Plugged In @ Hinman Straub

March 6, 2026

What’s Inside

  • Legislative Session Review
  • Consensus Revenue Forecast Reached
  • Governor Announces Agency Appointments
  • 21 Attorneys General Sue Trump Administration in New Lawsuit
  • Governor Announces Nominee for Lobbying Commission
  • Governor Announces National Ranking for Technology Laws
  • In the News
  • Coming Up 

Legislative Session Review

The Legislature convened for session on Wednesday and Thursday this week, and will reconvene on Monday, March 9, for a four-day session. According to reports, both houses of the Legislature are set to release their respective one-house budgets and pass them next week.

This week, the State Senate highlighted a package of legislation advanced to ensure access to vaccinations and uphold vaccine efficacy standards. The legislation passed as part of the package includes:

  • Authorizing Registered Pharmacy Technicians to Administer Immunizations: This bill, S.7025B, sponsored by Senator Cooney, would authorize registered pharmacy technicians to administer the same immunizations as licensed pharmacists while under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist.
  • Requiring Coverage of COVID-19 and Other Established Vaccinations: This bill, S.8334A, sponsored by Senator Gounardes, would require commercial insurers to cover COVID-19 vaccinations, and would require Medicaid to cover the same and other established vaccinations.
  • Broadening Immunization Recommendations and Coverage: This bill, S.8496C, sponsored by Senator Hinchey, would authorize health care practitioners to order and administer immunizations recommended not only by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), but also by independent, state, or interstate entities. Furthermore, it would require state-regulated insurance plans to cover vaccines recommended by these entities.
  • Ensuring Sound Childhood Immunization Practices: This bill, S.8853, sponsored by Senator Mayer, would call for children’s vaccine requirements to conform to regulations issued by the state Commissioner of Health, which regulations must be based on generally accepted medical standards and recommendations.
  • Permitting Nursing Students to Administer Certain Vaccines: This bill, S.5706A, sponsored by Senator Skoufis, would permit nursing students to administer certain vaccines, and would permit physicians and nurse practitioners to prescribe and order nursing students to administer certain vaccines.
  • Requiring the Reimbursement of Vaccination Expenses: This bill, S.5852, sponsored by Senator Skoufis, would require insurance companies to reimburse total direct and indirect practice expenses associated with vaccinations, in order for health care providers to more affordably administer vaccines.
  • Authorizing Medical Assistants to Administer Vaccinations: This bill, S.5340B, sponsored by Senator Stavisky, would authorize and train medical assistants to administer immunizations under the direct supervision of a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant.

Consensus Revenue Forecast Reached

This week, as required by the State Finance Law, representatives from the legislative Finance and Ways and Means committees, along with the Governors Budget Director, reached a consensus revenue forecast for Fiscal Year 2026-27. The revenue estimates from all parties for FY 2026 and projections for FY 2027 exhibited significant variance, but participants reached consensus on a two-year revenue total range that is $700 million to $800 million above the Executive Budget estimate, providing the legislature with additional funding to allocate in the upcoming budget.

The Consensus Economic and Revenue Forecast Report can be found here.

Governor Announces Agency Appointments

This week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the following two nominations:

  • Terry O’Leary as Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES); and
  • Doris B. Gonzalez as President of the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).

Both will serve in acting roles for their nominated positions and are subject to confirmation by the State Senate.

Terry O’Leary, Commissioner – DHSES

Prior to being nominated as Commissioner, Mr. O’Leary has served as Executive Deputy Commissioner of DHSES for a decade. Previously, he served as the Deputy Secretary for Public Safety for the New York State Executive Chamber where he was responsible for overseeing the policy and operations of the State’s public safety agencies, including DHSES, the New York State Police, the Division of Military and Naval Affairs, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Mr. O’Leary began his career with New York State as the Director of the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement within the Department of Health, where he was responsible for implementing and managing the launch of New York’s medical marijuana program in 2016, as well as the State’s Prescription Monitoring Program Registry and the shift in the State’s Official Prescription Program which required all prescriptions to be issued electronically, making New York the first in the nation to do so.

Prior to his time with New York State, Mr. O’Leary served as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office between 2001 and 2011, where he was assigned to the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor. In 2006, he was assigned to the Special Investigation Bureau as the Senior Investigative Counsel where he handled long term investigations of major narcotics trafficking and money laundering organizations.

Doris B. Gonzalez, President – HESC

Originally joining HESC as the Executive Vice President in August 2023, Ms. González provides administrative oversight and management of $1.02 billion in funding to administer more than 30 grants, scholarships and loan forgiveness programs that directly support nearly 300,000 students annually, including the NYS Tuition Assistance Program, one of the nation’s largest needs-based college financial aid programs.

Before joining HESC, Ms. González served as the Director of Delivery Management with Kyndryl Holdings, Inc., a multinational information technology infrastructure services provider, where she led an innovative Career Pathways program to help employees build their skills by continuously offering them the enriching experience of job rotation, matching them with mentors, providing training and other significant opportunities for career growth.

Ms. González also previously served for 25 years in numerous leadership roles in corporate philanthropy at the IBM Corporation. Coupled with her notable private sector experience, Ms. González has held leadership roles with the New York City Board of Education, NYC School Construction Authority, and the NYS Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In addition to serving on the boards of nonprofit organizations like the Harlem Gallery of Science, ASPIRA of New York and the Bronx Community College Foundation, she is excited to be part of the Governor’s Latina Mentoring Initiative, being a mentor to students in a Bronx middle school.

More information can be found here. 

21 Attorneys General Sue Trump Administration in New Lawsuit 

This week, New York State Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition of 21 other attorneys general and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania in suing to stop the Trump administration from imposing tariffs that result in increased taxes on states, businesses, and consumers.

Shortly after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Attorney General James and 11 other attorneys general who sued to stop the president’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the president issued a new proclamation imposing tariffs on a range of countries and goods using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Attorney General James and the coalition argue in their lawsuit that these new tariffs are illegal because the president does not have the power to impose them.

Attorney General James said:

Once again, President Trump is ignoring the law and the Constitution to effectively raise taxes on consumers and small businesses. After the Supreme Court rejected his first attempt to impose sweeping tariffs, the president is causing more economic chaos and expecting Americans to foot the bill. These tariffs will only drive up the cost of living, and I will continue to uphold the rule of law to protect New Yorkers.

Read more here.  

Governor Announces Nominee for Lobbying Commission

This week, Governor Hochul announced her intention to formally nominate Dennis Walcott to the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. In accordance with the Independent Review Committee’s procedures, the public will have twenty-one business days to provide comments on the nominee. The nominee will then be presented to the Independent Review Committee, comprised of the deans of New York’s law schools, for review of his qualifications to serve on the Commission.

Governor Hochul said:

The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government plays an essential role in our mission to promote integrity in government, regulate lobbying and increase transparency. I am thrilled to nominate Dennis Walcott for the Committee’s review and look forward to continuing our work in building trust between New Yorkers and their elected officials.

Dennis Walcott has been nominated to serve on the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government and currently serves as the President and CEO of the Queens Public Library. More information can be found here.  

Governor Announces National Ranking for Technology Laws

Governor Hochul recently announced that New York State has received the top spot in a national ranking of technology laws that keep children safe online. The Anxious Generation Movement (TAG) analyzed state policies across the nation in a new study called “The Childhood Index,” a first-of-its-kind ranking of all 50 states on how well their tech laws and policies support healthy, flourishing childhoods, both online and offline.

Governor Hochul said:

As New York’s first mom governor, I’m proud that we are leading the nation in keeping kids safe online. From groundbreaking restrictions on addictive social media feeds and data collection from minors to guardrails on AI chatbots and a bell to bell school cellphone ban, we are putting our kids first. These pioneering policies ensure our kids are shielded from predators, scammers and harmful algorithms, setting a gold standard other states can follow. We will keep pushing forward so every child can thrive safely in today’s digital world.

The Childhood Index evaluates states across leadership priorities, parent sentiment, and a set of policies that research shows impact children’s well-being the most, including the strength, design, enforceability, and real-world impact of its laws relating to:

  • Distraction-Free Schools
  • Childhood Independence
  • Social Media Age Limits
  • Tech Accountability and Safer-by-Design Policies

More information can be found here. 

In The News

City & State NY’s weekly Winners and Losers of this week here.

Hochul says federal Medicaid probe won’t impact health care coverage.

A standoff over Climate Act mandates intensifies at NY Capitol.

Proposed pay hike  would give NYS lawmakers 26% raise, outpacing Congressional pay.

New Legislation Would Advance ‘Virtual Power Plants’ in New York.

New York volunteer fire departments sound alarm over staffing.

Trump administration widens its anti-fraud efforts with a Medicaid probe in New York.

Hochul presses Legislature on immigration deal, climate law less than one month from budget deadline.

State Senate Majority Leader Wants Answers on Insurance.

Anthony D’Esposito to vie for congressional seat he lost to Laura Gillen, sources say.

As school budgets swell, special education needs surge.

Hochul’s administration can amend Climate Act targets without Legislature.

More than two thirds of N.Y. state Senate Dems oppose climate law changes as Krueger leads pointed letter to Hochul.

Border czar Tom Homan spotted in Albany ahead of secret Gov. Kathy Hochul meeting, sources say.

Coming Up

The Senate will hold a public hearing on Current Patterns in White-Collar Crime and Fraud, and Possible Updates to Laws Protecting New Yorkers and Markets on March 4.