Gov. Kathy Hochul to deliver 2026 State of the State address | WATCH LIVE
NEW YORK - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will deliver her 2026 State of the State address Tuesday afternoon, outlining her priorities for the year ahead as lawmakers prepare for the upcoming legislative session.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul delivers the 2025 State of the State Address on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Albany, New York. (Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
What we know:
In the address, Hochul is expected to lay out new proposals aimed at affordability, public safety, and support for families, framing her agenda as a continuation of previous efforts with a renewed focus on protecting children, preventing gun violence, and expanding access to child care.
FOX 5 NY will stream live coverage of the address beginning Tuesday afternoon. Viewers can watch in the media player above, on the FOX LOCAL app on their phone or smart TV, or via raw, un-anchored coverage on FOX 5 NY’s YouTube page.
Protecting children online
A teenager presents a smartphone with the logo of Chinese social network Tik Tok, on January 21, 2021 in Nantes, western France. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP) (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
Among the proposals expected to be highlighted are new measures aimed at protecting children online, including legislation designed to shield kids from predators, scammers, and harmful AI chatbots by strengthening age verification requirements and default privacy settings on digital platforms.
Gun violence
Hochul is also expected to push new gun safety proposals targeting 3D-printed and other illegal firearms, including tougher criminal penalties, expanded reporting requirements for law enforcement, and new safety standards for manufacturers.
Universal childcare
Stopping the traffic in New York City as pre schoolers cross the road with their supervisors on 42nd Street outside Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, New York, USA. 30th September 2014. Photo Tim Clayton (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Imag
Another major focus is expected to be universal child care. Hochul is likely to outline plans to expand statewide universal prekindergarten, partner with New York City to offer free child care for two-year-olds, and broaden subsidies to make child care more affordable for working families.
ICE in NYC
Federal agents wait outside a courtroom at New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York City on August 20, 2025. US President Donald Trump has made deporting undocumented immigrants a key priority for h
What we don't know:
It remains unclear whether Hochul will address immigration enforcement or comment on the Trump administration’s ramped-up efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants, following the detention of a New York City council member on Monday.
The backstory:
During her 2025 State of the State Address, Hochul pledged to fight for New York families and later pointed to several actions she said fulfilled that promise. Those included cutting middle-class taxes to their lowest level in 70 years, expanding the Child Tax Credit, providing free breakfast and lunch for all public school students, sending inflation refund checks to millions of New Yorkers, making major investments in public safety, and banning cell phones in classrooms to help students focus on learning.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to attend the event.
The Source: This article uses information from the New York Governor's office website.