ALBANY_NP0 ,_PUN N.Y._NP0 —_PUN New_NP0 York_NP0 Gov._NP0 Andrew_NP0 Cuomo_NP0 and_CJC state_NN1 lawmakers_NN2 are_VBB close_AJ0 to_PRP agreement_NN1 on_PRP a_AT0 law_NN1 that_CJT would_VM0 require_VVI nursing_AJ0 homes_NN2 to_TO0 spend_VVI a_AT0 set_AJ0 portion_NN1 of_PRF their_DPS revenue_NN1 on_PRP patient_NN1 care_NN1 ,_PUN officials_NN2 said_VVD ,_PUN at_PRP a_AT0 time_NN1 when_AVQ the_AT0 governor_NN1 's_POS office_NN1 is_VBZ under_PRP fire_NN1 over_PRP how_AVQ it_PNP handled_VVD Covid-19_NN1 in_PRP long-term-care_AJ0 facilities_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 law_NN1 is_VBZ being_VBG discussed_VVN as_PRP part_NN1 of_PRF talks_NN2 around_PRP the_AT0 roughly_AV0 $_NN0 200_CRD billion_CRD state_NN1 budget_NN1 coming_VVG together_AV0 this_DT0 week_NN1 at_PRP the_AT0 state_NN1 Capitol_NP0 ._SENT Democrats_NN2 who_PNQ dominate_VVB the_AT0 state_NN1 Assembly_NN1 and_CJC Senate_NN1 have_VHB approved_VVN bills_NN2 with_PRP the_AT0 nursing-home_AJ0 spending_NN1 mandate_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC aides_NN2 to_PRP the_AT0 governor_NN1 and_CJC Legislature_NN1 said_VVD Wednesday_NP0 they_PNP were_VBD close_AJ0 to_PRP a_AT0 final_AJ0 agreement_NN1 ._SENT The_AT0 discussions_NN2 are_VBB a_AT0 stark_AJ0 shift_NN1 from_PRP last_ORD year_NN1 ,_PUN when_CJS lawmakers_NN2 waived_VVD regulations_NN2 and_CJC granted_VVD broad_AJ0 civil_AJ0 and_CJC criminal_AJ0 immunity_NN1 to_PRP healthcare_NN1 providers_NN2 as_PRP the_AT0 state_NN1 faced_VVD a_AT0 deadly_AJ0 surge_NN1 in_PRP coronavirus_NN1 cases_NN2 ._SENT More_AV0 than_CJS 50_CRD ,_PUN 000_CRD New_NP0 Yorkers_NP0 have_VHB died_VVN from_PRP the_AT0 Covid-19_NP0 pandemic_AJ0 ,_PUN and_CJC roughly_AV0 a_AT0 third_ORD were_VBD residents_NN2 of_PRF long-term-care_AJ0 facilities_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 new_AJ0 law_NN1 would_VM0 also_AV0 be_VBI another_DT0 response_NN1 to_PRP criticism_NN1 over_PRP how_AVQ the_AT0 state_NN1 handled_VVN Covid-19_NN1 in_PRP nursing_AJ0 homes_NN2 ._SENT State_NN1 Attorney_NN1 General_NP0 Letitia_NP0 James_NP0 issued_VVD a_AT0 report_NN1 in_PRP January_NP0 saying_VVG the_AT0 Cuomo_NP0 administration_NN1 understated_VVD the_AT0 coronavirus_NN1 death_NN1 toll_NN1 attributed_VVN to_PRP some_DT0 nursing_AJ0 homes_NN2 by_PRP roughly_AV0 50_CRD %_NN0 ._SENT Legislators_NN2 have_VHB already_AV0 approved_VVN a_AT0 bill_NN1 to_TO0 repeal_VVI the_AT0 immunity_NN1 provisions_NN2 ,_PUN which_DTQ were_VBD adopted_VVN as_PRP part_NN1 of_PRF last_ORD year_NN1 's_POS state_NN1 budget_NN1 ,_PUN as_CJS well_AV0 as_CJS passed_VVN a_AT0 measure_NN1 that_CJT requires_VVZ nursing-home_AJ0 operators_NN2 to_TO0 disclose_VVI more_DT0 information_NN1 about_PRP their_DPS business_NN1 relationships_NN2 ._SENT Assemblyman_NN1 Richard_NP0 Gottfried_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 Manhattan_NP0 Democrat_NN1 who_PNQ chairs_VVZ the_AT0 chamber_NN1 's_POS health_NN1 committee_NN1 ,_PUN sponsored_AJ0 bills_NN2 calling_VVG for_PRP disclosure_NN1 and_CJC mandating_VVG that_CJT 70_CRD %_NN0 of_PRF a_AT0 nursing_AJ0 home_NN1 's_POS revenue_NN1 is_VBZ spent_VVN on_PRP patient_NN1 care_NN1 ._SENT He_PNP said_VVD it_PNP would_VM0 lead_VVI to_PRP better_AJC care_NN1 ,_PUN particularly_AV0 at_PRP for-profit_AJ0 facilities_NN2 ._SENT "_PUQ Certainly_AV0 ,_PUN the_AT0 Covid-19_NN1 situation_NN1 has_VHZ shined_VVN a_AT0 bright_AJ0 light_NN1 on_PRP nursing_AJ0 home_NN1 issues_NN2 ,_PUN "_PUQ Mr._NP0 Gottfried_NP0 said_VVD in_PRP an_AT0 interview_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ These_DT0 issues_NN2 were_VBD all_AV0 very_AV0 pressing_VVG for_PRP the_AT0 last_ORD several_DT0 decades_NN2 ,_PUN but_CJC sometimes_AV0 it_PNP takes_VVZ a_AT0 calamity_NN1 to_TO0 energize_VVI people_NN0 to_PRP action_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ Local_AJ0 1199_CRD of_PRF the_AT0 Service_NN1 Employees_NN2 International_AJ0 Union_NN1 ,_PUN which_DTQ represents_VVZ 65_CRD ,_PUN 000_CRD workers_NN2 in_PRP about_AV0 half_DT0 of_PRF the_AT0 state_NN1 's_POS nursing_AJ0 homes_NN2 ,_PUN is_VBZ campaigning_VVG hard_AV0 for_PRP the_AT0 disclosure_NN1 and_CJC spending_NN1 measures_NN2 ._SENT Nursing_AJ0 homes_NN2 and_CJC their_DPS representatives_NN2 said_VVD the_AT0 spending_NN1 mandate_NN1 would_VM0 impose_VVI more_DT0 financial_AJ0 restrictions_NN2 on_PRP an_AT0 industry_NN1 that_CJT was_VBD devastated_VVN by_PRP the_AT0 pandemic_AJ0 ._SENT 
