Governor Hochul vetoed legislation that would duplicate the federally funded Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and override the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s (OTDA) existing HEAP regulations (A4956). Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon voted against this legislation.

“During the winter, HEAP is a vital resource for our most vulnerable and at-risk residents. While I support New York's efforts to allocate federal funds for HEAP, this bill would have created an over $70 million burden on our taxpayers and would weaken the existing program," explained Assemblywoman Buttenschon.

If signed into law, the legislation would create a separate HEAP program from the already existing federally funded HEAP program, resulting in over $70 million in unbudgeted costs. Additionally, the bill would limit the ability of the OTDA to ensure the program reaches those most in need.

“I applaud Governor Hochul for vetoing this harmful and unneeded legislation,” said Buttenschon. “As your Assemblywoman, I will always ensure the needs of our most vulnerable are met while also being a good steward of taxpayer dollars.”