Bill Text: NY S04437 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to a public awareness educational program on heroin; and makes an appropriation therefor.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [S04437 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S04437-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          4437
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                     March 11, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced by Sens. PARKER, ADDABBO, BAILEY, HOYLMAN, MONTGOMERY, RIVERA
          -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
          the Committee on Finance
        AN  ACT  to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to a public aware-
          ness educational program on heroin; and making an appropriation there-
          for
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Section  19.09  of  the  mental hygiene law is amended by
     2  adding a new subdivision (k) to read as follows:
     3    (k) The commissioner shall  create  a  multi-faceted  public  outreach
     4  program  to  raise awareness of the inherent dangers and costs of heroin
     5  use. The program shall consist of such public service announcements  and
     6  interactive  media spots designed to reach the broadest possible general
     7  audience, as well as those designed to specifically target those  social
     8  and  age  groups  that  are  most at risk for experimenting with heroin,
     9  those who are currently using heroin,  and  those  who  are  seeking  or
    10  undergoing treatment for heroin addiction.  The content of such outreach
    11  efforts  shall  include,  but  not  be  limited  to, such topics as: the
    12  dangers of addiction after only one use; section  220.78  of  the  penal
    13  law, otherwise known as New York state's good samaritan law; the current
    14  demographics  of  heroin addiction; the recognizable physiological symp-
    15  toms of addiction; the availability and the  critical  effectiveness  of
    16  administering  an  opioid antagonist in cases of suspected overdose; and
    17  the availability of the office's HOPEline.  The commissioner shall  post
    18  the  announcements,  examine  all  possible  methodologies, and take all
    19  other efforts, including the use of social media sites, to  ensure  that
    20  the  announcements  are  viewed  by  the maximum number of people.   The
    21  commissioner shall also provide  copies  of  the  announcements  on  its
    22  website  in  a  highly  visible location that are available to be freely
    23  downloaded by any member of the public.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10391-01-9
        S. 4437                             2
     1    § 2. The sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), or  so  much
     2  thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of
     3  mental  hygiene  out  of any moneys in the state treasury in the general
     4  fund to the credit of the  office  of  alcoholism  and  substance  abuse
     5  services,  not  otherwise  appropriated, and made immediately available,
     6  for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act. Such  moneys
     7  shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers
     8  certified  or  approved  by the commissioner of the office of alcoholism
     9  and substance abuse services in the manner prescribed by law.
    10    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.