Alliance Alert: The Alliance for Rights and Recovery is grateful to the NYS Legislature and Governor for agreeing to investments in New York’s Daniel’s Law-inspired crisis response programs through the inclusion of additional funding for pilot programs in this year’s state budget.
This funding represents another important step toward building a statewide crisis response system that prioritizes health, compassion, and lived experience whenever possible. By expanding these pilot programs to additional communities, New York will be able to further demonstrate the effectiveness of peer-led, non-police responses to mental health and substance use crises while helping more localities develop the infrastructure needed to transform their crisis response systems.
These investments will not only bring lifesaving services to more New Yorkers, but will also strengthen our understanding of best practices, workforce needs, training requirements, and implementation strategies that can support the eventual expansion of Daniel’s Law principles across the state. Every successful pilot helps move New York closer to a future where people experiencing behavioral health crises receive support from trained health responders rather than law enforcement whenever appropriate.
We look forward to continuing to work with the Daniel’s Law Coalition, state leaders, providers, peers, advocates, and impacted communities to support the ongoing growth of these programs and advance the vision of a statewide, peer-led, health-first crisis response system grounded in dignity, recovery, and community support.
Contact:
Stanley Martin, Daniel’s Law Coalition
585.210.2278
Erin Gaffney, NY Lawyers for the Public Interest
212.780.0200
Luke Sikinyi, Alliance for Rights and Recovery
518.703.0264
Daniel’s Law Coalition Applauds Continued Funding for Crisis Response Pilot Program in 2027 State Budget; Criticizes Omission of Critical Technical Assistance Center Funding
Albany, NY, June 9, 2026 – The Daniel’s Law Coalition praises New York State leaders for continuing to invest in peer-led, non-police crisis response programs in the 2027 State Budget, while expressing dismay at the failure to fund a critical statewide technical assistance center necessary for long-term implementation.
The Coalition thanks the family of Daniel Prude (for whom Daniel’s Law is named), Senator Samra Brouk, Assemblymember Harry Bronson, the Daniel’s Law Task Force, and the many directly impacted community advocates who have pushed for six years to advance Daniel’s Law and secure funding.
The 2027 budget allocates $8 million to support and expand Daniel’s Law pilot programs, a key recommendation of the Task Force, centered on peer-led, non-police responses for New Yorkers experiencing mental health or substance use crises. This continued investment helps to build the infrastructure necessary to pass Daniel’s Law and bring compassionate, health-led response systems to every corner of the state.
However, the coalition criticizes the budget’s omission of additional funding for the Behavioral Health Crisis Technical Assistance Center (BHTAC). The center is critical in helping localities move towards non-police crisis response systems by providing training, implementation support, best-practice development, and coordination across pilot sites.
The Daniel’s Law Coalition will continue to fight for the full funding and passage of Daniel’s Law to ensure that individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises receive a peer-led health response, grounded in care and compassion.
Senator Samra Brouk and Assemblymember Bronson, co-sponsors of Daniel’s Law, responded to the inclusion of funding in the New York State Budget to support Daniel’s Law pilot programs:
Senator Samra Brouk (SD-55): “Last year, we made history by securing $8 million in the state budget for the first phase of Daniel’s Law implementation in New York State. Now, the legislature is continuing its investment by allocating $8 million in the FY27 budget to help reimagine our statewide crisis response system. As we continue to phase in Daniel’s Law pilot programs in accordance with the recommendations of the Daniel’s Law Task Force, I remain committed to honoring Daniel Prude, his family, and the advocacy of the Daniel’s Law Coalition by fighting for the passage of Daniel’s Law to center peer-led, compassionate responses to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.”
Assemblymember Harry Bronson (AD-138): “Funding for the Daniel’s Law Pilot program in the FY27 state budget demonstrates a continued commitment to investing in crisis response models that prioritize compassionate care performed by peer counselors with lived experience. These pilot programs are a critical step towards the full implementation of Daniel’s Law, which I sponsor in the Assembly, and the adoption of a statewide crisis response model, available in all NY counties, that is based around dignity, compassion and care, over force and control. I thank my colleague, Senator Samra Brouk, my legislative partners, and the Daniel’s Law Coalition for their tireless efforts to ensure we never forget Daniel Prude’s name. We will honor his life by making it possible for every New Yorker who is experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis to have access to the community-led response that saves and protects lives.”
About the Daniel’s Law Coalition
The statewide Daniel’s Law Coalition seeks to pass legislation in New York State that would end our over-reliance on police as first responders to mental health and substance use crises.” Daniel’s Law” aims to provide better support and resources for individuals experiencing mental health crises by designating community-based teams as the first responders to mental health or substance use crises. These first responders will include peers – those with lived experience with mental health and/or alcohol or substance use disorders – in addition to emergency medical technicians. Daniel’s Law would also create a statewide council of peers and other mental health experts to develop trainings and rules for all crisis calls, and provide resources for mental health emergencies. These rules and trainings would be fully integrated into existing 988 and other emergency dispatch services.
Members of the Coalition include:
- Alliance for Rights and Recovery
- City-Wide Tenant Union of Rochester
- Community Access
- Correct Crisis Intervention Today – NYC (CCIT-NYC)
- East Flatbush Village, Inc.
- Fountain House
- Free The People – Rochester
- Elders & Allies to Free The People – Rochester
- Friends of Recovery – New York
- Justice for Eudes Pierre Coalition
- Long Island Council of Churches, Public Issues Committee
- Long Island United to Transform Policing and Community Safety
- National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City, Inc. (NAMI-NYC)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York State (NAMI-NYS)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness – Queens/Nassau
- New York Civil Liberties Union
- New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
- Partnership for the Public Good
- Rochester Alliance of Communities Transforming Society
- Showing Up for Racial Justice – NYC
- Supportive Housing Network of New York (SHNNY)
- Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Social Justice Committee
- VOICE Buffalo
- Voices Of Community Activists And Leaders – NY (VOCAL-NY)