STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11326
IN ASSEMBLY
September 19, 2018
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Fernandez)
-- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT to establish a Latina suicide prevention task force; and provides
for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Latina suicide prevention task force. (a) There is hereby
2 created the Latina suicide prevention task force to examine, evaluate
3 and determine how to improve mental health and suicide prevention for
4 our Latina New York residents, consisting of seven members, each to
5 serve until two years after the effective date of this act.
6 (b)(1) Such members shall be appointed as follows: one member shall be
7 appointed by the governor; one member shall be appointed by the tempo-
8 rary president of the senate; one member shall be appointed by the
9 minority leader of the senate; one member shall be appointed by the
10 speaker of the assembly; one member shall be appointed by the minority
11 leader of the assembly; and two members shall be appointed by the
12 commissioner of health. Appointments shall be made within sixty days of
13 the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the task force shall be
14 filled in the same manner provided for original appointments.
15 (2) All appointees shall have expertise in fields or disciplines
16 related to mental health and knowledge related to the Latina community.
17 All appointments shall be coordinated to ensure geographic represen-
18 tation from the entire state.
19 (3) The task force shall be chaired by the governor's appointee. The
20 task force shall elect a vice-chair and other necessary officers from
21 among all appointed members.
22 (4) A majority of the members of the task force in office shall
23 constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or the exercise of
24 any power or function of the task force. An act, determination or deci-
25 sion of the majority of the members present during the presence of a
26 quorum shall be held to be the act, determination, or decision of the
27 task force.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16082-01-8
A. 11326 2
1 (5) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call of the
2 chair. Meetings may be held via teleconference. Special meetings may be
3 called by the chair at the request of a majority of the members of the
4 task force.
5 (6) Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their
6 services but shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses incurred in
7 the performance of their duties in the work of the task force.
8 (c) The task force shall:
9 (1) study current mental health practices and suicide prevention
10 efforts;
11 (2) recommend mental health practices and suicide prevention efforts
12 to increase effectiveness across the state; and
13 (3) determine potential reasons for the high number of Latina
14 suicides.
15 (d) The task force may establish such advisory committees as it deems
16 appropriate on matters relating to the task force's functions, powers
17 and duties. Such committees shall be chaired by a task force member, but
18 may be composed of task force members as well as other individuals
19 selected by the task force to provide expertise of interest specific to
20 the charge of such committees.
21 (e) The task force may, as it deems appropriate, request that studies,
22 surveys, or analyses relating to the task force's powers and duties be
23 performed by any state department, commission, agency or public authori-
24 ty. All state departments, commissions, agencies or public authorities
25 shall provide information and advice in a timely manner and otherwise
26 assist the task force with its work.
27 (f) The task force shall submit a request for any appropriation as
28 shall be necessary to enable the task force to perform its functions and
29 duties to the governor, director of the division of budget, and chair-
30 persons of the senate finance committee and the assembly ways and means
31 committee.
32 (g) The task force may hold public hearings, take testimony and make
33 investigations at such places as it deems necessary.
34 (h) The task force shall make a preliminary report to the governor and
35 the legislature of its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activ-
36 ities already undertaken by the task force, not later than thirteen
37 months after the effective date of this act, and a final report of its
38 findings, conclusions, recommendations and activities already undertaken
39 by the task force, not later than twenty-two months after the effective
40 date of this act and shall submit with its reports legislative proposals
41 as it deems necessary to implement its recommendations.
42 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
43 have become a law and shall expire 2 years after such effective date
44 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed.