Governor Hochul Announces Investments to Help Members of Every Community Grow and Thrive as Part of the FY 2025 Budget

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Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a series of actions to help New Yorkers from every community grow and thrive as part of the FY 2025 Budget. These actions include securing funding to expand abortion access, recognize the needs of military veterans, support First Nations, and invest in TGNCNB New Yorkers. This builds on Governor Hochul’s legacy of fostering an inclusive environment across the State.

“We are continuing New York’s legacy as the birthplace for nearly every major social justice movement, from Seneca Falls to Stonewall,” Governor Hochul said. “This budget takes important steps to ensure all New Yorkers are protected and accepted here in New York.”

Over the last two years, Governor Hochul has championed policies and made investments to support families and lift up the most marginalized New Yorkers. She has fought to protect access to abortion care, signed legislation to make New York a safe haven for LGBTQ+ youth, and began the process to enshrine an Equal Rights Amendment in the New York State constitution. The FY 2025 Budget builds on this legacy through advancing equity statewide.

Expanding Support for Abortion Providers and Services

The FY 2025 Budget invests $36 million to provide support to abortion providers and non-profit organizations to increase access to care and provide support to individuals seeking abortion care in New York. This includes $25 million for the Abortion Access Program, announced after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and codifies the program in law – solidifying New York's status as a safe harbor for all who seek abortion care. It also includes a $10 million capital investment for enhancing security and safety operations for abortion providers.

Expanding Access to Doulas

The Enacted Budget invests $250,000 to establish a grant program to expand access to community-based doulas. The grant program will help recruit, train, support and mentor community-based doulas – especially those in historically vulnerable communities. This funding builds on the State's efforts to allow Medicaid coverage for doula services and facilitate easier access to doulas via a New York State Community Doula Directory. The Budget also authorizes the Commissioner of Health to issue a statewide standing order for doula services, expanding access for all birthing parents.

Ensuring Dental Care Access for First Nations

As part of the FY 2025 Budget, New York State will include $2.5 million in funding for First Nations dental health care, with the aim of addressing gaps in access. This funding will help ensure First Nations dental offices and providers can offer treatment without referring patients off-site and away from Nation territories. This builds on Governor Hochul’s commitments to lifting up First Nations throughout New York, including directing New York’s Deputy Secretary for First Nations and the Office of Children and Family Services to advance strategies to strengthen the objectives of the Indian Child Welfare Act and commencing a comprehensive review of artistic representation of Indigenous peoples at the New York State Capitol.

Supporting New York Veterans

The FY 2025 Budget expands the New York’s unwavering commitment to our veterans by strengthening protections and support for New York’s veterans. The Budget includes $1.25 million in appropriations that will help the Department of Veterans' Services hire more staff, allowing the agency to assist more veterans with more claims and, ultimately, bring even more support to the veterans and their family members who have earned these benefits through their service to our state and nation.

The Enacted Budget also includes $8 million for New York State’s Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer-to-Peer Support Program, which assists veterans who are transitioning from military to civilian life and facing challenges related to PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and depression. The program’s support services are delivered by veterans to veterans, helping create and build relationships based on common experiences. Since taking office, Governor Hochul has increased support for the Dwyer Program by approximately $3.5 million, allocating funds to help expand the program across the State and ensure that veterans throughout New York have access to this vital support.

Expanding Funding for Workforce Development and Training for TGNCNB New Yorkers

The FY 2025 Budget includes a $1 million expansion to the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Non-binary Wellness and Equity Fund (TWEF) to support workforce development programming targeting the transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary (TGNCNB) community. This funding directly addresses the New York State Department of Labor's recently released TGNCNB Employment Report, which highlighted numerous obstacles to finding and maintaining employment faced by TGNCNB New Yorkers, ranging from lack of access to training opportunities to experiencing discrimination in the hiring process and the workplace.

This funding builds on Governor Hochul’s support for the TGNCNB community, including $3 million in funding to support this initiative in FY 2023, an additional $1 million in 2023 to specifically support youth suicide prevention funding expanding TWEF, and $5 million in funding for gender affirming senior housing projects that support TGNCNB individuals.