BILL NUMBER: S1580A
SPONSOR: PERSAUD
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to establish a cost of living adjustment for designated human
services programs
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would establish a 2.7% human services cost of living adjust-
ment (COLA) for all previously designated human services programs and
contracts as well as numerous programs and contracts not previously
included.
In addition, it provides for automatic inclusion of new, renamed or
recategorized human services programs and requires state agencies to do
a five-year lookback to ensure that any uncovered program is captured.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 establishes a cost-of-living adjustment for SFY 2026-2027 and
empowers agency commissioners and directors to adjust state contracts
accordingly.
Section 2 establishes a rate of 2.7%.
Section 3 provides that the COLA shall include all other cost of living
type increases including new inflation or trend factors.
Section 4 establishes eligible programs and services, specifically
adding the following previously excluded contracts and titles:
OPWDD: costs of Independent Living Centers program to be administered in
conjunction with the State Education Department.
OASAS: addiction treatment centers.
OTDA: NYS Supportive Housing Program, Solutions to End Homelessness
Program, disability advocacy programs, and Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) Outreach program.
OCFS: NY State Learning and Enrichment After-School Program (LEAPS),
residential and non-residential domestic violence services, and preven-
tative services.
SOFA: New York Connects program, Naturally Occurring Retirement Communi-
ties (NORCS), Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement
Communities(NNORCS), and social adult day programs.
DOH: rape crisis programs, Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home
Visiting (MIECH-V) Programs, and Medicaid transportation program.
OVS: crime victim services program.
Section 5 provides for the automatic inclusion of new, renamed or recat-
egorized human services programs and adds a five-year lookback for state
agencies to comply with.
Section 6 establishes reporting requirements for local government units
and direct contract providers.
Section 7 establishes recoupment powers.
Section 8 provides an effective date of April 1, 2025.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
As provided in previous enacted budgets, New York State has issued cost
of living increases (COLAs) to specified human service contracts and
programs as delineated in previous budget Article VII language. Howev-
er, the current human services provider/contractor COLAs have not
applied to every human services program or worker in New York State.
Because of this, many human services workers across the state do not
benefit from the provider COLA and instead are held at wages that are
not conducive to their own health and wellbeing. This has made it chal-
lenging for human services provider organizations to hire and retain
qualified staff. It also creates challenges within multi-service agen-
cies when some staff receive the COLA, while others do not.
This bill is similar in intent to, but not the same as, S.7793-A of
2023-2024.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2025: Referred to Finance
 
FISCAL IMPACT ON THE STATE:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
April 1, 2026.