STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4136 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 10, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WALLACE -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Education AN ACT to amend the public health law and the education law, in relation to establishing a statewide youth mental health and social media campaign to promote public awareness of the impacts of social media usage on mental health The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Article 25 of the public health law is amended by adding a 2 new title 7-A to read as follows: 3 TITLE VII-A 4 SOCIAL MEDIA 5 Section 2596. Statewide youth mental health and social media campaign. 6 § 2596. Statewide youth mental health and social media campaign. 1. 7 The commissioner, in conjunction with the commissioner of education, the 8 commissioner of mental health, and the director of the office of infor- 9 mation technology services, shall establish a statewide youth mental 10 health and social media campaign to promote public awareness of the 11 impacts of social media usage on mental health. Such program shall be 12 directed at children and young adults, their parents, and educators. 13 2. Such program shall include, but not be limited to: 14 a. educating people on the negative impacts social media can have on 15 young people's mental health; 16 b. promoting public awareness of existing research and statistics 17 regarding youth mental health and social media use; 18 c. educating people on techniques to reduce feelings of isolation and 19 anxiety, increase sleep quality, and reduce the effects on mental health 20 caused by cyberbullying; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06190-01-3A. 4136 2 1 d. promoting healthy behaviors related to young people's use of social 2 media; 3 e. increasing awareness of and access to youth mental health 4 resources; and 5 f. promoting alternative methods of self-expression. 6 3. On or before July first of each year, the commissioner, in conjunc- 7 tion with the commissioner of education, the commissioner of mental 8 health, and the director of the office of information technology 9 services, shall submit a report to the governor, the speaker of the 10 assembly, and the temporary president of the senate on the effectiveness 11 of the statewide youth mental health and social media campaign and 12 recommendations on changes which should be made to any laws, rules, or 13 regulations relating thereto. 14 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 805 to read 15 as follows: 16 § 805. Courses of study on social media usage. 1. The regents shall 17 ensure that the course of instruction in grades kindergarten through 18 twelve includes a component on social media usage. Such component shall 19 instruct students on: 20 (a) the negative impacts social media can have on mental health; 21 (b) research and statistics regarding youth mental health and social 22 media use; 23 (c) techniques to reduce feelings of isolation and anxiety, increase 24 sleep quality, and reduce the effects on mental health caused by cyber- 25 bullying; 26 (d) healthy social media use behaviors; 27 (e) mental health resources available to students; and 28 (f) methods of self-expression other than social media. 29 2. The commissioner, in conjunction with the commissioner of health, 30 the commissioner of mental health, and the director of the office of 31 information technology services, shall provide technical assistance to 32 assist in the development of curricula for such courses of study which 33 shall be age appropriate and developed according to the needs and abili- 34 ties of pupils at successive grade levels. 35 3. The board of education or trustees of every school district shall 36 provide appropriate training and curriculum materials for the regular 37 teachers who provide such instruction. 38 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 39 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the 40 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary 41 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized 42 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.