Bill Text: NY A04286 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a gift for eliminating the stigma relating to mental illness on personal income tax returns; establishes the mental illness anti-stigma fund into which such gifts shall be deposited; directs the monies in such fund be used by the office of mental health to provide grants to organizations dedicated to eliminating the stigma attached to mental illness and those with mental health needs.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-09-04 - enacting clause stricken [A04286 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A04286-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4286
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 2, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  P. RIVERA  --  read once and referred to the
         Committee on Ways and Means
       AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation  to  establishing  a  gift  for
         eliminating  the  stigma relating to mental illness on personal income
         tax returns; to amend the state finance law, in relation to establish-
         ing a mental illness anti-stigma fund; and to amend the mental hygiene
         law, in relation to directing the office of mental health  to  provide
         grants  to  organizations dedicated to eliminating the stigma attached
         to mental illness and persons with mental health needs
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The  tax  law is amended by adding a new section 629-a to
    2  read as follows:
    3    S 629-A. GIFT FOR ELIMINATING THE STIGMA RELATING TO  MENTAL  ILLNESS.
    4  EFFECTIVE  FOR  ANY  TAX  YEAR COMMENCING ON OR AFTER JANUARY FIRST, TWO
    5  THOUSAND ELEVEN, AN INDIVIDUAL IN ANY TAXABLE YEAR MAY ELECT TO CONTRIB-
    6  UTE TO THE MENTAL ILLNESS ANTI-STIGMA FUND. SUCH CONTRIBUTION  SHALL  BE
    7  IN  ANY WHOLE DOLLAR AMOUNT AND SHALL NOT REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF STATE TAX
    8  OWED BY SUCH INDIVIDUAL. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL  INCLUDE  SPACE  ON  THE
    9  PERSONAL  INCOME  TAX  RETURN TO ENABLE A TAXPAYER TO MAKE SUCH CONTRIB-
   10  UTION. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, ALL REVENUE COLLECTED
   11  PURSUANT TO THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE  CREDITED  TO  THE  MENTAL  ILLNESS
   12  ANTI-STIGMA  FUND AND USED ONLY FOR THOSE PURPOSES ENUMERATED IN SECTION
   13  NINETY-FIVE-H OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   14    S 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-h  to
   15  read as follows:
   16    S  95-H.  MENTAL  ILLNESS  ANTI-STIGMA FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTAB-
   17  LISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND  FINANCE
   18  AND  THE  STATE  COMPTROLLER,  A SPECIAL FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE "MENTAL
   19  ILLNESS ANTI-STIGMA FUND".
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD00068-01-1
       A. 4286                             2
    1    2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL REVENUES RECEIVED  PURSUANT  TO  THE
    2  PROVISIONS  OF  SECTION  SIX  HUNDRED  TWENTY-NINE-A OF THE TAX LAW, ALL
    3  REVENUES RECEIVED PURSUANT TO APPROPRIATIONS BY THE LEGISLATURE, AND ALL
    4  MONEYS APPROPRIATED, CREDITED OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY OTHER FUND
    5  OR  SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW.  NO MONEYS CREDITED TO SUCH FUND PURSUANT TO
    6  SECTION SIX HUNDRED TWENTY-NINE-A OF THE TAX  LAW  SHALL  BE  DEEMED  TO
    7  AUTHORIZE  THE  REDUCTION OF THE AMOUNT OF MONIES OTHERWISE APPROPRIATED
    8  BY THE STATE FOR THE PURPOSE  OF  ELIMINATING  THE  STIGMA  ATTACHED  TO
    9  MENTAL ILLNESS.
   10    3.  THE  MONIES  OF  THE FUND SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE OFFICE OF
   11  MENTAL HEALTH FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS DEDI-
   12  CATED TO ELIMINATING THE STIGMA ATTACHED TO MENTAL ILLNESS  AND  PERSONS
   13  WITH  MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS PURSUANT TO SECTION 7.45 OF THE MENTAL HYGIENE
   14  LAW.
   15    4. THE MONIES OF THE FUND SHALL BE PAID OUT ON THE AUDIT  AND  WARRANT
   16  OF  THE  STATE  COMPTROLLER  ON  VOUCHERS  CERTIFIED  OR APPROVED BY THE
   17  COMMISSIONER OF MENTAL HEALTH, OR BY  AN  OFFICER  OR  EMPLOYEE  OF  THE
   18  OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH DESIGNATED BY SUCH COMMISSIONER.
   19    S 3. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 7.45 to
   20  read as follows:
   21  S 7.45 MENTAL ILLNESS ANTI-STIGMA GRANTS.
   22    THE OFFICE SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDES GRANTS
   23  TO  ORGANIZATIONS  ENGAGED  IN  ACTIVITIES  WHICH  ELIMINATE  THE STIGMA
   24  ATTACHED TO MENTAL ILLNESS AND THOSE WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.
   25    S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.