The 2026 legislative session concluded yesterday, with the Senate adjourning early in the morning hours on Friday at 1 am and the Assembly at 8 pm. Both houses faced a marathon final week, with hundreds of bills still requiring action. This is following one of the most compressed end-of-session timelines in recent memory.
The tight timeline was due to the state budget being enacted nearly two months past its April 1 deadline, just two weeks before the scheduled close of session. As a result, there was limited time for legislative action. Within this shortened window, legislators were balancing local priorities alongside broader statewide issues, creating competition for attention across all policy areas. The result was a final week in which 759 bills passed both houses.
Despite these constraints, and as we noted in our recent letter to the Legislature, the final enacted budget includes a number of meaningful and significant investments supporting Upstate and rural healthcare. You can read our full analysis of the enacted budget here.
Below is a comprehensive list of bills of interest that IHA has been tracking throughout the session, along with their final status.
Supported Legislation
340B Prescription Drug Anti-Discrimination Act (A.6222/S.1913) This was one of our top legislative priorities and was among the most-lobbied bills in the first two months of session. The bill passed the Senate but ultimately did not advance in the Assembly. IHA, alongside allied associations, advocated aggressively for this legislation throughout the year. While this outcome is deeply disappointing, the bill's Senate passage and the strength of the coalition behind it position us well to continue this fight next session.
Prior Authorization Reform (A.3789-A/S.9651) This bill did not pass either house but we strongly supported this measure as a critical step toward reducing administrative burden on hospitals and improving timely patient access to care. We will continue to prioritize prior authorization reform as a core legislative goal in 2027.
OMIG Reform (A.1069-B/S.4955-B) This bill passed in the Senate but did not advance in the Assembly. We are disappointed that common sense reforms could not move forward this session but will continue advocating next year for its advancement.
Workplace Violence Prevention Legislation (A.9536/S.9548 & A.6051/S.2080)
Two priority issues that did not cross the finish line this year were our workplace violence legislative package, which included the badge protection and criminal assault bills. Securing meaningful legislative solutions to advance workplace violence protections remains a top priority and we will continue to push for action in 2027. We were also very disappointed that temporary practice authorization legislation did not advance this session.
Conforming Scope of Practice for Nurse Practitioners (A.1942/S.3822) This bill successfully passed both houses. This legislation made technical corrections to align state law with the existing authorized scope of practice for nurse practitioners following the 2022 NP Modernization Act. We supported this legislation and are pleased it advanced.
Opposed Legislation
We actively opposed each of the bills below and where legislation did not advance, it reflects the collective advocacy efforts of IHA and our member hospitals.
Fair Hospital Pricing (A.2140-B/S.705-B) This bill did not pass either house. This would have capped reimbursement for hospital outpatient services at 150% of the Medicare non-hospital rate and prohibited facility fee billing in many circumstances, posing significant financial risk to facilities already operating on thin or negative margins.
Hospital Rule-Based Exclusions (A.10203/S.8965) This bill passed the Senate but did not advance in the Assembly. We opposed this measure due to the burdensome requirements it would have placed on hospitals.
Local Input in Community Healthcare (LICH) Act (A.10736/S.9388) This bill passed the Senate earlier in session but did not advance in the Assembly. It would have expanded notice and community engagement requirements for hospital closures and service reductions, imposing significant operational burdens on member hospitals – particularly those in rural communities.
Health Facility Credit Card Storage (A.8460/S.2393) This bill passed both houses and would prohibit hospitals and health care providers from storing patient credit card information without written, signed consent, along with new disclosure requirements at the point of payment. We opposed this legislation because hospitals already operate under stringent federal and state requirements governing financial data, including HIPAA and PCI-DSS standards, making this an unnecessary and duplicative mandate. We will be requesting a veto memo from the Governor.
Cesarean Births Review Board (A.1541-B/S.7544-B) This bill passed both houses and would establish a new state board within the Department of Health to review cesarean delivery rates and issue recommendations on obstetrical care practices. We opposed this legislation due to concerns that it creates duplicative oversight, lacks adequate representation from hospitals and rural providers, and risks substituting state scrutiny for the individualized, evidence-based decisions made by clinical care teams. We will be requesting a veto memo from the Governor.
Bills of Interest
We were tracking several bills this session that reflect priorities aligned with the interests of our member hospitals and communities.
Peace Officer Status for Hospital Security
Three measures passed this session granting peace officer status to security personnel at specific member hospitals:
- St. Joseph's Health Hospital, North Medical Center, and Northeast Medical Center (A.10328-A/S.9184-A)
- Albany Memorial Hospital, Samaritan Hospital, and St. Peter's Hospital (A.10518/S.9328)
- Highland Hospital (A.7345-A/S.7327-A)
These bills passed on a facility-specific basis, requiring their own individual pieces of legislation. For hospitals that do not yet have peace officer status for their security staff, these passages have demonstrated a legislative openness to expanding this designation to additional facilities.
Other Bills of Note
As it relates to the broader legislative landscape, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act failed to advance for the third consecutive year, falling short in the Assembly despite having enough Senate votes. Additionally, a package of redistricting and elections legislation was passed following a lengthy floor debate, advancing changes to the state constitution's amendment process and modifying redistricting practices.
Thank you for your continued engagement and advocacy throughout this legislative session. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. Questions can be directed to a member of IHA’s advocacy team:
- Lauren Ford, Vice President, Government Relations and Strategy, lford@iroquois.org, 518-935-7171
- Grace Rust, Associate Director, Government Relations and Member Engagement, grust@iroquois.org, 518-345-7435
