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S01788 Summary:

S01788 Actions:

S01788 Committee Votes:

S01788 Floor Votes:

S01788 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         1788--A
            Cal. No. 216
 
                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                    January 15, 2021
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced by Sens. SANDERS, ADDABBO, BROOKS, GAUGHRAN, GOUNARDES, HELM-
          ING,  JACKSON,  JORDAN,  KAPLAN,  LANZA,  LIU, MYRIE, PARKER, RITCHIE,
          SAVINO, SERRANO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to
          be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Mili-
          tary Affairs -- reported favorably from  said  committee,  ordered  to
          first  and  second  report,  ordered  to  a third reading, amended and
          ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading
 
        AN ACT to create a veterans' suicide prevention  temporary  task  force;
          and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration there-
          of
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature is concerned  with  the
     2  health,  safety,  and  welfare  of  all returning veterans of the United
     3  States armed forces to New York and the high rate of mental health prob-
     4  lems and suicides of members of the United States armed forces.
     5    § 2. Veterans' suicide prevention temporary task force. (a)  There  is
     6  hereby  created the veterans' temporary suicide prevention task force to
     7  examine, evaluate and determine how to improve mental health and suicide
     8  prevention for our veterans, consisting of nine members, each  to  serve
     9  until May first, two thousand twenty-three.
    10    (b)(1) Such members shall be appointed as follows: three members shall
    11  be  appointed  by  the  governor;  two members shall be appointed by the
    12  temporary president of the senate; one member shall be appointed by  the
    13  minority  leader  of  the  senate; two members shall be appointed by the
    14  speaker of the assembly; and one member shall be appointed by the minor-
    15  ity leader of the assembly. Appointments shall be made within sixty days
    16  of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the temporary task force
    17  shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments.
    18    (2) All appointees shall  have  expertise  in  fields  or  disciplines
    19  related  to  mental  health and at least three members shall have worked
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04863-05-1
        S. 1788--A                          2
 
     1  with members of the military or veterans  community  on  a  professional
     2  basis. All appointments shall be coordinated to ensure geographic repre-
     3  sentation from the entire state.
     4    (3)  The  temporary  task  force  shall  be  chaired by the governor's
     5  appointee. The temporary task force shall elect a vice-chair  and  other
     6  necessary officers from among all appointed members.
     7    (4)  A  majority  of  the  members of the temporary task force then in
     8  office shall constitute a quorum.
     9    (5) The temporary task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call
    10  of the chair. Meetings may be held via teleconference. Special  meetings
    11  may  be  called by the chair at the request of a majority of the members
    12  of the task force.
    13    (6) Members of the temporary task force shall receive no  compensation
    14  for  their  services  but  shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses
    15  incurred in the performance of their duties in  the  work  of  the  task
    16  force.
    17    (c) The temporary task force shall:
    18    (1)  study  current  mental  health  practices  and suicide prevention
    19  efforts of those individuals who have served on active military duty;
    20    (2) recommend mental health practices and suicide  prevention  efforts
    21  to  increase  effectiveness  across  the state for those individuals who
    22  have served on active military duty;
    23    (3) determine potential reasons for the number of  veterans  who  have
    24  committed  suicide  and  how  this  may be addressed by the state of New
    25  York;
    26    (4) determine what role post traumatic stress disorder   and  military
    27  sexual trauma may have contributed to the number of veterans suicides in
    28  the state of New York;
    29    (d) work with the New York state suicide prevention task force and the
    30  New York state suicide prevention council; and
    31    (e)  make  a preliminary report to the governor and the legislature of
    32  its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activities already under-
    33  taken by the temporary task force, not later than June 1,  2023,  and  a
    34  final  report  of  its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activ-
    35  ities already undertaken by the temporary task  force,  not  later  than
    36  June 30, 2024 and shall submit with its reports legislative proposals as
    37  it deems necessary to implement its recommendations.
    38    §  3.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    39  have become a law and shall expire August 31, 2024 when upon  such  date
    40  the provisions of this act shall be deemed to be repealed.