
at the Business Services Center will support
human resource and finance operations for
various State agencies.
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Employee Fringe Benefits and Fixed Costs
The State provides a variety of fringe benefits to its
current and former employees, including health
insurance, pensions and workers’ compensation
coverage.
Category FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollars
(millions) Percent
Health Insurance 3,479 3,709 230 6.6
Pensions 2,202 2,370 168 7.6
Social Security 981 966 (15) -1.5
Workers’
Compensation
454 357 (97) -21.4
All Other 509 540 31 6.1
Total 7,625 7,942 317 4.2
All Funds spending is projected to increase by $317
million (4.2%). The health insurance cost increase is
primarily attributable to increased prescription drug
costs, including increased utilization of specialty drugs
for chronic conditions and price inflation for most other
drugs. Pension costs are growing primarily due to the
increase in the graded rate associated with pension
amortizations, as determined by the pension systems.
Workers’ compensation costs are increasing based on
growth in the average weekly wage for benefit
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calculations and medical costs, partially offset by the
use of $140 million in existing reserve funds.
Proposed FY 2017 Actions
State Retiree Health Insurance Reform
The Executive Budget includes the following three
proposals to help restrain the growth in State retiree
health care costs:
• Implement Differential Health Care Premium
Contributions for Certain New Retirees Based
on Years of Service. The Budget provides more
equitable funding for retiree health insurance
coverage for certain new civilian State retirees
with less than 30 years of service. Currently, an
employee retiring with 10 years of service pays
the same amount for their health insurance
coverage as an employee who retires with 30
years of service. Under this proposal, similar to
the calculation for pension benefits, new civilian
retirees would pay differential healthcare
premiums based on years of service. Those
retiring with less than 30 years of service would
have to contribute a greater share of their health
insurance costs. Costs would be proportionately
greater for an individual with ten years of
service, and gradually decrease until they are no
different than current levels once an individual
reaches 30 years of service. This change would
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take effect with new retirees as of October 1,
2016.
• Eliminate Reimbursement for the Medicare
Part B Income Related Monthly Adjustment
Amounts (IRMAA) for High Income State
Retirees. The Federal government imposed this
supplemental IRMAA premium in 2007 to
require high income retirees to pay more of the
increasing Medicare costs. New York, and only
one other state (Hawaii), provide
reimbursement of the premium to all high
income retirees and their dependents. This
taxpayer subsidy of New York State’s high
income retirees currently ranges from $584
annually for new retirees with an Adjusted Gross
Income (AGI) between $85,000 and $107,000, to
a subsidy of $3,216 annually for new retirees
with AGI above $214,000. The Budget eliminates
this reimbursement effective January 1, 2016.
• Maintain Reimbursement of the Medicare
Part B Standard Premium for New State
Retirees at $104.90 per month. New York is
one of only three states (along with Hawaii and
California) that provide full reimbursement of
the standard premium to all eligible retirees and
their dependents. Under this proposal, New York
would continue to reimburse the standard
premium for new and existing retirees ($104.90
per month), but would not provide
reimbursement for an unfunded Federal Cost of
Living Adjustment imposed on new retirees,
IRMAA payers or non-Social Security payers
($17 per month). This change would take effect
October 1, 2016.
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14. TRANSPORTATION
The FY 2017 Executive Budget makes new capital
investments to improve the State’s transportation
system, increase mobility, and support economic
growth. The Budget reflects the Governor’s
commitment of $8.3 billion in State resources toward
the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA’s)
$26.1 billion 2015-2019 transit capital plan that will
renew, enhance and expand the MTA network. The
Budget also funds an unprecedented $22.1 billion 5-
year State Transportation Capital Plan. This Plan will
improve roads, bridges, airports, rail facilities, ports and
transit systems funded through the Department of
Transportation (DOT) budget and make State-funded
investments in the Thruway to lessen the capital burden
on toll payers. The State Plan covers the same period as
the MTA plan (SFY 2016 through SFY 2020) and builds
on $18.3 billion in core DOT funding and $1.3 billion in
SFY 2016 Thruway Stabilization funds by adding $1.8
billion in new State and Federal resources and $700
million of new Thruway Stabilization funding.
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As the result of investments in this Budget, tolls on
all Thruway facilities, including the existing Tappan Zee
Bridge and the New NY Bridge that will replace it, will
be held at current levels until at least 2020. The Budget
also includes $340 million to fund a tax credit that will
defray Thruway toll expenses for business and
passenger electronic pass account holders that meet
certain use thresholds.
Legislation included with the Budget will transfer
the New York State Canal Corporation from the
Thruway Authority to the New York Power Authority.
Overview
The State’s transportation system is operated,
maintained and administered by a network of State and
local agencies and public authorities. The Department of
Transportation (DOT) is responsible for construction,
reconstruction, maintenance, and snow and ice removal
for more than 43,000 State highway lane miles and
more than 7,800 bridges. In addition, DOT provides
funding for rail, airport, bicycle, pedestrian, and canal
programs as well as local government highway and
bridge construction.
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The Department also provides coordination and
funding for more than 130 public transportation
operators including the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (MTA), the four Upstate regional
transportation authorities, and other (usually county-
sponsored) transit systems. These systems provide bus,
subway, commuter rail and light rail services as well as
“paratransit” services designed to meet the needs of the
disabled. The MTA provides transit and commuter
services in the New York City region to over two and a
half billion passengers who ride the subways, buses and
commuter rail systems each year.
The State’s transportation programs also include the
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which operates
27 district and branch offices and provides services via
county clerk offices acting as DMV agents at 102
locations throughout the State. DMV issues licenses,
non-driver identification cards and vehicle
registrations, conducts road tests, monitors driver
training, and performs enforcement activities. DMV
conducts more than 20 million customer transactions
annually, and is projected to collect more than $1.8
billion in revenue for the State and localities in FY 2017.
New Yorkers rely on credentialing and identification
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documents issued by DMV to conduct financial
transactions, obtain employment, and board aircraft,
among other uses.
The Thruway Authority operates a 570-mile
highway system, including the 426-mile mainline from
Buffalo to New York City. Its subsidiary, the New York
State Canal Corporation, which operates the 524-mile
navigable waterway, will be transferred to the New
York Power Authority under legislation proposed in the
FY 2017 Executive Budget.
The New York State Bridge Authority is responsible
for five bridges spanning the Hudson River. These and
other transportation-related authorities are primarily
financed through toll revenue.
Investing in a Safe, Reliable Transportation
System
Department of Transportation
For the transportation plan period that began in FY
2016, the Executive Budget provides 5-year funding for
a DOT capital program of over $22.1 billion, including
State-funded investments in the Thruway. The DOT
total reflects previously planned core funding of $18.3
477
billion, increased by $1.1 billion of new State funds and
$700 million of new Federal funds anticipated under the
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or “FAST
Act.” These increases will help facilitate the capital
improvement of highways, bridges, rail, aviation
infrastructure, non-MTA transit, and DOT facilities.
Included within DOT’s Capital Plan is funding to
complete the initial phase of the Hudson Links Bus
Rapid Transit project. This funding fulfills the
Governor’s commitment to ensure that the
infrastructure is in place to deploy and operate the new
service in time for the opening of the New NY Bridge.
A new $200 million Upstate Airport Economic
Development and Revitalization Competition is also
included in the increased funding.
Funding for local highway and bridge projects under
the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program
(CHIPS) and Marchiselli program is maintained at last
year’s level of $477.8 million.
The new plan also includes the launch of three new
initiatives – BRIDGE NY, PAVE NY, and the Extreme
Weather Infrastructure Hardening Program. These
initiatives will further improve conditions on State and
local roads and bridges, as well as provide resiliency to
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roadways that are particularly susceptible to weather
events. Over the plan period, $2.5 billion is associated
with these programs.
DOT’s capital program is supported by Federal aid,
State capital projects funds, financial settlement funds,
dedicated taxes and fees deposited in the Dedicated
Highway and Bridge Trust Fund, and a significant
subsidy that the Trust Fund receives from the General
Fund.
Mass Transit
Since 1975, New York State has provided transit
system operating assistance through the Statewide
Mass Transportation Operating Assistance (STOA)
program. Today this multi-billion dollar aid program
reflects the importance of the services provided by
transit systems that provide an estimated 3.8 billion
rides annually. In FY 2016, State transit aid accounted
for approximately 35 percent of the operating resources
used to support the State’s transit systems.
The FY 2017 Executive Budget provides operating
support totaling $5.0 billion to transit systems. The
MTA will receive $4.5 billion, an increase of $201
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million over current FY 2016 estimates. This includes a
$309 million contribution from the General Fund to
offset the revenue losses incurred by the MTA from
elimination of the payroll tax for small businesses. The
Budget provides $194 million in operating support for
upstate transit systems, an increase of $5 million or
2.6%, over FY 2016. The Executive Budget also provides
$20 million in capital support for Upstate systems, an
increase of $5 million over FY 2016 capital funding.
The Budget reflects the Governor’s commitment of
$8.3 billion in State resources toward funding the MTA’s
$26.1 billion 2015-2019 transit capital plan. The Budget
includes legislation to authorize the remaining $7.3
billion of this commitment, and spending will continue
from the $1 billion FY 2016 appropriation, including
$750 million to support the MTA’s 2015-2019 core
capital program and $250 million to advance the MTA’s
Penn Station Access project.
Department of Motor Vehicles
Accounting for the steady increase in the volume
and complexity of its transactions, DMV has utilized
electronic and internet-based services to increase the
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efficiency of transaction processing. These services also
provide customers with a faster and more convenient
alternative to visiting DMV offices. Currently, more than
four million transactions per year are processed
through the DMV website, and this number is expected
to continue to rise as customers take advantage of
online transactions. Building on the success of previous
customer service initiatives, DMV will continue to
enhance the customer experience, employing office
kiosks, an improved queuing system, and the use of
greeters to answer questions, review paperwork, and
direct customers to the most expedient means of
completing their transaction. DMV’s website has also
been substantially improved to provide a more
responsive design.
Thruway Authority
The Thruway is a vital transportation artery that
connects people to their jobs and their families and
moves billions of dollars of products to market. The FY
2017 Executive Budget includes a new appropriation of
$700 million from the Special Infrastructure Account for
the Thruway Stabilization program. This money will
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support capital investment on the Thruway system,
complementing the $1.285 billion appropriated for this
program in FY 2016. Together, this State support will
allow the Authority to avoid raising tolls on any of its
facilities until at least 2020.
In 2012, the Thruway awarded a $3.9 billion design-
build contract for the replacement of the Tappan Zee
Bridge. The New NY Bridge will form the centerpiece of
the region’s transportation system, ensuring the
connection of communities and economic centers
across the Hudson River for generations to come. In
addition to resources from the Thruway Stabilization
program, funding sources for the Bridge project include
a $1.6 billion Federal TIFIA loan, the largest in TIFIA
program history. Construction began in the spring of
2013 and is expected to take approximately five years.
The Bridge is on-budget and on-schedule for completion
in 2018.
The Executive Budget also includes legislation to
transfer the New York State Canal Corporation from the
Thruway Authority to the New York Power Authority.
The transfer allows the Budget to eliminate annual
operating subsidies to the Thruway Authority. The
subsidies, which began in FY 2014 to offset the need for
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a commercial toll increase, has totaled $85 million
annually, including the State takeover of personnel
costs of the Division of State Police Troop T which
patrols the Thruway, a direct appropriation, and the
waiver of certain annual billings due from the Authority
to the State.
Summary of State Funds Spending
Category
FY 2016
(millions)
FY 2017
(millions)
Change
Dollar
(millions)
Percent
Transportation Spending 8,429 8,663 234 2.8
Department of
Transportation
3,220 3,402 182 5.7
Metropolitan
Transportation Authority
4,908 4,986 78 1.6
Department of Motor
Vehicles
278 275 (3) (1.1)
Thruway Authority 23 0 (23) (100)
Proposed FY 2017 Budget Actions
The Executive Budget provides capital funding to
restore and improve the State’s transportation
infrastructure, increases transit aid to support the vital
role that transit systems play in the State’s economy
and continues investments that will support DMV’s
efforts to better serve its customers.
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DOT Capital Highlights
• Airport Economic Development and
Revitalization Competition Program. The
Budget provides $200 million for an Upstate
competition to accelerate investments in
commercial passenger and cargo service
airports, creating thousands of well-paying jobs
and promoting economic development. The State
will award grants to five airports of
approximately $40 million each. Grants will fund
projects that enhance safety, improve operations
and access, reduce environmental impact, and
create better passenger experiences. Successful
proposals will create jobs, incorporate
sustainable “green” building techniques, use
renewable energy, demonstrate support from
airlines and the community, leverage private
investments, and demonstrate cost effectiveness.
• BRIDGE NY Program. The 5-year transportation
program includes $1 billion to replace,
rehabilitate and maintain vital State and local
bridges. By addressing the needs of at least 200
bridges across New York, this multi-year
initiative will protect public safety and support
economic growth and commercial activities.
• PAVE NY Program. The 5-year program
includes $1 billion for State and local paving
projects that will ensure smoother rides for
passenger and commercial traffic and result in
fewer costly delays and slowdowns. Up to 1,300
lane miles of paving will be addressed over the
plan period.
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• Extreme Weather Infrastructure Hardening
Program. The plan includes $500 million over
the 5-year program period to improve roadways
that have proven susceptible to flooding and
other extreme weather related events so that
they remain safe and passable.
• Preserve Local Capital Aid. Capital aid to local
governments for highway and bridge projects is
preserved, with $438.1 million provided for the
Consolidated Highway Improvement Program
(CHIPS) and $39.7 million for the Marchiselli
program.
Transit
• Increase Transit Aid Levels. The Budget
proposes $5.0 billion in transit operating aid for
systems throughout the State. The MTA will
receive $4.5 billion, an increase of $201 million
from current FY 2016 estimates. Other transit
systems will receive $497 million, an increase of
$22 million from prior year operating aid levels
despite the deterioration of dedicated transit tax
revenue.
• Verrazano Bridge Rebate Programs. The MTA
operating aid budget includes $10.3 million for
continuation of the commercial and Staten Island
resident rebate programs, fully funding the
State’s contribution.
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• Debt Service Costs. The Budget ends the annual
use of $20 million in mass transportation
operating assistance funds to pay for a portion of
State debt service associated with previously
issued MTA service contract bonds.
• Upstate Transit. The Budget increases Upstate
operating aid by $5 million and capital aid for
Upstate is increased by $5 million.
Thruway Authority
• Invest in Infrastructure and Freeze Tolls
Until at Least 2020. The Executive Budget
includes a new capital appropriation of $700
million, on top of last year’s commitment of
$1.285 billion, to support capital projects
throughout the Thruway system. This State
investment in Thruway infrastructure will allow
for tolls to be held at current rates until at least
2020.
• Reduce Tolls for Frequent Thruway Users. To
lower the cost of traveling the New York State
Thruway for commuters and other heavy users,
and to lower the cost for businesses of bringing
products to market, the Budget provides a
nonrefundable credit for Thruway tolls paid
electronically. Drivers of passenger vehicles who
spend at least $50, annually, and businesses and
commercial account holders who spend between
$100 and $9,999, annually, in Thruway tolls
would receive a tax credit worth 50 percent of
tolls paid. For farmers, the Budget provides a
100 percent nonrefundable credit, regardless of
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usage, for farm vehicle use on the Thruway. The
program would begin on January 1, 2016 and
sunset December 31, 2018. Over the three years,
drivers will save $340 million.
• Transfer the Canal Corporation to the Power
Authority and Eliminate State Subsidies to
the Thruway Authority. Legislation in the
Budget transfers the New York State Canal
Corporation from the Thruway Authority to the
New York Power Authority, allowing for the
elimination of $85 million in annual State
operating subsidies to the Thruway.
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15. LEGISLATION
REQUIRED FOR THE BUDGET
Education, Labor and Family Assistance
• Amend Education Law and make other changes
necessary to authorize School Aid and
implement education-related programs in the
Executive Budget
• Amend Education Law to implement school
safety reforms in the Executive Budget
• Re-establish funding parity for CUNY
• Renew the NYSUNY 2020 and NYCUNY 2020
program
• Establish the SUNY Stony Brook Affiliation
Escrow Fund
• Enact the New York State DREAM Act
• Extend and make conforming changes to various
scholarship and loan forgiveness programs
• Allow public accounting firms to have minority
ownership by individuals who are not Certified
Public Accountants
• Extend mayoral control over the New York City
public school system until June 30, 2019
• Reform the State Apprenticeship Training
Council
• Increase the Minimum Wage
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• Enhance the Urban Youth Jobs Tax Credit
• Make statutory changes to comply with the
Federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and
Strengthening Families Act
• Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction
• Authorize the pass-through of any Federal
Supplemental Security Income Cost of Living
Adjustment which becomes effective on or after
January 1, 2017
• Modify Mortgage Insurance Fund Utilization
Health and Mental Hygiene
• Modify New York City’s local funding
contribution under the Medical Assistance
Program
• Make statutory changes necessary to continue
implementation of Medicaid Redesign Team
recommendations
• Extend the Physicians Excess Medical
Malpractice Program and amends its distribution
methodology
• Extend the authorization to make
Disproportionate Share Payments, to operate
certain Special Needs Plans, to continue the
current reimbursement methodology for general
hospitals regarding behavioral rates, to operate
the Patient Centered Medical Home Program,
and to authorize temporary operators of adult
homes
489
• Reform the Early Intervention program
• Modify the Health Care Facility Transformation
program
• Make statutory changes necessary to allow retail
business operations to operate limited services
clinics
• Authorize the Office of Mental Health to continue
to recover Medicaid exempt income from
providers of community residences
• Extend authorization for the Comprehensive
Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP)
• Extend for five years the long-time exemption
from licensure for individuals working in certain
programs and services that are regulated,
operated, funded or approved by the Office of
Mental Health (OMH), the Office for People with
Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), the Office
for Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
(OASAS), the Department of Health (DOH), the
State Office for the Aging (SOFA), the Office of
Children and Family Services (OCFS), the
Department of Corrections and Community
Services (DOCCS), the Office of Temporary and
Disability Assistance (OTDA) and/or local
governmental units or social service districts
• Authorize the Office of Mental Health to work
with volunteering counties to establish jail-based
restoration to competency programs for
individuals awaiting trial
490
• Provide authority for OMH and OPWDD to
appoint temporary operators for the continued
operation of programs and the provision of
services for persons with serious mental illness
and/or developmental disabilities
• Permit State operated facilities to share clinical
records with managed care organizations
• Authorize an OASAS licensed treatment facility
that provides alcohol and/or substance abuse
services to also operate a traditional physical
health care clinic, while remaining eligible for
DASNY financing
Public Protection and General Government
• Establish the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2016
• Continue provisions relating to the disposition of
certain monies recovered by county district
attorneys
• Suspend a subsidy to a revolving loan fund from
cell surcharge revenues
• Enhance the State's counter-terrorism
intelligence gathering and analysis operations
through the realignment of resources
• Extend the tuition benefit program for members
of the New York Army and Air National Guard
and the Naval Militia that would otherwise
sunset
• Make the Procurement Stewardship Act and the
Procurement Lobbying Law permanent
491
• Enact Workers’ Compensation Reform
• Establish Paid Family Leave
• Establish the New York State Design and
Construction Corporation Act
• Implement differential premiums for future New
York State Health Insurance Plan retirees based
on years of service
• Cap reimbursement of the Medicare Part B
standard premium for new State retirees and
cease reimbursement for the Income Related
Monthly Adjustment Amounts for high income
State retirees in the New York State Health
Insurance Program
• Extend binding arbitration, including provisions
for fiscally eligible municipalities, for three years
• Amend the Dedicated Infrastructure Investment
Fund
• Authorize transfers, temporary loans, and
amendments to miscellaneous capital/debt
provisions, including bond caps
Revenue
• Convert STAR exemption benefit into a tax credit
for new homeowners
• Cap annual growth in Basic and Enhanced STAR
exemption benefit at zero percent
• Make Income Verification Procedure (IVP)
Mandatory
492
• Allow late filing of renewal STAR and Senior
Citizens exemption applications based on
hardship or good cause shown
• Convert NYC PIT STAR Credit into NYS PIT Credit
• Authorize the Commissioner of Taxation and
Finance to make direct payments of STAR tax
savings to property owners in appropriate cases
• Make permanent and update certain
modernization provisions of the Tax Law
• Authorize additional credits of $8 million for
Low-Income Housing Credit for each of the next
five fiscal years
• Extend the Hire-A-Vet Credit for two years
• Extend the Empire State Commercial Production
Tax Credit for two years
• Extend the Credit for Companies who Provide
Transportation to Individuals with Disabilities
for six years
• Permanently extend the non-custodial Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC)
• Permanently extend tax shelter reporting
requirements
• Extend the Clean Heating Fuel Credit for three
years
• Extend the Excelsior Jobs Program for five years
• Amend the State and New York City corporate
tax reform statutes for technical amendments
• Conform to new federal tax filing dates
493
• Provide a corporate and personal income tax
small business tax cut
• Establish education tax credits
• Establish Thruway toll tax credits
• Extend the alternative fuels tax exemptions for
five years
• Establish additional alcohol beverage tasting
exemptions and production credits
• Expand jeopardy assessments to the cigarette
and tobacco tax
• Simplify the taxation of remarketed rooms
• Eliminate charitable giving as a factor in
determining domicile for the estate tax
• Amend State and local tax law for consistency
with Federal tax regulations on aviation fuel
• Remove restriction for Morrisville College to be a
single lab testing provider and modify
requirements for horsemen to contribute to
equine steroid testing
• Increase VLT purse enhancements from 1.0% to
1.6% and increase regulatory fee from 0.5% to
0.6% to finance escalating lab testing costs and
other expenses associated with equine health
and racing integrity
• Adjust timing of reimbursement to the Gaming
Commission of per diem costs for harness racing
judges and starters
• Provide for an additional commission for certain
Video Lottery Terminal facilities
494
• Extend Monticello Video Lottery Terminal rates
for one year
• Extend certain tax rates and certain simulcasting
provisions for one year
• Extend the Video Lottery Gaming (VLG) vendor's
capital awards program for one year
• Amend the Upstate New York Gaming and
Economic Development Act for technical changes
Transportation, Economic Development and
Environmental Conservation
• Commit the State of New York and the City of
New York to fund $10.828 billion of the MTA's
2015-2019 Capital Program
• Authorize MTA procurement reforms to create
savings for their 2015-19 Capital Plan
• Enact project delivery reforms which generate
savings throughout the MTA's 2015-19 Capital
Plan period
• Consolidate four existing Department of Motor
Vehicles' Special Revenue Funds within the
Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund
(DHBTF)
• Bring New York State into compliance with
federal regulations regarding covered farm
vehicles as well as requiring a P endorsement to
operate certain vehicles
• Extend the authorization of the New York State
Urban Development Corporation to administer
the Empire State Economic Development Fund
495
• Extend the general loan powers of the New York
State Urban Development Corporation
• Establish the Transformational Economic
Development Infrastructure and Revitalization
Projects Act
• Authorize and direct the Comptroller to receive
for deposit to the credit of the General Fund a
payment of up to $913,000 from the New York
State Energy Research and Development
Authority
• Authorize the New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority to finance a portion
of its research, development and demonstration,
policy and planning, and Fuel NY programs and
to finance the Department of Environmental
Conservation’s climate change program, from an
assessment on gas and electric corporations
• Authorize the Department of Health to finance
certain activities with revenues generated from
an assessment on cable television companies
• Reduce the administrative burden associated
with the Public Service Commission's review of
municipal and investor owned utility rate
requests
• Extend for one year the authority of the
Secretary of State to charge increased fees for
expedited handling of documents
• Place responsibility for mailing a copy of service
of process with plaintiffs rather than the
Department of State (DOS)
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• Create a statutory model by which combative
sports would be licensed and regulated by the
State
• Extend the authorization of the Dormitory
Authority of the State of New York to form
subsidiaries
• Authorize the transfer of the New York State
Canal Corporation to the New York Power
Authority
• Enact the Private Activity Bond Allocation Act of
2016, to extend authorization for the issuance of
tax exempt bonds for eligible purposes
• Enhance the marketing of New York farm
products by authorizing the Empire State
Development Corporation, in cooperation with
the Department of Agriculture and Markets, to
administer agricultural and dairy marketing
orders
• Eliminate the sunset applicable to the waste tire
management and recycling fee
• Create a new climate change mitigation and
adaptation account and make changes to the
Local Waterfront Revitalization Program in
support of a $300 million Environmental
Protection Fund
• Reduce the authorized reimbursement rate paid
to governmental entities that voluntarily enforce
the provisions of the navigation law
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Good Government and Ethics Reform
• Close the “LLC loophole” by defining LLCs as
corporations for the purpose of political
donations
• Set limits on outside income for members of the
Legislature
• Implement campaign finance reform and public
financing of campaigns
• Enact comprehensive FOIL reform
• Enact Public Officer’s Law reform
• Enhance voter opportunities
• Improve transparency and oversight related to
vendors and for-profit businesses
• Enact lobbying reform
Pension Forfeiture Concurrent Resolution
• Amend the State Constitution to Require Pension
Forfeiture of Public Officials Convicted of a Crime
Related to Public Office
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16. THE CITIZEN’S GUIDE
TO THE EXECUTIVE BUDGET
The Executive Budget process and key budget
document formats are governed by the State
Constitution, with additional details and actions
prescribed by state laws and practices established over
time. The State’s budget process is governed primarily
by Article VII of the New York State Constitution. Article
VII requires the Governor to submit a budget detailing a
plan of expenditures and an estimate of revenues for
the upcoming fiscal year, bills containing all proposed
appropriations and reappropriations, and other
legislation needed to implement the Executive Budget.
To fulfill these requirements, this budget
includes materials accessible to the general public
through the Budget Division’s official website
(http://www.budget.ny.gov/). This year, the central
volume, Executive Budget Briefing Book is included in
the Governor’s State of the State Book. It contains the
Budget Director’s Message, which presents the
Governor’s fiscal blueprint for FY 2017 and explains the
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State’s Financial Plan. It also includes highlights of
major initiatives, and a list of the legislative proposals
needed to implement the proposed budget.
The Five-Year Financial Plan summarizes the
Governor’s Executive Budget and describes the
“complete plan” of spending and revenues required by
the Constitution.
The Economic and Revenue Outlook volume
explains the specific sources of State revenues and
presents the economic outlook for the nation and the
State.
The Five-Year Capital Program and Financing
Plan highlights major capital initiatives and objectives,
and describes the approach to financing the capital
program.
The website includes links to the mission and
functions of each State agency, descriptions of major
budget actions and tables that summarize the agency’s
spending by program and category. Also included is a
“User’s Guide” which provides background information
on State government and the budget process, and
explains how to interpret the agency budget tables. This
portal also includes the budget requests of the
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Legislature and Judiciary, which are submitted without
revision as required by the Constitution.
This year, continuing under Governor Cuomo’s
Open New York and Open Budget initiatives, substantial
and detailed budget data are available through both
New York’s Open Budget (http://openbudget.ny.gov/)
and Open Data (https://data.ny.gov/) portals. These
portals open appropriation, budgeting and actuals
spending data to researchers, taxpayers and the public
to add to their field of knowledge, spark innovation and
help improve government.
Two types of legislation are required for budget
enactment. Appropriation bills provide the legal
authorization for all spending from the funds managed
by the State. These bills encompass the recommended
funding for State Operations, Aid to Localities, Capital
Projects, Debt Service and the Legislature and Judiciary.
Other bills amend state law governing programs and
revenues. These “Article VII bills,” and all Executive
Budget appropriation bills, are available online at the
Budget Division’s official website
(http://www.budget.ny.gov/) or in print from the
Senate and Assembly document rooms located in the
Capitol and the Legislative Office Building.
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The Constitution authorizes the Governor to
amend the Executive Budget within 30 days of
submission, allowing for technical corrections and
revisions based on the latest information. However, to
help achieve timely budgets, the 2007 Budget Reform
Act requires the Executive, to the extent practicable,
submit any necessary amendments within 21 days. Any
amendments are made available on the Budget
Division’s website when submitted to the Legislature.
The legislative review process includes public
hearings on the Governor’s budget. These hearings are
scheduled by the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways
and Means Committees, which are responsible for
coordinating each house’s action on the budget.
The Budget Reform Act mandated the use of
conference committees as part of the legislative budget
process. These committees, which have been used in
various forms in the past, must now be formed early in
the process to facilitate agreement on a budget between
the two houses. The two houses ultimately develop joint
recommendations, amend the Governor’s proposed bills
to reflect their decisions, and pass the amended bills.
These final bills are available from the legislative
document rooms.
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Except for appropriations for the Legislature and
the Judiciary, appropriations proposed by the Governor
become law immediately when passed by the
Legislature. However, all items that have been added by
the Legislature, and all appropriations for the
Legislature and the Judiciary, must be sent to the
Governor for his approval or veto. The Constitution
grants the Governor “line item veto” power, permitting
the Governor to veto such items selectively, while
approving the remainder of the bill.
Chapter numbers are assigned to bills that
become law. For any bill or item of appropriation that is
vetoed, the Governor provides a “veto message” to the
Legislature stating his reasons for the veto. Vetoes may
be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of the
Legislature, in which case the vetoed item or bill
becomes law despite the Governor’s objections.
After enactment of the budget, the Legislature is
required to summarize its changes to the Executive
Budget. This summary is presented in the “Green Book,”
which is available from the Senate and Assembly
document rooms. The Governor is required to revise the
Financial Plan to reflect the Enacted Budget. Like the
original Executive Budget and any amendments, this
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revised plan and subsequent updates are also made
available on the Budget Division’s website.
Note: Readers are encouraged to visit the New York State Budget
Division’s website (http://www.budget.ny.gov/) and the Open
Budget website (http://openbudget.ny.gov/) to access the latest
information and documents related to the Executive Budget proposal
and the Enacted Budget. Virtually all materials are made available
on the website, either on the day of release or within 24 hours.
doc_998995204.pdf