March 28, 2019. This article covers the reports that $40 million will be included in the budget for community based organizations to help ensure an accurate count in the 2020 census. The author notes that both the Assembly and Senate included the funds in their one-house budgets. The article goes on to highlight that advocates will still urge the governor to include the funds in the finalized budget.

State lawmakers will provide $40 million in state money to ensure New Yorkers are ready for next year’s census, sources told the Daily News Wednesday.

The funds, to be included in the state budget, will go towards education and outreach targeting immigrants and low-income residents to make sure they are aware of the how the Census works and the consequences of an undercount.

Last year, Cuomo and legislative leaders set up a 16-member Complete Count Commission to prepare the state for the 2020 count. However, the governor did not include any funding for outreach in his budget proposal. Aides in recent months have repeatedly said, without offering specifics, that funds would be made available.

The proposal for $40 million originated with the labor-backed Fiscal Policy Institute, which released a report in October focusing on communities where there are “hard to count” people who may be wary of the process or just ignore the census altogether.

Here is the link to the New York Daily News.