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Budget subcommittee hearing spotlights childcare expansion, EBT security and worker protections
Summary
At a joint Senate–Assembly human services and labor budget subcommittee hearing, lawmakers highlighted a $500 million childcare worker retention proposal, investments to speed injured-worker hearings and funding to replace skim-prone EBT cards, while debating how to fund anti-fraud enforcement.
At a joint New York State Legislature human services and labor budget subcommittee hearing, Senate and Assembly leaders outlined priorities for the one-house budgets, centering on expanded childcare funding, measures to curb EBT card skimming, and proposals to strengthen enforcement of labor laws.
Senator Roxanne Persaud, cochair of the subcommittee, said the Senate restored funding for multiple human-services programs and included a 4% human-services TII intended to cover roughly 20 new state contracts. "We want to see the money getting to the workforce," Persaud said, urging that at least 1.3% of the COLA be targeted to the employees who provide services.
Assembly Member Andrew Hevesy, the Assembly cochair, praised inclusion of a cost-of-living adjustment and urged that additional workforces be placed on the state payroll. Hevesy also highlighted LEAPS program slots and asked the committee to consider a $20,000,000 second-year investment to shore up legacy supportive housing under NYSHIP.
Child-care funding emerged as a central theme. Senator Jabari Brisport described a Senate addition of $500,000,000 for a childcare worker retention grant program, calling it "an incredibly necessary investment in the workforce." Senator Zellnor and Assembly Member Rawlinson also emphasized affordability and the need to fully fund CCAP to prevent county-level shortages and wait lists.
Officials raised several proposals to reduce fraud and improve benefit delivery. Assembly Member Davila said the Assembly had appropriated $75,000,000 for food insecurity and supported moving to chip-enabled EBT cards to stop skimming; Assemblyman Michael Novikov said EBT fraud has exceeded $50,000,000 over three years and urged rapid deployment of microchip EBT cards.
On workers' compensation and labor enforcement, speakers described added funds and competing views about how to pay for enforcement. Senator Jessica Ramos said the Legislature added $57,000,000 to accelerate initial hearings for injured workers and proposed a worker-protection and labor-enforcement fund that would redirect monetary damages and penalties to the Department of Labor to strengthen in-house enforcement. Assembly Member Brant and Senator Steve Rhodes debated funding sources for anti-fraud work: Brant favored financing via employers' workers' compensation assessments and proposed a $10,000,000 investment in an occupational clinic health network, while Rhodes objected to adding employer assessments and suggested insurers or other beneficiaries should bear more responsibility.
Several members warned of potential federal penalties tied to SNAP errors. Assembly Member Molotor referenced an anticipated $70,000,000 SNAP penalty and urged administrative fixes to avoid future federal sanctions.
The hearing included brief statements on veterans' services, energy affordability allocations (including LIHEAP funding), youth employment increases and other human-services priorities. Senator Persaud closed the session, saying negotiations with the Assembly and the executive branch will continue before a final budget is enacted.
