NYSAC Releases 2026 Legislative Priorities

NYSAC Releases 2026 Legislative Priorities to Protect Taxpayers and Strengthen Essential County Services

The New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) has released its 2026 Legislative Program, outlining county priorities for the upcoming State Legislative Session and calling for a strong state–county partnership to address growing fiscal pressures, federal policy uncertainty, and rising costs driven by state mandates.

As New York’s 62 counties enter 2026, they face unprecedented challenges tied to federal actions impacting Medicaid and SNAP, expanding state requirements, and aging infrastructure—all while continuing to deliver nearly every state and federal program New Yorkers rely on each day. NYSAC’s Legislative Program serves as the association’s guiding policy agenda, focused on protecting local taxpayers while maintaining essential services.

“New York’s counties turn policy into action, supporting public health and public safety, administering elections, and caring for our most vulnerable residents,” said Phil Church, NYSAC President and Oswego County Administrator. “At a time of enormous uncertainty, our Legislative Program demonstrates how affordability and service delivery go hand in hand and lays out a path for partnership with the State to ensure New Yorkers continue to receive the services they depend on without increased pressure on local property taxpayers.”

The program highlights ten core priorities, including protecting counties from federal cost shifts, preserving the Medicaid cap, modernizing outdated procurement and workforce laws, investing in water and local infrastructure, reforming broken criminal justice and mental health systems, and ending taxpayer subsidies for packaging waste.

“For more than 100 years, NYSAC has united the voices of New York’s counties to deliver solutions that work on the ground,” said Stephen J. Acquario, NYSAC Executive Director. “Counties want to be part of the solution, but we need our state partners to recognize the danger that cost shifts and unfunded mandates pose to affordability in New York. This agenda lays out a clear, practical path forward.”

The NYSAC Legislative Program is driven by its members and informed by county-level experience. The policies and priorities outlined in the program originate as resolutions that were developed, debated, and approved by NYSAC’s Standing Committees, which are comprised of county elected officials representing diverse regions and perspectives across New York State. This committee-driven process ensures the Legislative Program reflects real operational challenges, bipartisan consensus, and practical solutions shaped directly by the counties responsible for delivering essential public services at the local level. 

The full 2026 NYSAC Legislative Program is available at: https://www.nysac.org/news/posts/2026-legislative-program/ 

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