BILL NUMBER: S9818
SPONSOR: GIANARIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act making appropriations for the support of government; to amend
chapter 98 of the laws of 2026, relating to making appropriations for
the support of government, in relation thereto; and providing for the
repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
PURPOSE:
This bill provides appropriations to various State departments and agen-
cies to permit certain payments due from April 1 to April 14, 2026, to
be made absent enactment of the Budget appropriation bills submitted by
the Governor for the State fiscal year beginning April 1, 2026.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 authorizes the Comptroller to utilize the appropriations
contained in this bill, which relate to the 2026-27 State fiscal year,
absent enactment of the 2026-27 Budget.
Section 2 provides $297.4 million in additional appropriation authority
for personal service payments scheduled. to be made to State officers
and employees on the payrolls scheduled to be paid between April 1, 2026
to April 14, 2026. This appropriation also includes payment for services
performed by mentally ill or developmentally disabled persons who are
employed in State operated special employment, work for pay or sheltered
workshop programs.
Section 3 provides $12 million in additional appropriation authority for
nonpersonal service payments by various State agencies. It is the intent
of this section to provide sufficient authorization for agencies to
enter into contracts, the terms of which may continue beyond the life of
this appropriation and for which payments for liabilities incurred
beyond April 14, 2026 would be made subject to additional future appro-
priations.
Section 4 provides $35.1 million in additional appropriation authority
for payment of State employee and retiree fringe benefits and other
fixed costs mandated by statute or collective bargaining agreements
during the period April 1 to April 14, 2026. The appropriation amount
includes the State's contribution to the Social Security payroll tax,
the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax, and the Voluntary
Defined Contribution Plan.
Section 5 provides $171.3 million in appropriation authority to the
Judiciary through April 14, 2026. This authority supports $85 million
for personal service payments scheduled to be made to officers and
employees of the Judiciary, $13 million for nonpersonal service, $11
million for Aid to Localities payments, and $63.5 million for various
employee fringe benefit programs.
Section 6 provides $1.97 billion in additional appropriation authority
for various payments made by the Department of Health to include: $7
million for the Federal Food and Nutritional Services; $7 million for
services and expenses related to the Indian health program; and $1.96
billion for the Medical Assistance Administration Program, jointly
financed by State and Federal funds.
Section 7 provides $225 million in additional appropriation authority
for the continuation of unemployment insurance benefits. New appropri-
ation authority is necessary due to daily new liabilities created by
those filing unemployment insurance benefit claims.
Section 8 provides $48.3 million in appropriation authority for the
payment of mass transit operating assistance.
Section 9 provides $151.8 million in additional appropriation authority
to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities to support
not-for-profit providers of essential programs and services.
Section 10 provides $42,000 in additional appropriation authority for
payments to veterans experiencing homelessness.
Section 11 prohibits expenditures from all appropriations until certif-
icates of approval have been issued by the Director of the Budget and
filed with certain State officers.
Section 12 requires the Comptroller to transfer any expenditures made
against these appropriations to the 2026-27 Budget appropriations after
they have become law.
Section 13, the severability clause, provides that if any part of this
Act be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid,
such judgment would not invalidate the remainder of the Act.
Section 14 provides that the bill takes effect immediately and is deemed
to be in full force and effect on April 1, 2026, and, further, that the
appropriations made in the bill will be deemed repealed upon the trans-
fer of expenditures by the Comptroller pursuant to section 12 of the
bill.
 
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT:
This bill will allow the State to make certain payments and incur
certain liabilities during the period April 1 through April 14, 2026 on
a timely basis, in the absence of an enacted budget for State fiscal
year 2026-27.
 
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:
Expenditures and disbursements made against these appropriations shall,
upon final action by the Legislature on the appropriation bills submit-
ted by the Governor for the support of government for the State fiscal
year beginning April 1, 2026, be transferred by the Comptroller as
expenditures and disbursements to such appropriations for State depart-
ments and agencies. Accordingly, this bill will have no additional
impact on the State's 2026-27 Financial Plan.