New York Capital Brief:

Governor Hochul’s State Budget Proposal

Last Wednesday, Governor Hochul proposed a $227 billion State budget, a plan that would increase direct aid to schools and health care networks, fund measures to bolster public safety and law enforcement, as well as expand housing in New York.

Highlights:

  • $1 Billion Plan to Fix New York State’s Continuum of Mental Health Care
  • $337 Million Investment Aimed at Reducing and Preventing Gun Violence
  • $5.5 Billion to Promote Energy Affordability, Reduce Emissions, and Clean Our Air and Water
  • $7.6 Billion, Four-Year Child Care Investment, with Eligibility Increased to Include an Additional 113,000 Children
  • $1 Billion Health Care Investments for Capital Projects at Hospitals and Other Facilities
  • $1.3 Billion Economic Development Investments to Create Jobs
  • $1 Billion Investment to Provide Health Care, Shelter, and Other Critical Services to Asylum Seekers

For an overall summary of the budget, click here.

 

NYC Ends Public Sector Vaccine Requirement

The mandate, which has been in place since November 2021,  will officially end today, February 10th. Proof of vaccination will no longer be a condition of employment for current and prospective city workers, ending one of the City’s last COVID restrictions.

Mayor Adams, a Democrat, said that with more than 96% of City employees and more than 80% of City residents have received their initial vaccine series, “this is the right moment for this decision.”

City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said, “It’s clear these mandates saved lives and were absolutely necessary to meet the moment. We’re grateful that we can now, as we leave the emergency phase of the pandemic, modify more of the rules that have gotten us to this point.”

The vaccination mandate for City employees was one of the last COVID-19 measures still in place. The City ended its vaccine requirement for employees of private businesses in November 2022, and masks are now optional in most public spaces including subways and buses.

 

NYS Hires for Public Health Corps

New York health officials are seeking to fill 500 open positions for the newly established public health corps, created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New York State Public Health Corps, created in 2021, will provide support for health officials responding to future and emerging public health crises in the State. The program is considered the first in the nation and aims to strengthen communication and preparedness.