Bill Text: NY S05453 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Creates the twelve member rural suicide prevention council to examine the causes of rural suicides or attempts and to make recommendations for rural suicide reduction.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 10-2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-01-05 - REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH [S05453 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-S05453-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5453--A 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 5, 2021 ___________ Introduced by Sens. HELMING, BORRELLO, BOYLE, BROUK, OBERACKER, ORTT, TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee 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 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 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10015-02-1S. 5453--A 2 1 services in rural areas, persons with expertise in public health issues, 2 any group, association, or university with expertise in financial or 3 economic analysis, business planning, and providing supports for farmers 4 and other individuals residing in rural areas, and others whose profes- 5 sional expertise includes rural affairs related to the duties of the 6 council. 7 (c) The council shall focus its efforts and work on "rural areas" as 8 such term is defined in section four hundred eighty-one of the executive 9 law. 10 (d) Duties of the council shall include, but not be limited to: 11 1. examining the causes and conditions related to rural suicides or 12 suicide attempts and the prevalence of suicide among certain professions 13 including, but not limited to, farmers and agricultural workers; 14 2. identifying policies, practices, resources, services, and potential 15 legislation that may result in the reduction of rural suicide and rural 16 suicide attempts; 17 3. offering recommendations on policies and procedures to improve the 18 coordination of services and resources among agencies involved in the 19 delivery of mental health, substance use, or suicide prevention 20 services; and 21 4. making recommendations on funding initiatives to increase access to 22 mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention services in rural 23 areas and facilitate the use of innovative intervention strategies 24 specific to individuals residing in rural areas. 25 (e) The rural suicide prevention council shall meet not less than two 26 times annually, or as deemed necessary by the chair of the council or 27 the commissioner. 28 (f) The members of the rural suicide prevention council shall receive 29 no compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual 30 and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. 31 (g) The council shall prepare and submit a report no later than Janu- 32 ary first, two thousand twenty-three, and biennially thereafter, to the 33 governor and the legislature that recommends policies, legislation, and 34 funding needed to implement any of the findings in the council's report. 35 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 36 have become a law.
