Bill Text: NY A10043 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Relates to suicide prevention; provides that the office of mental health and the education department shall identify or develop materials for educators regarding suicide prevention measures and signs of depression among school-aged students; related information shall be available on the Internet and may be included in schools.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-10 - referred to mental health [A10043 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A10043-Introduced.html

---

                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         10043
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     June 10, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. McDonald) --
         read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
       AN  ACT  to  amend  the  mental  hygiene  law  and the education law, in
         relation to suicide prevention
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
    2  a new subdivision (g) to read as follows:
    3    (G)  THE  OFFICE, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, SHALL
    4  IDENTIFY OR DEVELOP MATERIALS FOR EDUCATORS REGARDING SUICIDE PREVENTION
    5  MEASURES AND SIGNS OF DEPRESSION AMONG SCHOOL-AGED YOUTH  WHICH  MAY  BE
    6  USED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES,
    7  AT  THEIR  OPTION,  TO  EDUCATE  STUDENTS AS THEY DEEM APPROPRIATE. SUCH
    8  EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO,  INFORMATION
    9  REGARDING  SYMPTOMS  OF  DEPRESSION,  HOW DEPRESSION MANIFESTS ITSELF IN
   10  DIFFERENT CULTURES, WARNING SIGNS OF SUICIDE, ACTIONS  TO  TAKE  ONCE  A
   11  YOUTH  IS  IDENTIFIED  AS  A  RISK OF SUICIDE, AND A LIST OF EDUCATIONAL
   12  WEBSITES REGARDING SUICIDE AND YOUTHS. SUCH MATERIAL SHALL BE  AVAILABLE
   13  ON  THE INTERNET WEBSITE OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. THE WEBSITE OF THE
   14  OFFICE SHALL PROVIDE A HYPERLINK TO THE INTERNET PAGE OF  THE  EDUCATION
   15  DEPARTMENT THAT DISPLAYS SUCH MATERIALS.
   16    S  2.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 804-e to
   17  read as follows:
   18    S 804-E. INSTRUCTION  RELATED  TO  THE  PREVENTION  OF  SUICIDE  AMONG
   19  YOUTHS.  1.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  MAKE AVAILABLE, ON THE DEPARTMENT
   20  WEBSITE, MATERIALS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (G) OF SECTION  7.07  OF  THE
   21  MENTAL  HYGIENE  LAW  AMONG SCHOOL-AGED YOUTH IDENTIFIED OR DEVELOPED BY
   22  THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
   23    2. INSTRUCTION REGARDING THE PREVENTION OF SUICIDE MAY BE INCLUDED  IN
   24  THE  HEALTH  EDUCATION  PROVIDED  FOR TO ALL SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS AND
   25  SHALL BE TAUGHT BY  TEACHERS  CERTIFIED  IN  HEALTH  EDUCATION.  RELATED
   26  COURSES  IN  THE  SECONDARY  SCHOOL CURRICULUM MAY BE TAUGHT IN A MANNER
   27  SUPPORTIVE OF HEALTH EDUCATION REGARDING THE PREVENTION OF SUICIDE AMONG
   28  YOUTHS.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD15113-01-4
       A. 10043                            2
    1    3. SCHOOL AUTHORITIES SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE THE NEEDED FACIL-
    2  ITIES, TIME, AND PLACE FOR THE INSTRUCTION SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION AND
    3  TO  PROVIDE  LEARNING  AIDS  AND  CURRICULUM  RESOURCE  MATERIALS  WHICH
    4  CONTRIBUTE  TO  EFFECTIVE TEACHING METHODS AND LEARNING IN HEALTH EDUCA-
    5  TION REGARDING THE PREVENTION OF SUICIDE AMONG YOUTHS.
    6    S  3.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
    7  the date on which it shall have become a law.