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Assembly passes emergency appropriations extender to fund state operations through May 7
Summary
The New York State Assembly voted unanimously May 6 to approve a temporary appropriations bill that provides $11.7 billion in funding to cover state obligations through May 7, including Medicaid and unemployment payments; lawmakers said the extender is the third of several and questioned why full budget bills were not yet in print.
The New York State Assembly on May 6 passed an emergency appropriations bill to fund state operations through May 7, approving the measure 148-0. The measure, presented as Rules Report 178, advances short-term payments for programs including Medicaid, WIC, unemployment insurance, OPWDD services, veterans homeless housing and general state charges.
Assemblymember Pretlow, who moved the measure onto the floor, described the bill as part of finalizing the chamber's budget agreement and said it “would ensure funding for a state operation other programs through May 7.” He listed specific areas covered by the extender: “The bill includes additional funding for Medicaid, WIC, unemployment insurance, support for OPWDD services, veterans homeless housing, and general state charges.”
Lawmakers pressed the sponsor for fiscal detail. Assemblymember Ra asked about the dollar amounts covered by the extender and the source of added funding, noting the bill’s effective window from April 1 to May 7. Pretlow replied, “This bill appropriates $11,700,000,000, which is an additional $1,100,000,000,” and said the payments being advanced were “basically for Medicaid.”
The sponsor and other members also discussed the cumulative tally of previous extenders. Pretlow told members that 11 emergency extenders have produced $16,500,000,000 in appropriations to date. On the question of the state’s plan for a large unemployment insurance (UI) liability, Pretlow said he expected $8,000,000,000 of UI debt to be paid and indicated those funds would come from the state’s rainy day fund.
Not all members were satisfied with the pace of the formal budget process. Assemblymember Roth said the Assembly continues to be asked to approve successive extenders even though the governor announced a budget deal more than a week earlier. “This is the third extender we are passing since she announced a deal,” Roth said on the floor, urging that full budget bills and a financial plan be produced before final votes: “We need to know how much money we are spending. We need to know how much we are touching from reserves. We need to know how much our budget gaps are.”
Procedural steps: the clerk reported the governor’s message at the desk before the vote. On the recorded vote, the bill passed with 148 ayes and zero noes. Members said the extender is intended to ensure the state meets imminent obligations while awaiting the printing and consideration of remaining budget bills.
Background and next steps: Members told the chamber they expected at least one of the outstanding budget bills to be released for review later the same day; sponsors said they hoped not to need further extenders. The extender itself does not enact long-term budget policy; it temporarily authorizes payments until the full set of budget bills is passed and enacted.
Votes and formal action: The Assembly advanced and then approved Rules Report 178 (Assembly number 8270 / an act making appropriations for the support of government) and transmitted the approved action immediately.
A copy of the bill and the forthcoming budget bills will be necessary for a complete accounting of the plan’s fiscal impacts and any reserve draws.
