NYSNA FY2026-2027 Budget Priorities

NYSNA FY2026-2027 Budget Priorities

1. Provide health coverage for all New Yorkers
   • Tax corporations and the ultra-wealthy and corporations to support healthcare and other vital services – NYSNA supports the proposals from the Assembly and the Senate to raise new revenues to keep all currently insured New Yorkers covered and keep safety-net hospitals open for care.
   • Use state reserves as necessary to respond to federal cuts and preserve vital services – The State has accumulated reserves in excess of $30 billion –Some of these reserves should be used this year to respond to federal cuts to healthcare and other essential services.
   • Begin the process of transitioning to a single payer system – pass the New York Health Act (A1466/S3425) – New York should begin the process of analyzing and planning for the transition to universal single-payer coverage for all New Yorkers.
2. Keep our hospitals and safety-net providers open for care – Enact the proposed Healthcare Stability Fund (HMH Art. VII Part O) with increased funding as proposed by the Assembly and Senate, restore cuts to VAPAP and other funding lines, and target the funding to safety-net providers that most need the support.
3. Protect Patient Safety and Nursing Practice Standards
   • Reject HMH Art. VII Part N Sub-Part A authorizing unlicensed medical assistants to administer vaccinations in out-patient physicians’ offices.
   • Reject HMH Art. VII Part N Sub-Part B allowing unlicensed medication aides to administer medications in nursing homes.
   • Extend the Nurse Practitioner Modernization Act (HMH Art. VII Part B, Section 17) and make it permanent as proposed by the Senate.
   • Reject the improper and unnecessary expansion of paramedicine demonstration projects (HMH Art. VII Part K, Sections 1-5) which allow non-nurses to engage in nursing roles without restriction and threaten patient safety.
   • Reject the proposal to codify acute care Hospital-at-Home programs in state law (HMH Art. VII, Part K, Section 6) – HaH programs are unsafe for patients, foster racial and class inequities in care, and will undermine nursing practice and the direct care workforce.
4. Protect the nursing workforce
   • Enact HMH Art. VII Part J to regulate temporary staffing agencies – Enact the Executive proposal to increase oversight and cap temporary agency charges and profits.
   • Enact HMH Art. VII Part H to regulate takeovers of healthcare by for-profits and private equity – Protect the direct care workforce and patient care from predatory acquisition or control of healthcare providers, market concentration and consolidation, and profiteering.
   • Restore proposed cuts in funding for nurse recruitment and retention – Restore proposed cuts and increase funding for education, tuition support, and loan forgiveness programs, proposed by the Assembly and Senate.
   • Increase funding for DOH enforcement of the hospital staffing law – Safe staffing saves lives and addresses the staffing crisis by improving working conditions and reducing RN turnover.
   • Fix Tier 6 to improve recruitment and retention of RNs in public sector hospitals.
   • Enact the Recovery Ready Workplace proposal from the Senate (HMH Art. VII, Part CC) to keep nurses working at the bedside.

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