Policy updates & resources

Every two weeks, LiveOn NY distributes a policy update collecting updates on federal, state, and city aging policy. See below for our latest policy update.

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Biweekly Policy Updates: /26

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Have an important aging update for our next policy update? Contact Frank McMullin, Communications Manager at LiveOn NY at fmcmullin@liveon-ny.org.

We are pausing these updates through August! LiveOn NY will be taking a brief pause from these updates for the remainder of the summer. Thank you to our partners and community for your support throughout this year's budget season and for helping secure meaningful investments for older New Yorkers. We look forward to sharing more updates when we return this fall.

CITY UPDATES

Budget Updates: The City Council and the Mayoral Administration are ironing out the details of the budget through clarifications on intent of funding and post budget awards for discretionary pots of money. We are currently monitoring the distribution of the city council’s infrastructure funding and the application of the $12 million dollar expansion of the home delivered meals programs.

SCRIE Updates: The City Council has introduced the companion bil l that would allow the city to adopt the new $75,000 SCRIE income level. We are anticipating this bill and additional bills to improve the SCRIE program within the city’s purview in the fall.

New Opportunities: See below for open positions and fellowships from our partners:

Lifetime Arts is hiring a Capacity Building Manager. Please see the job description here.
Greenwich House is hiring for three positions:
- Center Director - Older Adult Network at Washington Square North. Please see the job description here.
- Center Director - Older Adult Network in Brooklyn. Please see the job description here.
- Assistant Director - Caregiver Program in Brooklyn. Please see the job description here.
New York Community Trust is accepting new leadership fellows as part of its Leadership Fellows at The Trust program. Learn more here.

HSC's GovGrader Survey: We’re supporting our partners at the Human Services Council as they solicit feedback on nonprofits’ experiences contracting with City and/or State agencies.If you work with a City or State agency, take the GovGrader survey here.

state updates

Current State Landscape: As the state budget and legislative session are over, bills will be sent to the governor’s office intermittently over the next 6 months for her to sign or veto. The immediate time after the budget and legislative session ends is usually a slow time for state updates or change. LiveOn NY will continue to update you as we hear more throughout the year. Please see our statement on the state budget, which passed last month, for more information.

State Updates:

SNAP EBT chip cards coming 2027: Governor Hochul announced new chip-based EBT cards to replace magnetic-stripe cards, reducing skimming theft on SNAP and Public Assistance benefits. OTDA has a vendor under contract (FIS); roughly 2 million cards go out starting Q1 2027, with retailers and banks asked to update equipment now.

SOMOS workshop proposals open: SOMOS, Inc. is accepting workshop proposals for its 40th Annual Conference, November 4–7, 2026 in San Juan. Deadline is Friday, August 7 at 12:00 PM. You can submit your proposals here.

Contracting reform bill awaiting Hochul's signature: Thanks to advocacy from the Human Services Council and LiveOn NY and our members, the Legislature passed S.9761 (Mayer)/A.10741 (Paulin) and S.9855/A.11179 (Paulin), requiring agencies to report significantly delayed contracts to the Comptroller and tightening payment timelines. The bill now awaits the Governor's signature. This effort builds on ongoing legislative efforts regarding public procurement, prompt payments. She has vetoed similar bills in the past; working with our partners on strategic pressure on this issue.

HSC Relaunches their GovGrader Survey: We’re supporting our partners at the Human Services Council as they solicit feedback on nonprofits’ experiences contracting with City and/or State agencies.If you work with a City or State agency, take the GovGrader survey here.

FEDERAL UPDATES

OAA Reauthorized: The Senate passed the Older Americans Act, strengthening aging services, supporting caregivers and providing funding for the critical services that older Americans need. It nows moves to the House for a vote. See our partners at the National Council on Aging’s response here.

Medicaid/Medicare Changes Taking Effect: H.R. 1’s significant changes to Medicaid and Medicare eligibility for older immigrants and other low-income older adults will take effect in the next six months. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been issuing guidance and rules outlining how these changes will be implemented. To see a list of all the Medicaid and Medicare provisions impacting low-income older adults, please see this resource, and use this toolkit to take action to mitigate harms.

Resources

Justice in Aging Issue Brief: Home- and Community-Based Services for American Indians and Alaska Natives: Recommendations for Increasing Access and Recognizing Resiliency

Upcoming Events

Partner Events:

7/29/26: Justice in Aging: How ABLE Accounts Work with Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Register here.
8/5/26: NY Health Foundation: From Eligibility to Enrollment: Advancing SNAP Access in New York. Register here.
9/16/26: New York Health Foundation: Celebrating 20 Years of Impact. Save the date, registration to follow.
9/23/26: Nonprofit New York, Amalgamated Bank: 2026 Nonprofit Resource Fair. Register here.
10/8/26: United Neighborhood Houses: “New Yorkers Who Make A Difference: Honoring Kathy Wilde” Annual Benefit and Celebration. Save the date.
11/5/26: Nonprofit New York: 2026 Annual Conference. Registration and info here.