S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8957
I N S E N A T E
January 21, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to direct the education department to study, review and report on
the geographic cost variation of counties in the Hudson Valley labor
force region to determine the appropriateness of the region cost index
values for purposes of the public school foundation aid formula
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The education department shall, in consultation with the
department of labor, study and review the geographic cost variations of
the counties located in the Hudson Valley labor force region to deter-
mine the appropriateness of the regional cost index values used within
the public school foundation aid formula, as well as county placement in
the Hudson Valley region. Specifically, the education department shall
consider the movement of the counties of Putnam and Rockland currently
within the Hudson Valley region into the Long Island/New York city
region. Such department shall consult with the department of labor to
review labor costs for the Hudson Valley region and the Long Island/New
York city region.
The education department shall also review the regional costs associ-
ated with construction and study the impact on applying an up to date
cost index on public school building aid reimbursement.
§ 2. The education department shall, on or before April 1, 2027,
report the findings, conclusions and recommendations of such study to
the governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the
assembly.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14283-01-5