Assembly Member Ron Kim criticizes Gov. Hochul’s veto of Adult Day Care oversight bill – QNS

Assembly Member Ron Kim, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging, expressed disappointment and confusion following Governor Kathy Hochul’s veto of his bill aimed at regulating Adult Day Care Centers.

The bill, A10142, sought to give the New York State Office for the Aging (SOFA) greater oversight over Adult Day Care Centers. The bipartisan legislation passed overwhelmingly in both chambers without a single dissenting vote before Hochul’s decision to veto it.

Kim, who represents Assembly District 40, which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Whitestone, Flushing, College Point, and Murray Hill, voiced his frustration over the veto and explained why he believed the measure was necessary.

“Before its introduction, I set out on a year-long listening tour across the state and held hearings on the rampant Medicaid fraud and criminal activity taking place in the adult day care space,” Kim stated. “Operator after operator pleaded with the state to take a more hands-on approach, asking for us to regulate, standardize, and oversee the industry’s programming and activities.”

“My bill mandated minimum standards that older adults should expect from the social adult day care centers and empowered our state agency to look closely at any and all potentially unethical business practices,” Kim added.

Kim’s frustration also stems from Hochul’s decision to reduce compensation for aides hired through the state’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), a Medicaid program serving approximately 200,000 New Yorkers.

“It is difficult to understand why our governor would allow the continuation of corrupt industry practices that siphon taxpayer money,” Kim said.

He continued, “Between today’s veto and the unilateral decision to rip home care service away from 200,000 families, the people of New York may start to see a clear and undeniable pattern: Our government now seems completely unresponsive to the needs of its people. If we are to have any chance at winning back the public’s trust, my colleagues and I must continue fighting legislatively to deliver material improvements in our constituents’ lives.”

According to Hochul’s executive budget, cuts to the Medicaid program are projected to save $200 million in fiscal year 2025 and double that amount by 2026. However, the cuts have been met with controversy, as lawmakers and advocates argue they will exacerbate the state’s ongoing healthcare workforce crisis.

Medicaid, the joint state and federal program, currently provides healthcare coverage for approximately 7.6 million low-income New Yorkers.