New York Senate Bill S04993

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/14/25
• Refer: 2/14/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Requires written agreements between the governor and the legislature that relate to any budget appropriations be included in the synopsis of requests for appropriations for the state budget and published on the public website of the division of the budget.

Summary

S04993 would amend the state finance law to expand the required contents of the Budget Director’s annual synopsis of appropriation requests. Under current law, the synopsis must include a comparison of requested appropriations to the prior year, a brief description of agency priorities, and a discussion of major changes or initiatives for the coming fiscal year. This bill adds a new requirement that the synopsis also include all written agreements between the governor and the legislature that relate to any budget appropriations. The bill further requires those written agreements to be posted on the Division of the Budget’s public website. In practical terms, the measure is aimed at making budget-related side agreements or negotiated understandings more visible to lawmakers and the public, while leaving the underlying budget process otherwise unchanged. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Impact

The bill would amend section 22-a of the state finance law by adding a transparency requirement to the budget submission process. It would obligate the director of the budget to disclose written agreements tied to appropriations in the synopsis sent to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, and to publish those agreements online. The principal affected parties are the executive budget office, legislative fiscal committees, and the public, which would gain access to additional budget-related records that may not otherwise be prominently disclosed.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a transparency and disclosure bill rather than a substantive budget policy change. Its stated purpose suggests likely appeal to lawmakers and advocates who favor open-government practices and clearer visibility into budget negotiations.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the requirement to disclose written agreements between the governor and the legislature that relate to appropriations. Supporters would likely view this as a transparency safeguard, while opponents could argue that it may expose sensitive negotiation details, reduce flexibility in budget bargaining, or blur the line between formal budget documents and informal political agreements. Another possible issue is whether all such agreements are intended to be public, including those that may be preliminary, conditional, or politically sensitive.