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A00833 Summary:

A00833 Actions:

A00833 Committee Votes:

A00833 Floor Votes:

A00833 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         833--A
 
                               2015-2016 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                     January 7, 2015
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER, MOSLEY, McDONALD, SKOUFIS -- Multi-Spon-
          sored by -- M.  of A. COLTON, COOK, DUPREY, PERRY, RIVERA -- read once
          and  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Ways  and  Means  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee
 
        AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation  to  establishing  a  gift  for
          eliminating  the  stigma relating to mental illness on personal income
          tax returns; to amend the state finance law, in relation to establish-
          ing a mental illness anti-stigma fund; and to amend the mental hygiene
          law, in relation to directing the office of mental health  to  provide
          grants  to  organizations dedicated to eliminating the stigma attached
          to mental illness and persons with mental health needs
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.  The  tax  law is amended by adding a new section 629-a to
     2  read as follows:
     3    § 629-a. Gift for eliminating the stigma relating to  mental  illness.
     4  Effective  for  any  tax  year commencing on or after January first, two
     5  thousand fifteen, an  individual  in  any  taxable  year  may  elect  to
     6  contribute  to  the  mental  illness anti-stigma fund. Such contribution
     7  shall be in any whole dollar amount and shall not reduce the  amount  of
     8  state  tax owed by such individual. The commissioner shall include space
     9  on the personal income tax return to enable  a  taxpayer  to  make  such
    10  contribution.  Notwithstanding  any  other provision of law, all revenue
    11  collected pursuant to this section  shall  be  credited  to  the  mental
    12  illness  anti-stigma fund and used only for those purposes enumerated in
    13  section ninety-five-h of the state finance law.
    14    § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-h  to
    15  read as follows:
    16    §  95-h.  Mental  illness  anti-stigma fund. 1. There is hereby estab-
    17  lished in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and  finance
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02004-07-5
        A. 833--A                           2
 
     1  and  the  state  comptroller,  a special fund to be known as the "mental
     2  illness anti-stigma fund".
     3    2.  Such  fund  shall consist of all revenues received pursuant to the
     4  provisions of section six hundred twenty-nine-a  of  the  tax  law,  all
     5  revenues received pursuant to appropriations by the legislature, and all
     6  moneys appropriated, credited or transferred thereto from any other fund
     7  or  source pursuant to law.  No moneys credited to such fund pursuant to
     8  section six hundred twenty-nine-a of the tax  law  shall  be  deemed  to
     9  authorize  the  reduction of the amount of monies otherwise appropriated
    10  by the state for the purpose  of  eliminating  the  stigma  attached  to
    11  mental illness.
    12    3.  The  monies  of  the fund shall be made available to the office of
    13  mental health for the purpose of providing grants to organizations dedi-
    14  cated to eliminating the stigma attached to mental illness  and  persons
    15  with  mental health needs pursuant to section 7.47 of the mental hygiene
    16  law.
    17    4. The monies of the fund shall be paid out on the audit  and  warrant
    18  of  the  state  comptroller  on  vouchers  certified  or approved by the
    19  commissioner of mental health, or by  an  officer  or  employee  of  the
    20  office of mental health designated by such commissioner.
    21    § 3. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 7.47 to
    22  read as follows:
    23  § 7.47 Mental illness anti-stigma grants.
    24    (a)  The  office  shall develop and implement a program which provides
    25  grants to organizations engaged in activities which eliminate the stigma
    26  attached to mental illness and those with mental health needs.
    27    (b) On or before the first day of February each year, the  comptroller
    28  shall certify to the governor, temporary president of the senate, speak-
    29  er  of  the assembly, chair of the senate finance committee and chair of
    30  the assembly ways and means committee, the amount of money deposited  in
    31  the  mental  illness anti-stigma fund during the preceding calendar year
    32  as the result of revenue derived pursuant to section six  hundred  twen-
    33  ty-nine-a of the tax law.
    34    (c) On or before the first day of February each year, the commissioner
    35  of  mental health shall provide a written report to the temporary presi-
    36  dent of the senate, speaker of the assembly, chair of the senate finance
    37  committee, chair of the assembly ways and means committee, chair of  the
    38  senate  committee  on  mental health and developmental disabilities, and
    39  chair of the assembly  mental  health  committee.    Such  report  shall
    40  include  how  the  monies of the fund were utilized during the preceding
    41  calendar year and shall include:
    42    (1) the amount of money dispersed from the fund;
    43    (2) recipients of awards from the fund;
    44    (3) the amount awarded to each; and
    45    (4) the purposes for which such awards were granted.
    46    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.