It is imperative that New York follows through on its promises to our disability community and enact laws to protect the civil rights and programs that allow people with disabilities to live independent, integrated lives in their communities. NYAIL works with our ILC members and the community to be at the forefront of disability advocacy in New York. Every year we release a Budget and a Legislative Disability Priority Agenda which help guide our advocacy efforts. We also write memos in support or opposition to specific legislation.
Below is information regarding NYAIL's 2023 budget and legislative priorities:
Summary:
INDEPENDENT LIVING
We strongly support:
• Increasing base funding for Independent Living Centers (ILCs) to $18 million, an increase of $2 million.
HEALTH / MEDICAID
We strongly support:
• Addressing the home care crisis by increasing wages for home care workers to 150% of the State’s regional minimum wage, as outlined in the Fair Pay for Home Care Act.
• Repealing cuts to eligibility for Medicaid advanced during the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) II making it more difficult for people to receive vital community-based long-term services and supports (LTSS).
We strongly oppose:
• Repealing the RFO process for Fiscal Intermediaries in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program.
• Repealing the modest gains made in last year's Budget to increase the minimum wage for home care workers. These increases are now decoupled from the Governor’s proposed minimum wage indexing proposal, and downstate wage parity is repealed.
EMPLOYMENT
We strongly support:
• Expanding eligibility for New York’s Medicaid Buy-In Program for Working People with Disabilities by increasing income and asset limits, while also removing the age limit. We do not, however, support employment requirements and steep premiums as proposed by the Executive.
AGING
We strongly support:
• Increasing funding for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program by $15 million.
HOUSING
We strongly support:
•Increasing funding for Access to Home to $10 million to address pent up demand for this program, allowing all regions of the State to benefit.
•Creating a Visitability Tax Credit to help homeowners make their homes more accessible.
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
We strongly support:
•Restoring the Interagency Coordinating Council for Services to Persons who are deaf, Deafblind or Hard of Hearing within the Office of the Chief Disability Officer (CDO).
Additional resources on NYAIL’s priority issues: