Establishes a twenty-four hour, toll-free hotline and website for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning plus (LGBTQ+) individuals who are experiencing emotional distress, suicidal ideation, or crisis-related challenges, which shall provide immediate support, referrals, resource lists, and other information.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9093
IN SENATE
February 2, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning plus crisis
hotline
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 36.08 to read as follows:
3 § 36.08 Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning plus
4 crisis hotline.
5 (a) The commissioner shall establish a twenty-four hour, toll-free
6 hotline and website for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or
7 questioning plus (LGBTQ+) individuals who are experiencing emotional
8 distress, suicidal ideation, or crisis-related challenges, which shall
9 provide immediate support, referrals, resource lists, and other informa-
10 tion to such individuals, including, but not limited to, the location
11 and phone number of relevant services or programs in the area of the
12 state where the individual is located, such as mental health clinics,
13 suicide-prevention programs, gender-affirming care providers, peer-sup-
14 port centers, shelters and safe-housing options, public transportation,
15 LGBTQ+ community centers, reproductive and sexual health clinics, immi-
16 gration support services, veteran's assistance programs, disability
17 services, domestic violence and crime-victim services, addiction coun-
18 seling, legal aid offices, and medical clinics.
19 (b) The hotline shall ensure strict confidentiality and anonymity for
20 all callers and users, except where disclosure is required by law. The
21 hotline and website shall be fully accessible to individuals with disa-
22 bilities, including hearing- and speech-impaired users, and shall
23 provide multilingual, linguistically competent, and culturally competent
24 support, with specialized training for staff in serving high-risk LGBTQ+
25 populations. The hotline shall include text-messaging, web-chat, and
26 other digital communication options to ensure broad accessibility.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14428-01-6
S. 9093 2
1 (c) The department shall coordinate with local crisis-intervention
2 organizations, LGBTQ+ community centers, mental health providers, and
3 relevant state and local agencies to maintain an accurate and up-to-date
4 statewide referral network.
5 (d) The department shall compile and publish on its website an annual
6 disaggregated data report, including call volume, issues presented,
7 referrals made, and other service access metrics, for the purpose of
8 evaluating program effectiveness and identifying gaps in service deliv-
9 ery.
10 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
11 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
