(Albany, NY) – With just days left in the legislative session, Citizen Action of New York is urgently calling on the New York State Assembly to pass A84/S172, legislation that would modernize New York’s completely outdated Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) program.
“The Assembly’s failure to modernize New York’s Temporary Disability Insurance program is a direct betrayal of working people across this state,” said Carolyn Martinez-Class and Rebecca Garrard, Interim Executive Directors of Citizen Action of New York. “For 35 years, lawmakers have allowed this benefit to stagnate at $170 a week—an amount that doesn’t even cover groceries, let alone rent or child care. Speaker Heastie and Assembly leadership need to stop yielding to the Business Council’s special interest influence and start governing for the people.
“Every day they delay is another day someone recovering from surgery, childbirth, or a serious illness is forced to choose between healing and survival. If the Assembly refuses to act before session ends, they’re sending a clear message: that the wellbeing of everyday New Yorkers is less important than protecting the status quo. We won’t let them hide behind procedure. And we won’t forget who stood up for workers—and who didn’t.”