Page 11 - NYS_ESS_05-2022

Investment in Broadband. The final budget includes allocated from the Environmental Bond Act (referenced above)
appropriated funding from both the federal and state government to support school districts in purchases of zero-emission buses
to make over a $1 billion investment in broadband initiatives and charging infrastructure.
across the state. Importantly, the budget also eliminates the Offshore Wind Investment. The enacted budget includes a $500
right of way fee previously required of those laying fiber on million investment to develop the state’s offshore wind supply
Department of Transportation lands. chains and port infrastructure.
Downtown Revitalization Program. The enacted budget will Education & Higher Education
include $200 million in funding to help revitalize urban areas
across the state in the form of economic development grants. Universal Pre-Kindergarten. The enacted budget increases the
Cannabis Social Equity Fund. A $200 million fund, with state’s annual investment in high-quality prekindergarten to $1.1
billion, an increase of $125 million, or 13 percent.
a quarter of this coming from the state and the rest sourced
from significant private capital investment, to assist social and Education Funding. The budget is providing $31.5 billion in
economic equity-entrepreneurs with the build-out of their total school aid for school year 2023, the highest level of state
adult-use cannabis businesses. aid ever. This investment represents a year-to-year increase of
$2.1 billion, or 7.2 percent, compared to school year 2022,
To-go Alcohol Sales. This budget authorizes the sale of alcoholic including a $1.5 billion or 7.7 percent Foundation Aid increase.
beverages “To-Go” for off- premises consumption for three years.
Investment Tax Credit for Master Tapes. The Governor’s Tuition Assistance Program. The budget includes $150 million
to expand the Part-time Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to
proposal to eliminate this tax credit was rejected by the support part-time students in degree-seeking programs and non-
Legislature. However, the final budget does require the state to degree training programs at community colleges. It also makes
do an independent analysis of the economic benefits of various TAP available to incarcerated individuals pursuing a college degree
tax credit programs.
Housing
Economic Development Projects on Long Island. The
budget includes $350 million in capital support for economic 5-Year Housing Plan. The budget includes a $25 billion, five-
development projects on Long Island. Specific projects are not year housing plan that will create or preserve 100,000 affordable
named in the budget. homes across New York, including 10,000 with support services
Discretionary Capital. The budget includes $385 million in for vulnerable populations. The enacted budget will also make
continued major investments to build new supportive housing,
capital funding for community resiliency, sustainability and preserve existing multifamily developments, construct new
technology. These funds will be distributed at the discretion homes for seniors, create new opportunities for first-time
of the Governor, Assembly and Senate and appear to be the homeowners, and improve energy- efficiency across the state’s
successor to the State and Municipal Assistance (SAM) Program. current housing stock.
Buffalo Bills Stadium. The budget includes $600M in state Miscellaneous
support for the construction of a new sports stadium for the
Buffalo Bills. Investment in Child Care. The budget includes a $7 billion
investment over a four-year period in child care subsidies. The
Energy & Environment budget increases the income eligibility threshold for childcare
Expansion of the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs subsidies to 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($83,250
Environmental Bond Act. The enacted budget authorizes for a family of four), extending eligibility to more than half of
an additional $1.2 billion, for a total of $4.2 billion, for the young children in New York.
Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Gas Tax Relief. New York State will suspend the state sales tax
Act. This initiative will now go to voters this November and is on gas, the separate gas tax, and the metropolitan commuter
intended to provide safe water to drink; invest in critical water transportation district sales tax imposed on gas from June
infrastructure; restore critical environmental habitats; reduce through December, providing an estimated $585 million in
flood risks; preserve outdoor spaces and local farms; and invest relief for working families and businesses statewide
in climate change mitigation and adaptation projects that will
reduce air pollution and lower carbon emissions. The Bond Act Bail Reform. The budget agreement addressed issues regarding
will also support a substantial investment in the Clean Green bail in New York by clarifying and expanding the factors that
Schools initiative that will reach every public school located in judges must consider when setting bail, expanding arrest-
a disadvantaged community. eligibility and bail-eligibility for repeat offenses and hate
Zero Emission School Buses. The budget agreement includes crimes, expanded bail-eligibility for gun offenses, addressing
the discovery statute, and allowing judges to require mental
language that will require all new school bus purchases to be health evaluations as a condition of pretrial release.
zero-emissions by 2027 and all school buses on the road to
be zero- emissions by 2035. There is a specific $500 million

EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 58• NO 3/ 2022 • MAY/JUNE 9