1. U.S. Senate Unveils Budget Resolution
This week, the U.S. Senate released their version of the federal budget reconciliation bill. This bill proposed even deeper cuts to the Federal Medicaid Program. While it maintains the U.S. House’s goal of $880 million in proposed cuts, it also puts a cap on provider taxes, which are paid by Medicaid providers including hospitals and nursing facilities to help finance states’ share of Medicaid. The bill also limits federal matching payments for Emergency Medicaid, which would shift costs to states and hospitals, and could make it harder for vulnerable people to get life-saving care. This would be devastating to New York, and could lead to cuts in services, lower payments to providers, and increased state taxes to cover the gaps.
The U.S. Senate aims to vote on their final proposal by July 4, 2025. CSEA is continuing to fight back against this budget. You can join the fight by becoming a federal advocate, here.
2. Legislative Victories
The New York State Assembly adjourned early Wednesday morning. That’s a wrap on the 2025 Legislative Session! However, we expect the State Legislature to return in the fall to address the impact of federal cuts. This session delivered several important victories for CSEA. We led the charge to regulate how artificial intelligence (AI) is used by local governments, school districts, community colleges, and SUNY, ensuring workers aren’t replaced by these new technologies. We were also successful in getting bills done to improve recruitment and retention in the public sector, improve conditions for home-based child care providers and much more.
Here is a short summary of key legislation passed by both the state Assembly and state Senate. These bills still need to be signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul to take effect.
Regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Public Sector
S.7599 (Gonzalez) / A.8295 (Otis)
This bill builds upon last year’s legislative success, the LOADing Act, which protected employees of state agencies and public authorities from displacement due to AI. This bill expands these protections to local governments, school districts, community colleges, and SUNY and provides transparency by requiring employers to report their use of AI systems.
Operational Safety Plans for State Parks Employees
S.7680 (Serrano) / A.6634 (Kim)
This legislation requires the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation to develop operational safety plans prior to sending employees into hazardous conditions. CSEA took action after the tragic death of Palisades Park Commission Local member Daniel Vasquez, who died responding to a wildfire in Sterling Forest State Park in November 2024. Now, before parks employees are deployed into severe weather, wildfires, or other dangerous situations, the state must fully assess the hazards and ensure that all staff assigned are properly trained, equipped, and supported for all the roles that they are expected to perform.
Aligning Staffing Requirements for Home-Based Child Care Providers
S.4929 (Brouk) / A.4003 (Clark)
This bill aligns infant supervision standards for home-based child care providers, many of whom are represented by CSEA, with the standards for child care centers. This will reduce the burden of excessive staffing requirements on home-based providers and will improve access to infant care across the state.
Providing Appointment Letters to Public Employees
S.5760 (Jackson) / A.6624 (Pheffer Amato)
This legislation requires that when a public employer offers someone a job or promotion, they must provide specific information about the position, including terms of employment, salary, and benefits. This is a common-sense measure that ensures that current and prospective employees have access to all of the information they need to make an informed decision about their employment.
For more information on these bills and others, visit cseany.org/issues.
3. Primary Day
Primary day for local government elections is on Tuesday, June 24. Early voting is also available through Sunday, June 22. You can view CSEA’s endorsed candidates, here. CSEA has endorsed several candidates in Regions 2, 3, 5, and 6 — make sure to check your local Board of Elections website to learn about the races in your area.
4. CSEA Legislative Toolkit We’re encouraging members to get the word out about our legislative successes. Click the icons below for informational documents that you can print, share, and post on social media to spread the news. You can also check out our summary of the 2025-2026 New York State Budget.
| Civil Service Victories: | K-12 Victories: | Health Care Victories: | |||
|
|
|
|||
| SUNY Victories: | Local Government Victories: | OPWDD & OMH Victories: | |||
|
|
|
|
|||
| Child Care Victories: | Work Zone Speed Cameras: | DMNA 25-Year Retirement: | |||
|
|
|
|