STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8962 IN SENATE September 2, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to excused absence of a public employee for mental health purposes The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The civil service law is amended by adding a new section 2 159-c to read as follows: 3 § 159-c. Excused leave for mental or behavioral health. 1. Every 4 public officer, employee of this state, employee of any county, employee 5 of any community college, employee of any public authority, employee of 6 any public benefit corporation, employee of any board of cooperative 7 educational services (BOCES), employee of any vocational education and 8 extension board, or a school district enumerated in section one of chap- 9 ter five hundred sixty-six of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-seven, 10 employee of any municipality, employee of any school district, any 11 employee of a participating employer in the New York state and local 12 employees' retirement system or any employee of a participating employer 13 in the New York state teachers' retirement system shall be entitled to 14 absent himself or herself and shall be deemed to have a paid leave of 15 absence from his or her duties or service as such public officer, 16 employee of this state, employee of any county, employee of any communi- 17 ty college, employee of any public authority, employee of any public 18 benefit corporation, employee of any board of cooperative educational 19 services (BOCES), employee of any vocational education and extension 20 board, or a school district enumerated in section one of chapter five 21 hundred sixty-six of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-seven, employee 22 of any municipality, employee of any school district, any employee of a 23 participating employer in the New York state and local employees' 24 retirement system or any employee of a participating employer in the New 25 York state teachers' retirement system for the purpose of mental or 26 behavioral health. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD13639-02-9S. 8962 2 1 2. Absence for the mental or behavioral health pursuant to this 2 section shall not be charged to the sick time allotted for such employ- 3 ee. 4 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.