New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the state’s 2026 budget at Johnson City Middle School in Broome County on Friday.
After over a month of negotiations, lawmakers finalized the $254 billion spending plan Thursday night.
The next day, Hochul toured the state, highlighting the spending plan’s expanded tax credits for parents, investments in childcare and a sweeping new policy on cell phone use in schools.
Hochul signed the budget surrounded by a crowd of Johnson City Middle School students.
“You are the first students, I'm going to guess, in the history of the state, to ever be there for the signing of the New York state budget,” Hochul told the group. “And I wanted you here because this budget is about you and your parents. And when I proposed my budget back in January, I said your family is my fight, and I wanted to make sure I could fight for your moms and dads to have more money back in their pockets.”
Hochul referenced the state’s free breakfast and lunch programs at schools and the expansion of child tax credits for parents. Under the new plan, families with children under four will be eligible for $1,000 dollars in tax relief, while parents of children between four and 16 will receive up to $500 in tax credits.
The governor also spoke with the students about the budget’s new restrictions on cell phone use in schools. Starting in the fall, all New York students will be required to stow away their phones during the school day.
Johnson City Middle School and several other schools in the area already have similar phone-use restrictions. Hochul said the cell phone ban will improve the mental health of students across the state.
“Every student in the state of New York starting in September, will have the opportunity of having a distraction-free school experience,” Hochul said. “Where they can learn and study, instead of looking at memes, look at their math and get things done in school and be more productive.”
Hochul also met with a few parents at a coffee shop in Johnson City to discuss the budget and the rising cost of living faced by many New York families.
Lawmakers in Albany will now return for the final weeks of their legislative session, though Hochul and other Democratic leaders have said they could call lawmakers back to address reductions in federal funding.
The newly passed state budget relies on over $90 billion in federal funds and increases state spending by around $17 billion.