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February 25, 2021
2021 Budget Update and Advocacy Plan
New York state budget advocacy will take on even greater urgency as we move into March. It will be critical to double our advocacy efforts in the next several weeks and modify our strategies. The information below details some of the latest news, timelines, and approaches to support our efforts. General talking points, resources, and links to our grassroots letter campaign follow these updates. If you have not yet done so, please take a minute to send a letter to your state legislators through our online platform.
Advocacy Win: 20% Withhold to be Reimbursed for FY21
Last August, the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) announced that they would withhold 20% of payments for certain non-Medicaid Local Assistance programs. This action was in response to a $1.2 billion decline in state revenue. The Arc New York has pushed back strongly against this action.
We are happy to report that effective immediately, OPWDD will cease the planned 20% withholding in the current fiscal year and begin to process full repayment of funds withheld to date! The full memorandum can be found here. While this is a great victory and a substantial financial relief for providers, the proposed NYS budget for next year still includes a permanent 5% reduction in funding for certain non-Medicaid Local Assistance programs, effective April 1, 2021. Our 2021 budget advocacy priorities include our opposition to this permanent cut.
On or before March 1 each year, the Director of the Budget, the Secretary of the Senate Finance Committee and the Secretary of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee issue a joint report containing a consensus forecast of the economy and estimates of receipts for the current and upcoming State Fiscal Year. Should they not reach consensus, the Comptroller is statutorily obligated to provide the revenue forecast on or by March 5.
The Economic & Revenue Consensus Forecasting Conference meeting between the Chairperson and Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Finance Committee, the Chairperson and Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, and the Director of the Budget took place on February 24. A recording of that meeting can be found here.
At the same time, one-house budget bills are being workshopped and crafted by legislators. We should expect to see one-house bills introduced in the second week of March. Prior to their introduction, it is important to urge legislators to take our message to their colleagues and gain consensus. Remind them you are of vital importance to your county and community.
Regional Virtual Rallies The Arc New York Chapter Executive Directors and State Office will be reaching out to help coordinate regional virtual rallies. We have had great success with this method and want to maximize the opportunity for advocates to participate, lend their voice, and tell their story. Please start thinking about individuals who can speak to our priorities. Family members, self-advocates, Direct Support Professionals, Executive Directors, board members, etc., all offer a diverse perspective on our unified message. More details to follow. Influencing One-House Budget Bills Beyond your local representatives, we are engaging and informing the NYS Senate budget workgroups responsible for formulating the Senate one-house budget bill. I encourage you, your board, and anyone close to the legislators below to reach out and be specific with our priority asks:
Budget Workgroup on Health (including mental health and I/DD) - Senator Gustavo Rivera, Chairman, Committee on Health
- Senator John Mannion, Chair, Committee on Disabilities
- Senator Rachel May, Chair of Committee on Aging, Chair of Legislative Commission on Rural Resources
- Senator Neil Breslin, Chairman of Committee on Insurance
- Senator Samra G. Brouk, Chair, Committee on Mental Health
- Senator Pete Harckham, Chairman of Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
- Senator James Gaughran, Chair, Committee on Local Government
- Senator Julia Salazar, Chair, Committee on Women's Issues, Committee on Crime and Correction
The NYS Assembly does not use workgroups, however engaging with Leader Carl Heastie's office, Ways and Means Chair Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein, and the respective chairs of the Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Committees will help to further the communication of our priorities. Given the lack of official workgroups, we encourage that any meeting ask include Program and Council, Ways and Means, or other staff responsible for crafting the budget.
Below is the membership for the Senate and Assembly Committees on Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health:
You can read Senator Mannion's perspective and motivation for chairing the Developmental Disabilities Committee here.
Information and Resources to Support Executive and Grassroots Advocacy
The Arc New York launched a grassroots advocacy campaign against proposed New York state budget cuts and other actions affecting people with I/DD, families, and the providers who support them. We are calling on you to share this with your family, friends, board members, colleagues, and on social media. It will take less than two minutes to send your message to legislators and share with others!
The Arc New York is advocating for...
- Rejection of a $60M 1% targeted cut by OPWDD,
- Restoration of the deferred $89.7M cost-of-living adjustment (COLA),
- Support for enhanced pandemic pay for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs)
- Statutory guarantees that all proposed cuts will be eliminated should New York receive the requested $15B in federal aid
A selection of background materials on the Executive Budget can be found below to help inform your advocacy conversations. These include The Arc New York's budget testimony, and informational sheets developed in partnership with New York Disability Advocates (NYDA).
The links for the one-click campaign letter are below. Please use the dedicated social media link when sharing through social media if possible, as it helps us track the efficacy of our methods. Sending campaigns through social media helps reach people who are not yet in our sphere, but are willing to stand side-by-side with us.
We ask that you please distribute this information, including the appropriate links, through your email and social media channels. You may use any portion of text from the campaign in your message, or choose to create your own. Please feel free to customize accordingly.
Finally, the table below provides an analysis of the enhanced FMAP revenue generated by non-profit providers throughout the pandemic, and projections through the end of the year. We would like to reinforce how cuts to non-profit providers are counter-productive, since the state does not benefit from federal matching funds.
Increased federal funds were meant to benefit providers, not to balance the state budget. The table demonstrates that federal resources have and will be available to support services. We need to inform legislators that these funds cannot and should not be used to balance the budget more broadly. Our supports and services warranted enhanced federal financial support, and we should be recipients of the funding as intended. Leaving federal money on the table is foolish. This message was reinforced in our 2021 budget testimony.
We will continue to update you on budget developments and advocacy efforts to sustain quality supports and services for New Yorkers with I/DD. We appreciate your participation in forwarding this call. Our voices are stronger together.
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This email was sent to:
- Board of Governors
- Chapter Presidents
- Chapter Board Members
- Executive Directors
- Chief Operating Officers
- Chief Financial Officers
- HR Directors
- PR Directors
- Quality & Compliance Staff
- Joint Committee on Quality & Compliance
- Trust Services and State Office Staff
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