In written testimony, Jose Saldana, Director of Release Aging People in Prison, supports the Unemployment Bridge Program (S3192-Senator Ramos/A4822-Assemblymember Reyes) for the 2024-2025 New York State Budget. Saldana writes, “The program would provide unemployment coverage to 750,000 workers excluded from traditional unemployment insurance, with 30,000 people expected to get benefits at any given time. This includes low-income New Yorkers — freelancers, self-employed workers, undocumented workers, people released from prison or immigration detention, and those in the cash economy…”