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S07659 Summary:

BILL NOS07659A
 
SAME ASSAME AS A09753-A
 
SPONSORKAPLAN
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add 362 & 6235, Ed L
 
Requires the state university of New York and the city university of New York to adopt certain provisions related to student mental health such as administering student mental health surveys, establishing a mental health committee, administering mental health training to faculty and staff, and improving university policies regarding mental health.
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S07659 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         7659--A
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                     January 5, 2022
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen.  KAPLAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed  to  the  Committee  on  Higher  Education  --
          committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
          recommitted to said committee
 
        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  requiring  the  state
          university  of  New  York and the city university of New York to adopt
          certain provisions related to student mental health
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 362 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    §  362.  Student  mental  health.  1.  The university shall create and
     4  administer, at the start of a student's  freshman  and  junior  year,  a
     5  mental  health survey. Such survey shall include, but not be limited to,
     6  questions regarding a student's mental health  and  general  well-being.
     7  Participation  in such survey shall be optional to each student, and the
     8  results of such survey from participating students shall be sent to  the
     9  chancellor of the university, appropriate staff including but not limit-
    10  ed  to the president of each state-operated institution of the universi-
    11  ty, any oversight council as mandated pursuant to section three  hundred
    12  fifty-six  of  this article and any licensed mental health practitioners
    13  employed by any of the state-operated institutions of the university.
    14    2. There shall be a  five  member  committee  established  within  the
    15  university that shall be responsible for engaging with and disseminating
    16  mental  health  resources to faculty, staff and students. Such committee
    17  shall be composed of a group of individuals chosen by the chancellor  of
    18  the university in conjunction with the presidents of each state-operated
    19  institution  of the university. Such committee shall also be responsible
    20  for making recommendations to the regents of  the  university  regarding
    21  how  often  and  in  what manner faculty of the university shall provide
    22  mental  health  wellness  days  and  excused  absences  from  class  for
    23  students.
    24    3.  All faculty and other staff of the university shall be required on
    25  an annual basis to undergo mental health training with a focus on  iden-
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14000-05-2

        S. 7659--A                          2
 
     1  tifying  or  recognizing  signs  of  mental distress among students. The
     2  chancellor of the university,  in  conjunction  with  the  commissioner,
     3  shall  prescribe  the  form  and  manner in which such training shall be
     4  provided.
     5    4.  The  university  shall  also  take the following actions regarding
     6  student mental health:
     7    (a) review enrollment and re-enrollment policies of the university and
     8  create specific provisions for students that may require extended mental
     9  health leave;
    10    (b)  create  opportunities  for  telehealth  and  virtual   counseling
    11  options;
    12    (c)  require a mental health seminar to be included in all orientation
    13  programs for newly enrolled students; and
    14    (d) institute other programs to address  and  improve  student  mental
    15  health.
    16    § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6235 to read
    17  as follows:
    18    § 6235. Student mental health. 1. The city university shall create and
    19  administer,  at  the  start  of  a  student's freshman and junior year a
    20  mental health survey. Such survey shall include, but not be limited  to,
    21  questions  regarding  a  student's mental health and general well-being.
    22  Participation in such survey shall be optional to each student, and  the
    23  results  of such survey from participating students shall be sent to the
    24  chancellor of the city university, appropriate staff including  but  not
    25  limited  to  the  president  of each senior and community college of the
    26  city university, any oversight council of the city  university  and  any
    27  licensed  mental  health  practitioners employed by any of the senior or
    28  community colleges within the city university.
    29    2. There shall be a five member committee established within the  city
    30  university that shall be responsible for engaging with and disseminating
    31  mental  health  resources to faculty, staff and students. Such committee
    32  shall be composed of a group of individuals chosen by the chancellor  of
    33  the  city university in conjunction with the presidents of each city-op-
    34  erated institution of the  university.  Such  committee  shall  also  be
    35  responsible  for making recommendations to the board of trustees regard-
    36  ing how often and in what manner faculty of the  city  university  shall
    37  provide  mental health wellness days and excused absences from class for
    38  students.
    39    3. All faculty and  other  staff  of  the  city  university  shall  be
    40  required  on  an  annual  basis to undergo mental health training with a
    41  focus on identifying or  recognizing  signs  of  mental  distress  among
    42  students. The chancellor of the city university, in conjunction with the
    43  commissioner, shall prescribe the form and manner in which such training
    44  shall be provided.
    45    4. The city university shall also take the following actions regarding
    46  student mental health:
    47    (a) review enrollment and re-enrollment policies of the city universi-
    48  ty and create specific provisions for students that may require extended
    49  mental health leave;
    50    (b)   create  opportunities  for  telehealth  and  virtual  counseling
    51  options;
    52    (c) require a mental health seminar to be included in all  orientation
    53  programs for newly enrolled students; and
    54    (d)  institute  other  programs  to address and improve student mental
    55  health.
    56    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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