General State Charges

Mission

The General State Charges budget (GSC) supports the cost of State employee and retiree fringe benefits such as health insurance, pensions, employer social security contributions, and workers’ compensation, and pays a variety of other State responsibilities including the cost of judgments and settlements against the State, taxes on State-owned land, and payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs).

Budget Highlights

The FY 2026 Executive Budget recommends appropriations totaling $8.7 billion (All Funds), including General Fund appropriations of $8.3 billion and Fiduciary Fund appropriations of $400 million. The year-to-year increase of $800 million is primarily attributable to an increase in the State’s share of health insurance for its employees and retirees and for the Health Insurance premiums owed by the three SUNY Hospitals. Additionally, general salary increases (GSIs) and the State’s commitment to rebuild its workforce have resulted in increases in its employer social security liability.

The Executive Budget actions for General State Charges include:

A variable market-based interest rate on court judgments paid by public and private entities, intended to provide relief for local governments and lower state taxpayer costs. A prevailing market rate will help ensure that neither side in a lawsuit will be disadvantaged by an interest rate that is above or below what otherwise could be earned while cases are adjudicated. This would result in an estimated savings to the State of $2.5 million in FY 2026 and FY 2027.
Eliminating the reimbursement for the Medicare Part B Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) for high income State retirees and create an annual premium refund for certain State retirees. The Federal government imposed a supplemental IRMAA premium in 2007 requiring high income retirees to pay a greater share of Medicare costs. New York taxpayers currently subsidize the entire IRMAA premium for these high income State retirees. Eliminating this subsidy and providing a share of the savings to eligible retirees would result in an estimated savings to the State of $12.3 million in FY 2026 and $12.9 million in FY 2027.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – State Workforce

ALL FUNDS
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Category	Available FY 2025	Appropriations Recommended FY 2026	Change From FY 2025	Reappropriations Recommended FY 2026
State Operations	7,928,120,000	8,748,904,000	820,784,000	0
Total	7,928,120,000	8,748,904,000	820,784,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY FUND TYPE
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Fund Type	Available FY 2025	Recommended FY 2026	Change
Fiduciary	400,500,000	400,500,000	0
General Fund	7,527,620,000	8,348,404,000	820,784,000
Total	7,928,120,000	8,748,904,000	820,784,000

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Program	Available FY 2025	Recommended FY 2026	Change
General State Charges
Fiduciary	400,500,000	400,500,000	0
General Fund	7,527,620,000	8,348,404,000	820,784,000
Total	7,928,120,000	8,748,904,000	820,784,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total
Program	Amount	Change
General State Charges	8,348,404,000	820,784,000
Total	8,348,404,000	820,784,000

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Maintenance Undistributed
Program	Amount	Change
General State Charges	8,348,404,000	820,784,000
Total	8,348,404,000	820,784,000

STATE OPERATIONS - OTHER THAN GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2026 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total		Maintenance Undistributed
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
General State Charges	400,500,000	0	400,500,000	0
Total	400,500,000	0	400,500,000	0

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/21/2025

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