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2026 Top End of Session Policy Priorities

by | Apr 29, 2026 | Legislative, News

Policy and Budget Analyses:

Read Schuyler Center’s assessments of each phase of the New York State 2026-27 Budget and how it advances priorities that improve the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers, especially those living in poverty.

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Top End of Session Policy Priorities

Health

Allows Parents to Apply Fluoride Varnish Under Supervision of a Provider — S.6759 (Fernandez) A.8145 (Peoples-Stokes)  

This legislation authorizes parents and legal guardians to apply fluoride varnish to a child’s teeth under the prescription and protocols of a licensed healthcare provider, expanding access to this safe and effective preventive service, particularly for children at highest risk of dental disease.

Child Care

Child Care Assistance Reform Act: Creating a uniform system that delivers child care assistance fairly to families around the state—A.10494 (Clark)/S.9529 (Baskin) 

This bill transfers administration of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) outside of New York City from 57 different local social services districts to centralized administration by the state to make the program more efficient and equitable; to direct resources expeditiously to meet demand; and to create scaffolding around which to build statewide universal child care. 

Consistent, Predictable Child Care Assistance, Decoupled from Parents’ Exact Hours of Work— A.3174 (Hevesi)/S.2001 (Brisport) 

This bill dismantles a significant barrier that keeps New York families from accessing the child care they need by ending the State’s practice of tying the exact hours a caregiver works to the care and education that children can receive when using the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The current rule denies children consistent early education and predictable schedules that allow them to thrive, and disproportionately burdens the lowest-income New Yorkers—including those who work part time, have inconsistent or rotating schedules, are homeless, or work in the growing gig economy. Ending this restriction will be a significant milestone on the path to building a system of universal child care that meets the needs of all families. 

Child Care Assistance Enhanced Rate for Services for Children with Disabilities and Development Delays — A.10586 (Hevesi)/S.9396 (Fahy) 

This bill will help eliminate barriers to accessing child care for families of children with disabilities and developmental delays by increasing the enhanced Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) rates for providing services to children experiencing disabilities and developmental delays to 30% of the market rate (up from 15%). New York must also take steps to make it easier for child care programs to access the enhanced rate. 

Child Poverty

New York For All – S.2235 (Gounardes)/A3506 (Reyes)

The New York for All bill prohibits state and local employees from engaging in federal immigration enforcement, sharing personal information with immigration authorities, or cooperating with immigration authorities unless presented with a valid judicial warrant. The bill aims to preserve and build trust between immigrant New Yorkers and state and local law enforcement, schools, and social services agencies by ensuring they can safely call 911, cooperate with criminal investigations in their communities, or access essential social services to which they or their children are entitled without being targeted by immigration enforcement. This legislation is particularly important for immigrant families with children, to encourage them to continue participating in public spaces and utilizing public programs for which they are eligible without fear of being separated from their families due to immigration enforcement or deportation.  

Child Welfare and Youth Justice

Maternal Health and Dignity in Consent — A.860 (Rosenthal)/S.845 (Salazar) 

This bill requires medical care providers to seek the informed consent of pregnant people and new mothers before they or their babies are drug tested. Black women are drug tested disproportionately, which leads to disproportionate calls to the State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment, and sometimes to family separation at or near birth. Informed consent is already in effect in New York City’s public hospitals.  

Education

Solutions Not Suspensions — A.118 (Solages)/S.134 (Jackson)  

Across New York during the 2023-2024 school year, 137,511 students were suspended at least once – including 8,331 children in grades Pre-K to 3. This equates to 957,934 school days lost to suspension. This loss of learning impacts Black, Latino, disabled, low-income, LGBTQ+ students and students in foster care at higher rates than their peers. New York must commit to using solutions to student behavior that do not deprive young people of an education.  

Additional Legislative Priorities for Child and Family Wellbeing

Provide Automatic Rate Increases for Child Care Providers – A.1001-A (Clark)/S.4472-A (Ramos)