S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                 3775--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 17, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
  ty and Military Affairs -- recommitted to the Committee  on  Veterans,
  Homeland  Security and Military Affairs in accordance with Senate Rule
  6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted  as
  amended and recommitted to said committee

AN  ACT  to create a veterans' mental health and suicide prevention task
  force; and providing 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:

  Section  1.  Legislative intent. The legislature is concerned with the
health, safety, and welfare of all  returning  veterans  of  the  United
States armed forces to New York and the high rate of mental health prob-
lems and suicides of members of the United States armed forces.
  S  2.  Veterans'  suicide  task force. (a) There is hereby created the
veterans' mental health and suicide prevention task  force  to  examine,
evaluate  and  determine  how  to  improve  mental  health  and  suicide
prevention for our veterans, consisting of seven members, each to  serve
until May first, two thousand seventeen.
  (b)(1) Such members shall be appointed as follows: one member shall be
appointed  by  the governor; one member shall be appointed by the tempo-
rary president of the senate; one  member  shall  be  appointed  by  the
minority  leader  of  the  senate;  one member shall be appointed by the
speaker of the assembly; one member shall be appointed by  the  minority
leader of the assembly; one member shall be appointed by the director of
the  New  York State Division of Veterans' Affairs; and one member shall
be appointed by the commissioner of health. Appointments shall  be  made
within  sixty  days  of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the
task force shall be filled in the manner provided for original  appoint-
ments.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08840-02-6
              

S. 3775--A                          2

  (2)  All  appointees  shall  have  expertise  in fields or disciplines
related to mental health.  All  appointments  shall  be  coordinated  to
ensure geographic representation from the entire state.
  (3)  The  task force shall be chaired by the governor's appointee. The
task force shall elect a vice-chair and other  necessary  officers  from
among all appointed members.
  (4)  A  majority of the members of the task force then in office shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or the  exercise  of
any  power or function of the task force. An act, determination or deci-
sion of the majority of the members present during  the  presence  of  a
quorum  shall  be  held to be the act, determination, or decision of the
task force.
  (5) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the  call  of  the
chair.  Meetings may be held via teleconference. Special meetings may be
called by the chair at the request of a majority of the members  of  the
task force.
  (6)  Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their
services but shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses  incurred  in
the performance of their duties in the work of the task force.
  (c) The task force shall:
  (1)  study  current  mental  health  practices  and suicide prevention
efforts; and
  (2) recommend  mental  health  practices  and  suicide  prevention  to
increase effectiveness across the state.
  (d)  The task force may establish such advisory committees as it deems
appropriate on matters relating to the task  force's  functions,  powers
and duties. Such committees shall be chaired by a task force member, but
may  be  composed  of  task  force  members as well as other individuals
selected by the task force to provide expertise of interest specific  to
the charge of such committees.
  (e) The task force may, as it deems appropriate, request that studies,
surveys,  or  analyses relating to the task force's powers and duties be
performed by any state department, commission, agency or public authori-
ty. All state departments, commissions, agencies or  public  authorities
shall  provide  information  and advice in a timely manner and otherwise
assist the task force with its work.
  (f) The task force shall submit a request  for  any  appropriation  as
shall be necessary to enable the task force to perform its functions and
duties  to  the governor, director of the division of budget, and chair-
persons of the senate finance committee and the assembly ways and  means
committee.
  (g)  The  task force may hold public hearings, take testimony and make
investigations at such places as it deems necessary.
  (h) The task force shall make a preliminary report to the governor and
the legislature of its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activ-
ities already undertaken by the task force, not later than  June  first,
two thousand seventeen, and a final report of its findings, conclusions,
recommendations and activities already undertaken by the task force, not
later  than March first, two thousand eighteen and shall submit with its
reports legislative proposals as it deems  necessary  to  implement  its
recommendations.
  S  3.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
have become a law and shall expire May 1, 2018 when upon such  date  the
provisions of this act shall be deemed to be repealed.