STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 10406--A 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 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 ten 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 speaker of the assembly; 9 4. two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the 10 senate; 11 5. one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assem- 12 bly; and 13 6. one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate. 14 (b) The commissioner shall designate the chair of the council from 15 among such ten members. Vacancies in the membership of such council 16 shall be filled by the appropriate appointing authority. The membership 17 of the council may include, but not be limited to, representatives of 18 the state conference of local mental hygiene directors, psychiatric and 19 psychological practitioners, substance use and mental health profes- 20 sionals with experience in the delivery of treatment and prevention 21 services in rural areas, persons with expertise in public health issues, 22 and others whose professional expertise includes rural affairs related 23 to the duties of the council. 24 (c) The council shall focus its efforts and work on "rural areas" as 25 such term is defined in section four hundred eighty-one of the executive 26 law. 27 (d) Duties of the council shall include, but not be limited to: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14723-07-8A. 10406--A 2 1 1. examining the causes and conditions related to rural suicides or 2 suicide attempts and the prevalence of suicide among certain professions 3 including, but not limited to, farmers and agricultural workers; 4 2. identifying policies, practices, resources, services, and potential 5 legislation that may result in the reduction of rural suicide and rural 6 suicide attempts; 7 3. offering recommendations on policies and procedures to improve the 8 coordination of services and resources among agencies involved in the 9 delivery of mental health, substance use, or suicide prevention 10 services; and 11 4. making recommendations on funding initiatives to increase access to 12 mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention services in rural 13 areas and facilitate the use of innovative intervention strategies 14 specific to individuals residing in rural areas. 15 (e) The rural suicide prevention council shall meet not less than two 16 times annually, or as deemed necessary by the chair of the council or 17 the commissioner. 18 (f) The members of the rural suicide prevention council shall receive 19 no compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual 20 and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. 21 (g) The council shall prepare and submit a report no later than Janu- 22 ary first, two thousand twenty, and biennially thereafter, to the gover- 23 nor and the legislature that recommends policies, legislation, and fund- 24 ing needed to implement any of the findings in the council's report. 25 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 26 have become a law.