Source: US State of New York

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Source: US State of New York

overnor Kathy Hochul today announced annual results from the New York Small Business Development Centers (New York SBDC), highlighting the strong support provided to small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout New York State. The centers empower entrepreneurs through one-on-one no-cost business advice, training, and research that fuels New York State’s economic growth. Last year, the New York SBDC served 27,414 businesses and entrepreneurs through one-on-one advisement and trainings, helped generate $218.8 million in new capital, supported the saving and retention of 31,282 jobs, and helped create 3,392 new jobs.

“Small Business Development Centers throughout New York State are helping New Yorkers turn good ideas into vibrant small businesses,” Governor Hochul said. “From Long Island to Niagara Falls, and the North Country to the Southern Tier, these centers are empowering New York small businesses and entrepreneurs to step up, achieve upward mobility, and serve as job creators within their local communities. I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to help New York workers and job creators thrive and prosper.”

The New York SBDC is administered by the State University of New York (SUNY) and hosted at 20 different institutions across New York State, helping to link learning institutions with an expansive statewide small business network. The SBDC provides comprehensive support across all industries — including technology, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and artificial intelligence — guiding businesses through every stage of their lifecycle, from startup and expansion to succession planning. Throughout its over 40 years of service, Small Business Development Centers have served more than 550,000 entrepreneurs, helping generate nearly $9 billion in economic impact for New York State.

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “Small Business Development Centers are engines of upward mobility for thousands of New Yorkers that provide vital support for budding entrepreneurs as they work to build the business of their dreams. Through the strong support of leaders like Governor Hochul, and federal and state partners, this program has had transformative impacts on entrepreneurs throughout the state. SUNY is committed to supporting economic development in communities across the state, and the Small Business Development Centers are a core part of our efforts to strengthen New York’s economy.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “Across New York State, small businesses enrich their communities by providing economic development opportunities, career pathways, and services. At SUNY, we are committed to helping businesses thrive across our state, and commend our Small Business Development Centers for their work to support small businesses and entrepreneurs. We thank Governor Hochul for her leadership, and federal and state officials for continuing to invest in SUNY programs and initiatives, including Small Business Development Centers.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Empire State Development and SUNY share a commitment to helping New York’s entrepreneurs and small businesses succeed. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we are strengthening the ecosystem that gives business owners the tools, guidance, and capital they need to start, grow, and create jobs. Together, we are expanding economic opportunity in every region and helping ensure more New Yorkers can turn innovative ideas into thriving businesses.”

State Director at New York SBDC Sonya Smith said, “SBDC clients have an 80% five-year survival rate, far above the national average. They grow faster, hire more, and outperform businesses that go it alone. For every $1 invested in the SBDC, the SBDC delivers $4 in measurable return. As a program funded in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, we appreciate the SBA’s continued investment in and commitment to the SBDC program and its mission of helping entrepreneurs start, grow, expand, and succeed. We also appreciate Governor Kathy Hochul’s continued commitment to New York’s small businesses and we value our partnership with Empire State Development. We look forward to expanding our collaboration to increase the capacity and reach of the NYSBDC program so we can serve even more entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state. Thank you to all organizations that we partner with across the small business ecosystem, as well as our incredible staff, advisors, and directors across New York State, and my central office team for their strength, patience, and fearless creativity in pushing us forward. “

State Senator April N.M. Baskin said, “Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies, and New York’s Small Business Development Centers give entrepreneurs the tools, expertise, and individualized support they need to turn their ideas into successful businesses. I was proud to fight for $2.6 million in this year’s State Budget to support the SBDC network, and I will remain a strong advocate for these centers because of the vital role they play in strengthening our local economies and creating pathways to economic mobility for entrepreneurs across New York State.”

Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon said, “As Chair of the Assembly’s Small Business Committee, it has been both an honor and a privilege to represent and support the people and small businesses that fuel our communities and drive our local and state economy. Small businesses make up a significant percentage of all businesses in New York, employing over 40 percent of our workforce and generating nearly $1 trillion in annual economic activity. That success does not happen by accident, but is made possible through many resources including the New York Small Business Development Centers, as well as, the local center partnered with Mohawk Valley Community College, which provide entrepreneurs with the no-cost guidance and capital access they need to start, grow, and sustain their businesses, and the never-ending hard work, determination, and perseverance of our state’s business owners. Impacting more than half a million entrepreneurs statewide and generating $218.8 million in capital investment this year is more than just a milestone – it is a testament to what this partnership between SUNY and our small business community can achieve and the growth that is to come when we continue to invest in the people building our economy from the ground up.”

About the New York Small Business Development Center

The New York Small Business Development Centers (NYSBDC) are New York State’s most expansive small business support network. The NYSBDC provides free, confidential 1-on-1 business advisement, training, and research to small business owners and entrepreneurs.  

Primarily funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the State of New York and administered by the State University of New York (SUNY), the NYSBDC operates 20 regional small business centers across all of New York’s ten economic development regions. These centers, hosted on the campuses of SUNY, CUNY, Pace University, and St. Thomas Aquinas College, link higher education with small businesses. The NYSBDC also has more than 70 satellite locations in partnership with community organizations, including chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, industrial development agencies, and incubators. Learn more at nysbdc.org.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, more than 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.

Source: US State of New York

overnor Kathy Hochul has formally appealed the denial of New York’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the February 22-23, 2026 blizzard and severe winter storm by sending a letter to President Trump urging him to reverse his administration’s decision. The Governor contends that FEMA’s decision was unsupported, inconsistent with its own standards, and failed to account for the true scope of the damage. New York State and local governments identified more than $168 million in damages caused by the storm, which would be more than four times the threshold amount established by FEMA. Governor Hochul is appealing the decision, requesting that the President reconsider the denial and approve federal funding to support recovery and future disaster preparedness.

“Despite the February blizzard causing unprecedented damage across our state, far exceeding FEMA’s own criteria for federal assistance, New York was denied the support our communities need to rebuild,” Governor Hochul said. “I am calling on President Trump to reverse this decision and ensure local governments have the funding necessary to recover and better prepare for future disasters. We owe that to the New Yorkers who weathered this historic storm and to the first responders, utility crews and emergency management staff who worked tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”

The full text of the letter is included below:

Dear Mr. President:

On July 2, 2026, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied the State of New York’s request for a major disaster declaration for the February 22 to February 23, 2026, severe winter storm and snowstorm without useful explanation. Pursuant to Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207 (“Stafford Act”), as implemented by 44 C.F.R. §§ 206.36 and 206.46, I ask for reconsideration of the denial and renew New York State’s request for a major disaster declaration for Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation.

FEMA’s denial letter stated, “Based on our review of all of the information available, it has been determined that supplemental federal assistance under the Stafford Act is not warranted.” The letter did not elaborate on what information was reviewed or why it was insufficient. It remains unclear why the facts provided in the request, which met the statutory and regulatory requirements for a Major Disaster Declaration, were not sufficient to support the need for supplemental federal assistance. The decision to deny the requested assistance as not warranted appears to be arbitrary.

New York State’s request was carefully tailored to address the primary factor FEMA considers in making a recommendation to the President whether assistance is warranted.¹ Historically, FEMA has used the statewide and county per capita indicators as the primary, and often dispositive, factor when assessing major disaster declaration requests. Exceeding that threshold by twofold is compelling evidence of the fiscal strain imposed on the State and local governments by this storm. At the time of the request, the FEMA-State joint preliminary damage assessment teams (PDA teams) had validated $54.6 million in damages — which exceeds the State’s damage threshold for 2026 ($39.2 million) by approximately $15.4 million. Two days after submission of the request, FEMA completed its assessment having validated $79.03 million in damages — more than double the Statewide damage threshold.² Consistent with FEMA practice, the PDA teams stop validating once the State and local indicators are met. Therefore, the amounts validated by FEMA represent only a portion of the total amount of damage caused by this disaster. When FEMA stopped the validation process, it had validated 143 damage surveys, but another 210 damage surveys were pending validation review.³ Further, the PDA process does not capture damages from all applicants that would be eligible for reimbursement under the major disaster declaration. The State and local governments identified more than $168 million in damages caused by the storm. If all costs had been validated, it is likely New York State would have tripled, if not quadrupled, the threshold amount established by FEMA.

The Stafford Act and its implementing regulations and policies expressly authorize federal disaster assistance for damages resulting from a snowstorm. Notwithstanding, FEMA has widely communicated its position, in Agency memos and press statements,⁴ that declarations will not be issued for snowstorms as FEMA views these snow emergencies as routine and able to be managed by the State and its local governments. Despite their frequency, neither wildfires nor hurricanes are regarded as routine emergencies elsewhere in the nation, so it is unclear why FEMA has chosen this position for a hazard that predominantly impacts northeastern states. FEMA is inconsistently applying the law and policy based on the type of emergency that disproportionately affects certain parts of the country. Specifically, 44 C.F.R. § 206.227 provides “… major disaster declarations based on snow or blizzard conditions will be made only for cases of record or near record snowstorms, as established by official government records.” New York State’s initial request also meets this regulatory requirement wherein Bronx, Suffolk, Nassau and Richmond Counties met their snow of record indicator and Queens, Kings and Westchester Counties qualified under the contiguous county criteria, documented by the National Weather Service.⁵

This request was not made lightly. New York State routinely manages significant snowstorms at the State and local level using available resources that have been identified and budgeted for annually in advance of the winter season. Since 2011, it has snowed in New York State on 2,199 days, which represents snow affecting the State roughly 40 percent of the time. However, this blizzard was not a routine snowstorm or snowfall event, but rather a complex major winter storm. The storm produced strong sustained winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour with gusts as high as 84 miles per hour, which significantly contributed to the damages incurred by local governments during this event.

The impacts of this blizzard extended well beyond snowfall. Hurricane-force wind gusts and heavy snow caused widespread power outages and significant infrastructure damage across the affected region. FEMA validated more than $20 million in damages incurred by the Long Island Power Authority due to trees falling on power lines. More than 40,000 households lost power. Tragically, five New Yorkers lost their lives as a result of the storm. The blizzard also caused widespread disruptions to transportation and commerce, including the closure of 175 school districts, including the New York City public school system, business closures, disruptions to mass transit service, and hundreds of canceled flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and other regional airports. These widespread impacts imposed extraordinary burdens on local governments that exceeded their fiscal capacity to respond and recover without federal assistance.

Additionally, the timing of this event compounded its impacts. The affected region had experienced another significant snowstorm less than one month earlier, requiring local governments to expend substantial resources before this blizzard struck. The cumulative effect of these back-to-back storms further strained municipal budgets and emergency response capabilities.

New York State has consistently demonstrated its ability to respond to and recover from winter weather events without federal assistance whenever possible. In the past fifteen years, New York has declared 32 winter storm emergencies but has requested a Major Disaster Declaration for snowstorms only four times. This limited history demonstrates that the State seeks federal assistance only when an event is truly extraordinary and exceeds the capabilities of State and local governments.

For the reasons stated above, I respectfully request that you reconsider FEMA’s denial and approve New York State’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the February 22-23, 2026 severe winter storm and snowstorm. Federal assistance is essential to ensure affected communities can recover from this disaster and strengthen their resilience against future severe weather events.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York