BILL NUMBER:  S6683

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend part R2 of chapter 62 of the laws of 2003, amending
the mental hygiene law and the state finance law relating to the
community mental health support and workforce reinvestment program and
the membership of subcommittees for mental health of community service
boards and the duties of such subcommittees and creating the community
health and workforce reinvestment account, in relation to the
effective date thereof

 PURPOSE :
To extend New York State's Community Mental Health Workforce
Reinvestment Program and the community health workforce reinvestment
account for an additional seven years until March 31, 2017.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 of the bill amends section 7 of part R2 of chapter 62 of the
laws of 2003 to extend for seven years, until March 31, 2017, those
provisions of law which provide for community mental health
reinvestment.

Section 2 of the bill provides for an immediate effective date.

 EXISTING LAW :
New York's Mental Health Community Reinvestment Act was originally
              

enacted in 1993 to direct all savings within the State-operated mental
health service delivery system be reallocated to localities across the
State to meet the mental health needs of individuals and facilitate
their ability to live independently in their home communities. The
program was allowed to expire in 2001, but was finally signed back
into law with revisions by chapter 62 of the laws of 2003. That
statute is set to expire on March 31, 2010.

 JUSTIFICATION :
Community Mental Health Reinvestment was initiated in 1993 with a
sunset and subsequently renewed with revisions to establish the state
policy that savings achieved through downsizing of state operated
mental health facilities would be reallocated to localities across the
state to meet the mental health needs of individuals and facilitate
their ability to live independently in their home communities.
Reinvestment was an important promise that the state made and has
continued to support for over 15 years. It has proved enormously
successful and helpful in creating and supporting community mental
health services. In March, 2010 the promise of reinvestment sunsets.
It is incumbent upon the state to take action and ensure that any
opportunities for reinvestments into our community mental health
service system remain intact.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None to state unless facilities are downsized in which case a portion
of the savings would go to the community mental health support and
workforce reinvest account instead of to the State's general fund.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.