Facing an election year, Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday unveiled a slate of proposals during her State of the State address aimed at streamlining building and infrastructure projects, bolstering public safety, and pushing back against the policies of President Donald Trump.
The governor also talked about strengthening universal child care, re-introducing nuclear energy, a crackdown on 3D guns, and fighting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from taking New Yorkers into custody. The governor also said she would introduce legislation to lower home and auto insurance costs; fund food pantries; and strengthen protections for rent-regulated tenants.
"If you’re betting on the future, you need to bet on New York," the governor said during her speech. "If you’re searching for talent, you find it in New York. If you’re looking for the epicenter of culture, innovation, opportunity, it has always been and remains New York."
Some proposal highlights include:
Universal Childcare and Education
New York City families will get free childcare for their two-year-olds as the state and city expands its universal childcare system. The governor also said she will strengthen existing 3K program so more families have access to it.
She will also introduce additional math and reading teaching support, add tutoring providers, create a pathway to increase teachers, introduce civics instruction, strengthen mentoring programs for Black and Latina children, and stabilizing tuition costs at CUNY and SUNY.
Public Safety
To ensure continued progress on subway safety, Hochul said she will commit an additional $77 million to support the deployment of New York City Police officers across the subway system to target areas of greatest need and deliver the largest impact to enhance rider safety.
The Subway Co-Response Outreach Teams initiative, known as SCOUT, will grow to 15 teams from 10. The team pairs MTA Police officers with clinical staff from the NYC Department of Homeless Services to engage individuals in crisis and connect them to care, treatment, or shelter.
The state will take new steps to protect our houses of worship against the rising tide of Antisemitism and Islamophobia, Hochul said.
"Just last week, protesters led pro-Hamas chants outside a Synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills. That’s not free expression. That’s harassment. And targeting a Jewish community in this way is antisemitism," she said.
The governor said she will propose a ban on protests within 25 feet of the property line at houses of worship so those who simply want to pray can do so without fear or harassment.
Hochul will also advance legislation that authorizes individuals to bring state-level civil actions against federal officers who violate New Yorkers' U.S. constitutional rights. Notably, state and local law enforcement officers already are subject to these standards, including qualified immunity that protects those officers who act within the bounds of clearly established law. This legislation would ensure accountability for federal officers under those same standards.
The governor will introduce legislation that will require minimum safety standards for 3D printers sold in New York to be equipped with basic technology that prevents the unlicensed, illegal production of lethal firearms and firearm parts. Legislation will task the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services with leading a task force of experts to recommend regulations.
Streamlining Building
An analysis by Empire State Development found that manufacturing, housing and energy projects can take as much as 56% longer in New York State to get from concept to groundbreaking compared to peer states. To combat this, the governor said she will reform New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act and issue executive actions to expedite projects that have been consistently found to not have adverse environmental impacts.
Projects that can see a faster timeline include:
- Clean Water Infrastructure: Critical water infrastructure projects that avoid impacts to natural resources.
- Green Infrastructure: Nature-based storm water management.
- Parks and Trails: Public parks and recreational bike/pedestrian paths on previously disturbed land.
- Child Care: New or renovated child care centers on previously disturbed land.
Hochul also said she will look to cut down environmental review timelines for selected types of renewable energy and housing projects.
Health Care
Hochul said she will reform and make health care insurance more transparent by:
- Require formularies — the lists of medications covered by health insurance plans — to be posted not just publicly but clearly via a standard, accessible format.
- Ensure prior authorizations for designated chronic conditions remain valid longer so time isn’t wasted on unnecessary reviews for ongoing, stable treatments.
- Expand “continuity of care” — the period insurers must cover out-of-network treatment for new patients — from 60 days for life-threatening conditions or late-stage pregnancy to 90 days for all health conditions and the full postpartum period.
- Expand the data health insurers must report on their claims processes, including how often claims are subject to prior authorization and how often those requests are denied.
In addition, the state will invest more funds into the Safety Net Transformation Program for the city and state's safety net hospitals for vulnerable New Yorkers.
She also suggested she would reduce the reliance on temporary and traveling nurses, as most nurses who are in this category live within 25 miles of their temporary location. The governor said she will introduce legislation that will cut out the middlemen of this system
Hochul also said she will propose legislation to expand scope of practice for several critical workers, including allowing certified nursing assistants to administer medication in nursing homes, physician assistants with sufficient training to practice independently, and medical assistants to administer vaccinations.
Mental Health
With approximately 33,000 veterans enrolled in higher education across New York, including nearly 10,000 at SUNY and CUNY, the governor said she looks to establish on-campus veterans service clinics at SUNY and CUNY.
She will also direct the Office of Mental Health to lead a three-year, cross-agency suicide prevention action plan that raises awareness of risk factors such as housing instability, financial insecurity, and lack of culturally responsive care for veterans, rural and tribal communities, older men, and Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ youth.
Hochul said she will launch GRACE, or Guided Recovery Action through Congregational Engagement, to empower faith based organizations to connect people to life saving treatment. Through a partnership between OASAS and the Department of State’s Interfaith Advisory Council, GRACE will provide knowledge and tools to help faith leaders recognize substance use issues, reduce stigma and link families to care.
She will also invest $71 million dollars to increase and preserve supportive housing programs and behavioral health services for more than 23,000 New Yorkers in recovery and reducing reliance on costly emergency and inpatient care.
Energy
The governor said the state will invest in expanding the nuclear energy market in order to combat high energy demand. She established the Nuclear Reliability Backbone, an initiative that will be will be developed by a new Department of Public Service process to consider, review and facilitate a cost-effective pathway to 4 gigawatts of new nuclear energy that will combine with existing nuclear generation and the New York Power Authority's previously announced 1 gigawatt project, to create an 8.4 gigawatt “backbone” of reliable energy for New Yorkers.
She also said operators of data centers, which consume massive amounts of energy and place an unprecedented strain on the electric grid without creating many jobs in the process, would shoulder a larger energy bill so everyday New Yorkers are not presented with higher costs.
Hochul also said the state will advance reforms to modernize how energy rate cases are reviewed and resolved, giving regulators more time and flexibility to evaluate utility proposals to ensure they protect consumers, encourage good-faith negotiations, and reduce the frequency of disruptive rate increases. By improving how rate cases are conducted, New York will protect consumers, promote fair outcomes, and put affordability at the center of utility oversight.
AI
The governor will tackle the issue of misleading AI deepfakes by advancing legislation that requires AI-generated content to include labeling about its origins and creation, Called “provenance data,” this information may be used like a digital nutrition label, allowing people to better understand more about where content comes from — as well as what might be real and what’s not.
The governor also said she will direct the Department of Health to establish a consortium of health care and AI experts to share data and best practices and strengthen cross-sector collaboration around building, testing, and deploying safe and effective AI tools.
Tips
The state will try to eliminate state income taxes on up to $25,000 of tipped income in tax year 2026, consistent with federal tax guidance. This proposal will deliver meaningful relief to tipped workers, strengthening their economic security and better valuing their contributions to our economy, Hochul said.
Criminal Justice
The governor will expand Crime Analysis Center Network, invest more funds into crime labs, improve police training academies, extend orders of protection, promote access to victim compensation, reduce delays at grand jury proceedings, and enhance readiness for mass violence incidents.
The governor also proposed legislation to modernize sexual offense evidence collection kit procedures, so survivors have more time, more control, and more options when deciding how to move forward.
