Plugged In @ Hinman Straub

March 28, 2025

What’s Inside

Legislative Session Recap
Governor Breaks Down Impact of Federal Cuts to NY’s Health and Human Services Programs
Rep. Stefanik Nomination Pulled
Governor Announces Available Funds Through and Expansion of the ConnectAll Municipal Infrastructure Program
In the News
Coming Up

Legislative Session Recap

The Legislature convened Monday-Thursday this week. They will reconvene on Tuesday for a three-day session.

On Thursday, the Assembly announced the passage of legislation to make menstrual products safer by restricting the purposeful inclusion of certain chemicals like lead, mercury, and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) among others in their production.

This legislation would restrict the inclusion of these chemicals within menstrual products and by January 1, 2029, require the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Conservation to set a minimum safe level for these chemicals which will give manufacturers guideposts to follow when dealing with substances that may not be feasible to totally eliminate from the product.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said:

Women should not be facing problems with their health simply through the use of menstrual products. This bill holds producers accountable and ensures that the Assembly Majority is doing everything in our power to protect New Yorkers and our environment.

NYS Budget

The deadline for passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 New York State Budget is March 31. Based on reports, negotiations are ongoing and will continue throughout the weekend.

At this point, a conceptual agreement has not been announced, and according to Carl Speaker Heastie, changes to the state’s discovery laws and a proposed school cell phone ban are the two main issues being discussed and negotiated. Budget talks have been further complicated by the uncertainty looming in Washington regarding funding cuts for states.

Governor Breaks Down Impact of Federal Cuts to NY’s Health and Human Services Programs

Following reports of sweeping federal cuts by the Department of Health and Human Services, Governor Hochul issued a press release, providing a breakdown of the financial impacts this will have on New York’s health programs and funding. The Governor announced that these cuts will result in a loss of $360 million in financial resources for mental health and addiction services in New York State.

Each of the following state departments will experience a loss in funding:

Department of Health – loss of over $300 million
Office of Addiction Services and Supports – loss of $40 million
Office of Mental Health – loss of $27 million

More details from the breakdown can be found in the Governor’s release here.

Earlier this week, the Governor issued the following statement surrounding federal cuts to public health, mental health, and addiction services:

Yesterday, the federal Department of Health and Human Services notified our Administration that they intend to cut more than $300 million in funding for the New York State Department of Health, Office of Addiction Supports and Services, and Office of Mental Health. These include funds that county health departments across New York are planning to use to fight disease and keep people safe. At a time when New York is facing an ongoing opioid epidemic, multiple confirmed cases of measles and an ongoing mental health crisis, these cuts will be devastating.

Make no mistake: there is no State in this country that has the financial resources to backfill the massive federal funding cuts proposed by DOGE and Congressional Republicans. They are trying to rip apart the social safety net that lifts families out of poverty and gives everyone a shot at a middle-class life. These cuts aren’t just numbers on a page – they’re going to hurt real people in every corner of New York.

For every attempt they make to withhold this funding, we will fight them tooth and nail. I’ll do everything in my power to protect the health and well-being of New Yorkers.

Rep. Elise Stefanik Nomination Pulled

President Donald Trump withdrew Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination for UN Ambassador on Thursday, citing the need to preserve the slim Republican majority in the House.

Stefanik, who will continue representing New York’s 21^st District, embraced the decision, stating she is “proud to be a team player”. The move aims to safeguard Trump’s legislative agenda, given the current 218-213 Republican advantage in the House.

Governor Announces available Funds Through and Expansion of the ConnectAll Municipal Infrastructure Program

This week, Governor Hochul highlighted the launch of Phase 4 of New York’s Municipal Infrastructure Program (MIP) Request for Applications, making nearly $50 million available to support broadband infrastructure projects across the state. MIP connects unserved and underserved communities to high-speed internet through open-access and publicly controlled broadband infrastructure.

To date, ConnectALL has awarded over $240 million, enabling the construction of almost 2,400 miles of fiber and connecting nearly 100,000 locations statewide. The new Phase 4 Application expands the program to nearly $300 million, drawing on funds from the US Department of Treasury Capital Projects Fund.

Applications opened on March 27, with a deadline of April 25. Interested parties must submit applications through the New York State Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) Portal here. Detailed information on eligibility and program requirements is available here.