New York Assembly Bill A03431

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/27/25
• Refer: 1/27/25

Caption

Grants a waiver in the amount of $52,000 to Adirondack Helping Hands for services rendered during the 2016--2017 school year; provides such waiver shall be allocated to costs associated with special class in an integrated setting spending for the 2016--2017 school year.

Summary

This bill grants Adirondack Helping Hands a $52,000 waiver for services it provided during the 2016–2017 school year. The waiver is to be applied to costs associated with “special class in an integrated setting” spending, which the bill defines as a classroom model where students with intellectual and developmental disabilities receive specialized supports while learning alongside nondisabled students. The measure also directs the Commissioner of Education to calculate and finalize the rate reconciliation and requires the Director of the Budget to approve it. The bill further reduces any recognized surplus for that school year by $52,000 and states that a final surplus of $16,000 remains recoverable on reconciliation. It also bars any additional penalty related to the waiver from being imposed in later school years. The act would take effect immediately.

Impact

The bill creates a narrow, retroactive adjustment to state education funding and reimbursement rules for one provider, Adirondack Helping Hands, by authorizing a waiver and directing state officials to complete the associated rate reconciliation. It affects the administration of special education-related service payments, specifically costs tied to special class in an integrated setting programs, and overrides any contrary law, rule, or regulation for this one case. The practical effect is to reduce the provider’s surplus and settle the state’s financial reconciliation for the 2016–2017 school year.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented public debate or formal vote history to gauge sentiment. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears administrative and corrective rather than controversial, aimed at resolving a specific reimbursement issue for a named provider. The absence of recorded opposition or support in the supplied materials suggests the bill’s reception cannot be determined from the available context.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the bill’s one-provider, retroactive waiver of $52,000 for services delivered years earlier, which may raise questions about precedent, fairness, and state fiscal oversight. Another possible issue is the directive requiring the Commissioner of Education and the Director of the Budget to approve the reconciliation, which limits administrative discretion and effectively mandates a particular outcome. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided materials.