Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) today applauded a reported agreement that will restore $90 million to the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). The budget that was signed into law in March by the governor cut $90 million from OPWDD, despite an amendment proposed by the Assembly Minority to restore the funding.

“The developmentally disabled are the most vulnerable in our society, and I’m very pleased to hear of this agreement to fully restore funding for the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities,” said Palmesano. “It’s clear this funding shouldn’t have been cut in the first place, and we will continue to push on in hope that this agreement will be finalized by the close of session next week. The non-profits that receive funding aid through OPWDD provide essential services to our developmentally disabled community in a far more productive and cost-effective manner, and this impending funding restoration will be fundamental to the quality of life of this community.”

New York State's non-profit organizations, such as the ARCs and Pathways, provide essential services to 80 percent of the state's developmentally disabled for less than half the cost of state provided services. A clear example of how important a role non-profit provider’s play in delivering quality care to New York’s most vulnerable.

The reported agreement reached, which will be voted on next week, came from amending a bill (A6692) recently proposed by Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, for which Palmesano was a sponsor. The agreement will use a working group to re-appropriate administrative funds to service cuts, and the state will off-set any additional funding required to fully restore the $90 million cut from the budget in March.