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S02070 Summary:

S02070 Actions:

S02070 Committee Votes:

S02070 Floor Votes:

S02070 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          2070
 
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                    January 22, 2019
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen. METZGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Develop-
          mental Disabilities
 
        AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law,  in  relation  to  creating  the
          rural suicide prevention council

          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  7.48 to read as follows:
     3  § 7.48 Rural suicide prevention council.
     4    (a)  There  shall  be  established  by  the office, a council on rural
     5  suicide prevention, to consist of twelve members:
     6    1. two members shall be appointed by the commissioner;
     7    2. two members shall be appointed by the commissioner of health;
     8    3. two members shall be appointed by the commissioner  of  agriculture
     9  and markets;
    10    4. two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
    11    5. two  members  shall  be appointed by the temporary president of the
    12  senate;
    13    6. one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the  assem-
    14  bly; and
    15    7. one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
    16    (b)  The  commissioner  shall  designate the chair of the council from
    17  among such twelve members. Vacancies in the membership of  such  council
    18  shall  be filled by the appropriate appointing authority. The membership
    19  of the council may include, but not be limited  to,  representatives  of
    20  the  state conference of local mental hygiene directors, psychiatric and
    21  psychological practitioners, substance use  and  mental  health  profes-
    22  sionals  with  experience  in  the  delivery of treatment and prevention
    23  services in rural areas, persons with expertise in public health issues,
    24  any group, association, or university with  expertise  in  financial  or
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00560-01-9
        S. 2070                             2
 
     1  economic analysis, business planning, and providing supports for farmers
     2  and  other individuals residing in rural areas, and others whose profes-
     3  sional expertise includes rural affairs related to  the  duties  of  the
     4  council.
     5    (c)  The  council shall focus its efforts and work on "rural areas" as
     6  such term is defined in section four hundred eighty-one of the executive
     7  law.
     8    (d) Duties of the council shall include, but not be limited to:
     9    1. examining the causes and conditions related to  rural  suicides  or
    10  suicide attempts and the prevalence of suicide among certain professions
    11  including, but not limited to, farmers and agricultural workers;
    12    2. identifying policies, practices, resources, services, and potential
    13  legislation  that may result in the reduction of rural suicide and rural
    14  suicide attempts;
    15    3. offering recommendations on policies and procedures to improve  the
    16  coordination  of  services  and resources among agencies involved in the
    17  delivery  of  mental  health,  substance  use,  or  suicide   prevention
    18  services; and
    19    4. making recommendations on funding initiatives to increase access to
    20  mental  health,  substance use, and suicide prevention services in rural
    21  areas and facilitate  the  use  of  innovative  intervention  strategies
    22  specific to individuals residing in rural areas.
    23    (e)  The rural suicide prevention council shall meet not less than two
    24  times annually, or as deemed necessary by the chair of  the  council  or
    25  the commissioner.
    26    (f)  The members of the rural suicide prevention council shall receive
    27  no compensation for their services, but shall be  allowed  their  actual
    28  and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
    29    (g)  The council shall prepare and submit a report no later than Janu-
    30  ary first, two thousand twenty-one, and biennially  thereafter,  to  the
    31  governor  and the legislature that recommends policies, legislation, and
    32  funding needed to implement any of the findings in the council's report.
    33    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    34  have become a law.