Bill Text: NY A06599 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Establishes an LGBTQ+ youth and young adult suicide prevention task force; provides for the number of members, manner of appointment and the topics to be reviewed.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-2)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-04 - print number 6599a [A06599 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A06599-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         6599--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     April 24, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. REYES, WOERNER, WEPRIN, DICKENS, SEAWRIGHT, HEVE-
          SI,  McDONOUGH,  OTIS,  EPSTEIN,  BURDICK,  GLICK, DINOWITZ, SIMONE --
          Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. TAGUE -- read once and referred to  the
          Committee  on  Mental Health -- recommitted to the Committee on Mental
          Health in accordance  with  Assembly  Rule  3,  sec.  2  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee

        AN  ACT  to establish an LGBTQ+ youth and young adult suicide prevention
          task force; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expi-
          ration thereof

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. LGBTQ+ youth and young adult suicide prevention task force.
     2  (a) There is hereby created the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and
     3  queer+  (LGBTQ+)  youth and young adult suicide prevention task force to
     4  examine, evaluate and determine how to improve mental health and suicide
     5  prevention for New York's LGBTQ+ youth and young adults up  to  age  24,
     6  consisting  of  seven  members,  each to serve until two years after the
     7  effective date of this act.
     8    (b)(1) Such members shall be appointed as follows: one member shall be
     9  appointed by the governor; two members shall be appointed by the  tempo-
    10  rary  president  of  the  senate;  two members shall be appointed by the
    11  speaker of the assembly; and two  members  shall  be  appointed  by  the
    12  commissioner  of health. Appointments shall be made within sixty days of
    13  the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the  task  force  shall  be
    14  filled in the same manner provided for original appointments.
    15    (2)  All  appointees  shall  have  expertise  in fields or disciplines
    16  related to mental health and knowledge related to LGBTQ+ youth and young
    17  adults. All appointments  shall  be  coordinated  to  ensure  geographic
    18  representation from the entire state.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00465-04-4

        A. 6599--A                          2

     1    (3)  The  task force shall be chaired by the governor's appointee. The
     2  task force shall elect a vice-chair and other  necessary  officers  from
     3  among all appointed members.
     4    (4)  A  majority  of  the  members  of  the task force in office shall
     5  constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or the  exercise  of
     6  any  power or function of the task force. An act, determination or deci-
     7  sion of the majority of the members present during  the  presence  of  a
     8  quorum  shall  be  held to be the act, determination, or decision of the
     9  task force.
    10    (5) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the  call  of  the
    11  chair.  Meetings may be held via teleconference. Special meetings may be
    12  called by the chair at the request of a majority of the members  of  the
    13  task force.
    14    (6)  Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their
    15  services but shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses  incurred  in
    16  the performance of their duties in the work of the task force.
    17    (c) The task force shall:
    18    (1)  study  current  mental  health  practices  and suicide prevention
    19  efforts;
    20    (2) recommend mental health practices and suicide  prevention  efforts
    21  to increase effectiveness across the state; and
    22    (3)  determine  potential  reasons for the high number of LGBTQ+ youth
    23  and young adult suicides.
    24    (d) The task force may establish such advisory committees as it  deems
    25  appropriate  on  matters  relating to the task force's functions, powers
    26  and duties. Such committees shall be chaired by a task force member, but
    27  may be composed of task force  members  as  well  as  other  individuals
    28  selected  by the task force to provide expertise of interest specific to
    29  the charge of such committees.
    30    (e) The task force may, as it deems appropriate, request that studies,
    31  surveys, or analyses relating to the task force's powers and  duties  be
    32  performed by any state department, commission, agency or public authori-
    33  ty.  All  state departments, commissions, agencies or public authorities
    34  shall provide information and advice in a timely  manner  and  otherwise
    35  assist the task force with its work.
    36    (f)  The  task  force  shall submit a request for any appropriation as
    37  shall be necessary to enable the task force to perform its functions and
    38  duties to the governor, director of the division of budget,  and  chair-
    39  persons  of the senate finance committee and the assembly ways and means
    40  committee.
    41    (g) The task force may hold public hearings, take testimony  and  make
    42  investigations at such places as it deems necessary.
    43    (h) The task force shall make a preliminary report to the governor and
    44  the legislature of its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activ-
    45  ities  already  undertaken  by  the  task force, not later than thirteen
    46  months after the effective date of this act, and a final report  of  its
    47  findings, conclusions, recommendations and activities already undertaken
    48  by  the task force, not later than 22 months after the effective date of
    49  this act and shall submit with its reports legislative proposals  as  it
    50  deems necessary to implement its recommendations.
    51    §  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    52  have become a law and shall expire 2 years  after  such  effective  date
    53  when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed.
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