Senator Brouk Votes to Pass Senate One House Budget That Emphasizes Affordability, Health, and Education

Today, Senator Samra Brouk (SD-55) and her colleagues in the Senate Democratic Majority passed their One House Budget resolution (R.488) that would make New York State and the Rochester area more equitable, affordable and a better place to live for individuals and working families. 

The Senator is grateful for all of her constituents that have offered their feedback on this year’s budget via calls, emails, meetings, and our budget forum, and understands the importance of hearing from everyone in the community. Senator Brouk has strongly advocated for funding to improve our mental health and make our state more affordable and more equitable for its residents. Investing in our State is an investment in our people and these proposals will build the foundation for a stronger New York.

  As a direct result of Senator Brouk’s advocacy, the Senate “One House” Budget (R.488) includes funding to implement Daniel’s Law (S3670), expand access to doula care, fund education through Foundation Aid, secure aid for seniors, and put money back in the pockets of families.

Although these proposals offer immense progress for our state, our fight is not over. We encourage advocates and constituents to continue to voice their support for these proposals to be included in the final state budget this year.

Funding Daniel’s Law

The centerpiece of Senator Brouk’s legislative work on Mental Health is Daniel’s Law (S3670). In 2021, newly elected Senator Samra Brouk introduced Daniel’s Law in Albany. Then, Senator Brouk successfully fought to fund the Daniel’s Law Task Force to study the best way to implement a statewide crisis response system, and in December 2024, the Task Force released its findings in a report with recommendations for how to enact Daniel’s Law. At the start of this year, Senator Brouk incorporated both recommendations from the Task Force in the reintroduction of Daniel’s Law (S3670). Now, the Senate One House Budget includes:

• $22 million for the implementation of Daniel’s Law (S3670)
  • Allocation of the funds will include $20 million for Phase 1 to support localities and counties, as well as $2 million to establish a Statewide Behavioral Health Crisis Technical Assistance Center (BHC TAC). These funds will ensure that trained, peer-led first responders can provide care to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.

“Daniel’s Law passed through the Senate Mental Health Committee last week, and now, we secured a historic initial investment in its implementation and operations–with a commitment to continuous funding in the next few years.” said Senator Samra Brouk, “We are finally on the path to transforming our crisis response system in New York State and getting individuals experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis the competent care they deserve. As we approach the fifth anniversary of the death of Daniel Prude, this One House Budget funding success reminds us that we are one step closer to honoring the Prude family and doing right by our community members in need.”

Prioritizing Wellness and Health Care

Senator Brouk continues her work to improve the lives of people living with mental illness, and has fought hard to ensure that every member of our community has access to the services that they need. As the Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee, health and wellness are always top of mind for the Senator. The Senate One House Budget includes:

• A 7.8% cost of living increase for the mental health and human services workforce, ensuring our workforce earns a living wage. 
• $300,000 to fund the community doula expansion grant program for a second year.
• $1.5 billion in healthcare investments, to address overcrowding in hospitals, fund nursing homes, and ensure continued access to care.
• $15 million for the Monroe County Transformational Community Care Coordination (TC3) Project.
• $15 million to expand the Nursing Home Demonstration Program to communities in Upstate New York, including Rochester, NY (Cinergy).
• $100 million dollar investment in New York's Medicaid system to increase rates for children's behavioral health services.
• An inflation refund for seniors, increasing funding to elder abuse prevention programs and funding the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
• $2 million to establish a Mental Health Education Opportunity Program.
• Language to establish a mental health loan repayment program for youth mental health practitioners (Brouk S1001).
• Funding for Veterans Mental Health services including the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer to Peer Services Program

Caring for Children and Working Families

As the mother of a young child, Senator Brouk understands the challenges facing families in New York State. To uplift working families, The Senate One House Budget includes:

• The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) provides a maximum credit of $1,600 per child, ensuring that even those with the lowest earnings receive the maximum benefit.
• To assist with ongoing expenses, the WFTC is distributed in quarterly payments, offering families timely financial support throughout the year.
• This WFTC plan offers more funding than the Executive Budget’s proposed Empire State Child Tax Credit and will lead to a 16% reduction in child poverty.
• We will maintain historically low tax rates for middle- and lower-income New Yorkers.

Investing in Education and Upstate Communities

Senator Brouk recognizes that without a high quality education, young people will not have the ability to thrive. Our schools need support to facilitate empowerment, learning, and growth outcomes for students so they can become the next generation of changemakers. Parents, in turn, need access to quality childcare and programming to financially support their families. The Senate One House Budget includes:

• $680 million increase in Foundation Aid over the Executive Budget proposal, and structuring school funding to ensure all schools get at least a 3% increase.
• $500 million for a Child Care Workforce Stabilization fund to get more childcare workers into the field, leading to more slots for working families. 
• $150 million for Universal Pre-K expansion, continuing the Senate’s commitment to early childhood education.
• $25 million for expanding non-traditional-hour childcare to accommodate parents who work overtime or have weekend jobs.

Senator Samra G. Brouk (SD-55): “Our work on the Senate One House Budget resolution stands in stark contrast to efforts at the federal level to roll back protections and support for working families. In our Senate budget, we remain committed to helping working families and seniors by securing additional Foundation Aid funding for our schools, addressing hospital overcrowding with increased health care and Medicaid funding, and expanding access to mental health services statewide–with significant investments in programs that serve children and families. By investing in our communities and their diverse needs, we are taking action to build a safer, stronger and more equitable New York.