New York State

DiNapoli: Inconsistent Oversight and Guidance Left New York’s Group Home Residents at Risk During Pandemic

The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities’ (OPWDD) inadequate emergency management coordination left people living in group homes at risk during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. OPWDD reported 657 people died from COVID-19, and more than 13,000 contracted the virus in its residential programs from March 2020 to April 2022.

State Contract and Payment Actions in February

In February, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 2,012 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $7.2 billion and approved nearly 2.9 million payments worth more than $12.7 billion. The office rejected 152 contracts and related transactions valued at $205.8 million and nearly 6,600 payments valued at more than $24.4 million, primarily for mistakes, insufficient support for charges, and improper payments. More information on these contracts and payments is available at Open Book New York.

DiNapoli Announces Review of State Health Department's Progress in Addressing Nursing Home Pandemic Failures

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today that his office will conduct a follow up review of the state Department of Health (DOH) after an audit released in March 2022 exposed weaknesses in DOH’s ability to address the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes.

"Nation's Report Card" Underscores New York's Need for Academic Recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic forced New York’s schools to take on the extraordinary challenge of quickly shifting to remote learning formats. Recent national data show student performance dropped significantly in 2022 from 2019, with New York experiencing even greater declines than the nation in fourth grade math and reading. School districts need to swiftly invest significant resources in helping students that are most in need to make up for learning loss, while pandemic relief funds for education are still available.

Report on the State Fiscal Year 2023-24 Executive Budget

The Executive Budget proposes $227 billion in All Funds spending in SFY 2023-24, an increase of 2.5% from the prior year. The State faces prolonged inflation, rising federal interest rates and the end of federal relief aid that was instrumental in balancing the past two budgets. As a result, the Division of the Budget projects shortfalls in revenues and increases in spending.

DiNapoli Releases Executive Budget Report

Despite the state’s economic recovery since the pandemic first hit three years ago, significant headwinds will present challenges to ongoing economic growth and fiscal stability. The state faces prolonged inflation, rising federal interest rates and the end of federal relief aid that was instrumental in balancing the past two budgets, according to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli on the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023-24 Executive Budget.