Bill Text: NY A10406 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended

---

Bill Title: Creates the rural suicide prevention council; requires biennial reports on the findings of the council.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-31 - reported referred to ways and means [A10406 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A10406-Amended.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                        10406--B
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                     April 19, 2018
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. BARRETT -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Mental Health -- committee discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
          reprinted  as  amended  and  recommitted  to  said  committee -- again
          reported from said committee with  amendments,  ordered  reprinted  as
          amended and recommitted to said committee
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  mental hygiene law, in relation to creating the
          rural suicide prevention council
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
     2  7.48 to read as follows:
     3  § 7.48 Rural suicide prevention council.
     4    (a) There shall be established by  the  office,  a  council  on  rural
     5  suicide prevention, to consist of twelve members:
     6    1. two members shall be appointed by the commissioner;
     7    2. two members shall be appointed by the commissioner of health;
     8    3. two  members  shall be appointed by the commissioner of agriculture
     9  and markets;
    10    4. two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
    11    5. two members shall be appointed by the temporary  president  of  the
    12  senate;
    13    6. one  member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assem-
    14  bly; and
    15    7. one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
    16    (b) The commissioner shall designate the chair  of  the  council  from
    17  among  such  twelve members. Vacancies in the membership of such council
    18  shall be filled by the appropriate appointing authority. The  membership
    19  of  the  council  may include, but not be limited to, representatives of
    20  the state conference of local mental hygiene directors, psychiatric  and
    21  psychological  practitioners,  substance  use  and mental health profes-
    22  sionals with experience in the  delivery  of  treatment  and  prevention
    23  services in rural areas, persons with expertise in public health issues,
    24  any  group,  association,  or  university with expertise in financial or
    25  economic analysis, business planning, and providing supports for farmers
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14723-09-8
        A. 10406--B                         2
     1  and other individuals residing in rural areas, and others whose  profes-
     2  sional  expertise  includes  rural  affairs related to the duties of the
     3  council.
     4    (c)  The  council shall focus its efforts and work on "rural areas" as
     5  such term is defined in section four hundred eighty-one of the executive
     6  law.
     7    (d) Duties of the council shall include, but not be limited to:
     8    1. examining the causes and conditions related to  rural  suicides  or
     9  suicide attempts and the prevalence of suicide among certain professions
    10  including, but not limited to, farmers and agricultural workers;
    11    2. identifying policies, practices, resources, services, and potential
    12  legislation  that may result in the reduction of rural suicide and rural
    13  suicide attempts;
    14    3. offering recommendations on policies and procedures to improve  the
    15  coordination  of  services  and resources among agencies involved in the
    16  delivery  of  mental  health,  substance  use,  or  suicide   prevention
    17  services; and
    18    4. making recommendations on funding initiatives to increase access to
    19  mental  health,  substance use, and suicide prevention services in rural
    20  areas and facilitate  the  use  of  innovative  intervention  strategies
    21  specific to individuals residing in rural areas.
    22    (e)  The rural suicide prevention council shall meet not less than two
    23  times annually, or as deemed necessary by the chair of  the  council  or
    24  the commissioner.
    25    (f)  The members of the rural suicide prevention council shall receive
    26  no compensation for their services, but shall be  allowed  their  actual
    27  and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
    28    (g)  The council shall prepare and submit a report no later than Janu-
    29  ary first, two thousand twenty, and biennially thereafter, to the gover-
    30  nor and the legislature that recommends policies, legislation, and fund-
    31  ing needed to implement any of the findings in the council's report.
    32    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    33  have become a law.