New York state officials announced a tentative agreement Monday on a $254 billion budget that will prohibit most kids from using cellphones during the school day, send rebate checks to middle-class families, loosen evidence-sharing expectations for prosecutors in criminal cases and create a new charge for wearing a mask while committing a crime.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced what she called a “general agreement” on the new spending plan nearly a month after its April 1 due date, though she acknowledged there are some specifics left to be worked out before lawmakers put it to a vote later this week.
“Together, we designed a budget that will lift up all New Yorkers,” Hochul said.
Hochul said the budget would increase public safety and improve affordability in New York, which she’s called her biggest priorities ahead of her 2026 reelection campaign.
Lawmakers said the budget was late because the Democratic governor insisted on including several policy proposals — including the new masking crime.
But the governor’s proposals weren’t adopted wholesale.
Democrats in the Legislature pared back Hochul’s initiatives to change laws around discovery — which is the process of sharing evidence before a criminal trial — and broadening the standard by which people can be involuntarily committed to mental health treatment.
Other policy items largely mimicked Hochul’s initial plan. That includes the rules restricting students from using their smartphones during the school day, which will apply from opening bell to closing bell — as Hochul insisted — but will include exceptions for students who act as caregivers to others.
