Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State: Your Family. Your Future. My Fight.

Governor Kathy Hochul today delivered her 2026 State of the State address, outlining more than 200 initiatives to make life more affordable, keep New Yorkers safe, and expand opportunity. The Governor's proposal lays out a clear, actionable plan to meet the challenges families face today, while preparing New York for the road ahead. The Governor provides a path to universal child care, to lowering energy bills, protecting consumers, and confronting the rising costs that hit working families hardest. The plan continues to invest in public safety with strategies that work-including targeted enforcement, cutting-edge technology, and a mental health system that treats people with dignity while keeping communities secure.

"I've said from the beginning: Your family is my fight. And in this moment, when the future feels full of promise, but under real threat: your future is my fight as well," Governor Hochul said. "I fight everyday to make life more affordable, keep people safe, and expand opportunity - not shrink it. My 2026 State of the State lays out a clear, actionable plan to meet the challenges families face today, while preparing New York for the road ahead."

Making New York More Affordable

Governor Hochul is committed to making New York a place where all our families can afford to live. Since taking office, she has moved aggressively to put money back where it belongs-in the pockets of working people. In 2026 she is doubling down on these efforts in ways people can feel. To do that, Governor Hochul proposes:

• Putting New York State on a pathway toward achieving universal, affordable child care, increasing funding by $1.7 billion to provide care for children around the state
• Cracking down on fraud to lower vehicle insurance rates for everyday New Yorkers, and ensuring bad actors can't get large payouts
• Tackling rising home insurance costs by increasing accountability and transparency for providers and expanding automatic discounts
• Protecting renters by increasing the income eligibility limits for New York's Rent Freeze programs for seniors and individuals with disabilities
• Tackling utility costs by demanding strict fiscal discipline from utilities, empowering the State to fight more effectively for lower bills, and supporting New Yorkers to make energy saving investments like weatherization and smart thermostats
• Helping New Yorkers put food on the table with additional investments in the Department of Health (DOH)'s Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) and tackling theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits
• Eliminating State income taxes on tips
• Freezing tuition for SUNY and CUNY students for the seventh year in a row

Keeping New Yorkers Safe

Governor Hochul has made public safety her top priority, committing over $3 billion to initiatives that are producing results statewide. During her time in office, Governor Hochul strengthened New York's bail, discovery, and gun laws, invested record-level funding to support local and state law enforcement efforts, and secured funding to drive down gun violence, subway crime and pandemic-era surges in motor vehicle thefts, retail thefts, and other larcenies. Governor Hochul will continue to drive down crime and protect New Yorkers by:

• Stopping illegal homegrown guns by strengthening New York's nation leading gun laws and cracking down on illegal 3D-printed firearms and firearms that can readily be converted to DIY machine guns
• Confronting the unprecedented escalation in aggressive federal immigration enforcement by establishing a right to sue federal officers for Constitutional violations and protecting New Yorkers in sensitive locations
• Protecting individuals from harassment and obstruction by advancing legislation to establish buffer zones around houses of worship and healthcare facilities while preserving the right to lawful expression
• Sustaining record lows in subway crime by putting police on platforms, expanding SCOUT teams, and protecting riders through platform edge barriers
• Enhancing resources that are available to support law enforcement officers and first responders, combat crimes, and ensure justice for New Yorkers
• Safeguarding New York's roads by empowering New York City to stop super speeders through intelligent speed assistance and ensuring safety first in New York's work zones
• Improving New York's emergency and disaster response to better protect the lives of New Yorkers during times of public safety risks, disasters and emergencies

Investing in Critical Infrastructure New Yorkers Need

When Governor Hochul took office, she vowed to reestablish New York's position as a leader in building world class infrastructure. Governor Hochul has demonstrated that we can build at scale and with urgency so that New Yorkers get the housing, transportation, water, parks, and other infrastructure they desperately need. The Governor will build upon this progress by:

• Building more housing by enacting common sense policies to tackle the housing shortage and bring down housing costs, and investing additional funding in building or preserving units and innovative manufactured home models
• Delivering clean and safe drinking water led by a bold five-year $3.75 billion commitment to water infrastructure
• Upgrading our parks by expanding green spaces across New York State to provide children and families opportunities to be outside, unplug and play, and spend time with loved ones
• Strengthening our communities by launching NY Kicks: A World Cup Legacy Investment Fund, to build soccer pitches, as well as investing in community centers, preserving performing arts space, and investing in county fairs
• Committing $50 million to advance design phase to reimagine Jamaica Station for its millions of commuters
• Beginning preliminary engineering and design to extend the Second Avenue subway tunnel westward across 125 St to Broadway, saving project costs and time

I've said from the beginning: Your family is my fight. And in this moment, when the future feels full of promise, but under real threat: your future is my fight as well."

Cutting Red Tape To Better Serve New Yorkers

Whether standing up the homes that will house a new generation of New Yorkers, running a business that will serve and employ our neighbors, or constructing the 21st century infrastructure that undergirds our economy, too often New Yorkers who want to build something new are stymied by red tape and bureaucratic obstacles that drive up costs and waste time. Building on past progress, Governor Hochul is redoubling her commitment to saving New Yorkers time and money through an all-of-government effort to cut red tape and better serve New Yorkers, while making government work for all:

• Launching the "Let Them Build" agenda, a set of common sense reforms to get the state out of the way of progress, allowing localities to build housing and other critical projects faster and more affordably while continuing to protect the environment
• Reforming the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to speed up the building of zoned and permitted housing while preserving environmental safeguards
• Accelerating critical infrastructure projects that New Yorkers depend on
• Establishing clear timelines and transparency for environmental review,
• Making every New Yorker count in the 2030 census by planning early to ensure we get our fair share
• Tackling outdated and burdensome government regulations

Protecting New York's Consumers and Workers

For Governor Hochul, affordability and consumer protection go hand in hand. For the past four years she's pushed back on institutions that prioritize profit over people, and that fight continues today. Protecting consumers means protecting them online, as well; New Yorkers should be able to trust technology and safely interact with tools that work for, not against them. Governor Hochul will build on this work by:

• Creating a new Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity & Trust (DIGIT), to serve as a central, authoritative body for digital safety and technological governance
• Protecting New Yorkers' personal information by cracking down on shadowy data broker industry
• Requiring labeling for AI-generated content, protecting elections from misleading or deceptive AI content, and prohibiting misleading 'discounts'
• Ending taxes on tips for hardworking New Yorkers
• Fighting workers' compensation fraud and combating wage theft
• Improving disclosures for student loan refinancing and setting cosigner standards for student loans

Driving Innovation and Economic Development by and for New Yorkers

Governor Hochul is building a brighter future for New York. Since taking office, the Governor has ushered in a new era of economic growth by prioritizing job creation, community development and economic revitalization. Governor Hochul remains committed to growing New York's vibrant economy, bringing jobs back home, revitalizing communities, and cementing New York as the center for innovation:

• Driving innovation and economic growth across the state through investments in, quantum technology, biotechnology, semiconductor chip design, and modern manufacturing
• Launching Empire AI Beta and creating the first independent AI research center at SUNY Binghamton
• Enhancing the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and New York Forward
• Launching the next phase of New York's Autonomous Vehicle pilot program outside of New York City
• Uplifting businesses statewide by eliminating outdated restrictions on dancing, modernizing the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, and investing in equity across the cannabis supply chain
• Preparing SUNY and CUNY students for the workforce, connecting them to experiential work experiences, and expanding SUNY and CUNY Reconnect to cover additional in-demand fields such as logistics, air traffic control and transportation, and emergency management

Helping New York's Students Learn and Thrive

Governor Hochul believes every child should have the opportunity to thrive in New York. Governor Hochul is committed to building on her robust track record as a champion for students, families, and teachers to creatively address many of the challenges New York families confront. The Governor is advancing a bold agenda that strengthens New York's schools, universities and colleges, youth mental health services, and online safety:

• Transforming math and literacy outcomes through evidence based instruction and professional learning
• Creating an accelerated teacher preparation pathway for career changers
• Establishing the inaugural Empire AI Student Challenge
• Investing in high-impact tutoring to accelerate student success
• Investing in Indigenous youth education and mentoring and leadership resources for young Black and Latina women
• Doubling the size of the Empire State Service Corps on SUNY campuses
• Enhancing supports to educate borrowers navigating the increasingly complicated student loan landscape
• Directing SUNY and CUNY to develop standardized, system-wide policies governing emergency aid for students, and directing SUNY to permit additional flexibility over tuition liability policies in emergencies
• Implementing statewide teen mental health first aid training; enabling kids to support their peers
• Protecting kids from predators, scammers and harmful AI chatbots on online platforms
• Safeguarding kids online by ensuring fair play in online sports betting and promoting responsible digital citizenship

Keeping New Yorkers Healthy

Since taking office, Governor Hochul has made historic investments in New York's health care system. Where the federal government has prioritized draconian cuts that threaten the most vulnerable New Yorkers, Governor Hochul has invested billions to strengthen and stabilize health systems, expand coverage, lower the consumer cost of care, bolster the health workforce, and drive long-term transformational change within the health sector. The Governor will build on these investments by:

• Strengthening safety net hospitals by investing in transformational partnerships
• Bolstering patient protections by keeping drug costs down
• Keeping New Yorkers safe by safeguarding our scientifically based vaccine policies and coverage from federal politicization
• Unveiling new investments and policies to support older New Yorkers
• Strengthening cardiac emergency readiness across the state
• Increasing support and resources for New York's older adults

Securing New York's Energy Future

New York's grid is already among the cleanest in the country. Governor Hochul is proving to the nation that an energy transition can be reliable, affordable, and achievable. By treating energy policy as economic policy, the Governor is ensuring that decades from now, New Yorkers will inherit a stronger, cleaner, and more secure energy future. The Governor proposes to build on these efforts by:

• Introducing the NYS Affordable Utilities Omnibus Legislation, to ensure oversight and accountability for utilities
• Supporting consumers to make energy investments that save them money in the long-term, from investing in weatherization to money back in their pockets for smart thermostats
• Requiring data centers to pay their fair share for the massive amounts of energy they consume
• Investing in a nuclear reliability backbone for a zero-emission grid and ensuring New York's nuclear power future is built by and for New Yorkers
• Protecting New York's energy grid from cyber threats
• Supporting public schools looking to deploy more solar power
• Establishing a sales tax exemption for electricity sold at electric vehicle (EV) charging stations
• Supporting farms through the Sun and Soil Program

Protecting New York's Environment

For decades, New York has led the nation in environmental protection. Today, under Governor Hochul's leadership, New York is once again setting the standard by embracing an ambitious, transformative vision for building a clean, resilient, and sustainable future. Governor Hochul's environmental agenda remains clear: protect our natural resources, hold polluters accountable, and build more resilient communities. The Governor proposes to:

• Continuing record investments in the Environmental Protection Fund to safeguard natural resources
• Increasing New York's commitment to clean water projects statewide
• Investing in coastal resiliency for local communities
• Mitigating flood risk through FloodSafe NY
• Enhancing the implementation of waterfront revitalization plans
• Expanding access to state parks for all New Yorkers
• Establishing the New York State Parks Trades Corps

Building Resilient Communities for New Yorkers

Every New Yorker should have the chance to build a life they're proud of. Governor Hochul is leveling the playing field by investing in New Yorkers' independence, dignity, and opportunity. The Governor is doubling down on previous investments by:

• Strengthening care and opportunities for New Yorkers with behavioral health needs, veterans and people with disabilities
• Addressing today's most urgent behavioral health challenges and creating stability so New Yorkers can thrive
• Making New York a more inclusive state for people with disabilities through a suite of initiatives to promote independence, dignity, education and opportunity for every New Yorker

Contact the Governor's Press Office