Senate Bill S7424

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Imposes a duty to protect upon mental health practitioners; requires mental health practitioner to make timely and reasonable efforts to reduce or eliminate the risk of harm

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2015-S7424 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A9484
Current Committee:
Senate Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities
Law Section:
Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:
Add ยง9.42, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2017-2018: S775
2019-2020: S2372
2021-2022: S3475
2023-2024: S7969

2015-S7424 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Imposes a duty to protect upon mental health practitioners; requires reasonable efforts to modify aspects of treatment in order to reduce or eliminate the risk of harm, initiating procedures for hospitalization, notifying the intended victim or victims, or notifying law enforcement officials when a person directly communicates a threat of serious, imminent harm to self or against a readily identifiable person or persons, and the threat includes both a serious intent to act and the ability to carry out the threat; does not require a mental health practitioner to take any action which, in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment, would endanger such mental health practitioner or increase the danger to a potential victim or victims.

2015-S7424 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S7424 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7424

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             April 29, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sen. CARLUCCI -- 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 imposing  a  duty
  to protect upon mental health practitioners

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a  new  section
9.42 to read as follows:
S 9.42 EFFORTS  BY  MENTAL  HEALTH  PRACTITIONERS TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE
         RISKS OF HARM.
  (A) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "MENTAL HEALTH  PRACTITION-
ER"  SHALL INCLUDE ANY NEW YORK STATE LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITION-
ER, INCLUDING PHYSICIANS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, REGISTERED  PSYCHIATRIC  NURSES
AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS, AND LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS.
  (B)  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER LAW TO THE CONTRARY, WHEN A PERSON TO
WHOM A MENTAL  HEALTH  PRACTITIONER  IS  CURRENTLY  PROVIDING  TREATMENT
DIRECTLY  COMMUNICATES  A  THREAT  OF  SERIOUS, IMMINENT HARM TO SELF OR
AGAINST A  READILY  IDENTIFIABLE  PERSON  OR  PERSONS,  AND  THE  THREAT
INCLUDES  BOTH  A SERIOUS INTENT TO ACT AND THE ABILITY TO CARRY OUT THE
THREAT, THE MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER SHALL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE  TIMELY
AND  REASONABLE  EFFORTS  TO  REDUCE  OR ELIMINATE THE RISK OF HARM. FOR
PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, REASONABLE EFFORTS MAY INCLUDE,  BUT  ARE  NOT
LIMITED  TO:  MODIFYING  ASPECTS  OF THE TREATMENT IN ORDER TO REDUCE OR
ELIMINATE THE RISK OF HARM; INITIATING PROCEDURES  FOR  HOSPITALIZATION;
NOTIFYING  THE  INTENDED VICTIM OR VICTIMS; OR NOTIFYING LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS.
  (C) WHENEVER A MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER IS REQUIRED TO  MAKE  TIMELY
AND  REASONABLE  EFFORTS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (B) OF THIS SECTION, HE
OR SHE SHALL ALSO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF  SECTION  9.46  OF  THIS
ARTICLE.
  (D)  NOTHING  IN  THIS  SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE A MENTAL
HEALTH PRACTITIONER TO TAKE ANY ACTION WHICH, IN THE EXERCISE OF REASON-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD14029-01-6
              

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