HCANYS Policy Team Already Contemplating and Advocating on the 2026 NY Legislative Session
The Situation Report | August 18, 2025
Immediately after the conclusion of the 2025 NYS Legislative Session back in June, the HCANYS Policy Team began strategizing and planning its advocacy efforts for the 2026 Legislative Session. While a slower pace of advocacy is customary during the summer months, HCANYS made the important determination to restart lobbying efforts early – before state legislative offices are consumed with the surge of constituent demands back in their respective home districts.
As part of the early start to advocacy, HCANYS Policy Staff met with several important state legislative offices this summer to discuss many different items including home care and managed care funding, budget matters, maternal care and primary care provided through home health partnerships, impacts of federal activity, and much more. Below are highlights of recent HCANYS meetings and a glimpse into future HCANYS activity.
Recent Meetings:
In July, legislative staff from the office of Assembly Member Amy Paulin (Chair, NYS Assembly Health Committee) visited the HCANYS office in Albany to discuss the outcome of the 2025 legislative session and advancement of HCA member priority legislation and budget funding for the upcoming 2026 session.
Through HCANYS advocacy, HCA’s bill (A1493-A sponsored by Chair Paulin) to reactivate the state’s program for annual state aid to CHHAs, was amended late in the 2025 session to make the bill more budget neutral, thereby improving the chances for passage in the Assembly 2026, as step-one toward ultimately securing state budget funding. HCANYS will continue to work with Assemblymember Paulin and her staff on this development (and others).
In August, members of the HCANYS Policy Team similarly met with staff from the office of Senator Rivera (Chair, NYS Senate Health Committee, discussing HCA’s legislative, budget and program priorities and ways to garner the Senate’s support for these.
Armed with new and more expansive statistics, the HCANYS Policy Team made the case for advancing the aforementioned CHHA Funding bill. In the Senate, the bill (S6981-A) is sponsored by Senator Webb. HCANYS will continue engagement with Senator Rivera and his staff on this and other important issues.
Also in August, the HCANYS Policy Team met with staff from Senator Webb’s office. Senator Webb is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Women’s Issues, as well as also the sponsor of the HCANYS CHHA Funding legislation. This was a very productive meeting on a number of fronts. First, Senator Webb’s staff reaffirmed her commitment to and support for CHHA funding. The newly updated CHHA one-pager was effective in driving home the important points and Senator Webb’s Staff was aware of (and sympathetic to) the fact that CHHA rates are way behind, including in her legislative district.
Other promising developments in this meeting were Senator Webb’s interest in the HCANYS Community Medicine/Paramedicine Pilot programs and her willingness to connect more closely with HCANYS on maternal health (including sepsis) and rural health care. With respect to rural health, Senator Webb is interested in teaming up with Senator Brouk (Chair, Senate Mental Health Committee) to tackle some existing issues as well as some new and emerging issues. With Senator Webb’s interest in the issue area as well as her staff having personal and family experiences with home care, much of HCANYS’ activity and advocacy appeared to resonate with Senator Webb’s office. Further discussion with Senator Webb will certainly be a primary focus of HCANYS advocacy efforts going forward.
Following up on the meeting with Senator Webb, HCANYS Policy Staff met with Senator Brouk’s legislative staff just last week. As Senator Brouk is the chair of the senate mental health committee, the focus of this meeting revolved around HCANYS’ activities to support mental health training and care delivery to individuals with mental health challenges. For instance, Senator Brouk is the sponsor of legislation (S997) that would reduce barriers to collaboration efforts between mental health and home care. Senator Brouk’s staff re-affirmed their commitment and support for this innovative legislative bill and discussed the next steps. Senator Brouk’s staff and HCANYS Policy Staff also discussed maternal health resources, CHHA funding, and other primary care collaboratives and healthcare workforce initiatives HCANYS is working on.
HCANYS met today with the NYS Division of Budget reviewing our priorities; we will next schedule further meetings with both the Executive and the Legislature. HCANYS will also soon resume our scheduling of advocacy meetings with and for HCANYS members with the Legislature.