S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3237--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 22, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on  Veterans'  Affairs  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the county law and the executive law, in relation to the
   reporting of a veteran's suicide

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  677 of the county law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 10 to read as follows:
   10. THE CORONER, CORONER'S PHYSICIAN OR MEDICAL EXAMINER SHALL  REPORT
 TO  THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' SERVICES, IN A FORM, AND TIME FRAME DEVEL-
 OPED BY SUCH DIVISION IN A MANNER THAT  IS  PROTECTIVE  OF  PRIVACY  AND
 CONTAINS  AGGREGATE, RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL DATA TO THE EXTENT PRACTICA-
 BLE, ANY DEATH WHICH APPEARS TO BE A SUICIDE BY A  PERSON  WHO,  TO  THE
 KNOWLEDGE  OF THE CORONER, CORONER'S PHYSICIAN OR MEDICAL EXAMINER, IS A
 VETERAN.
   § 2. Section 353 of the executive law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 26 to read as follows:
   26.  (A)  TO DEVELOP A FORM BY WHICH A CORONER, CORONER'S PHYSICIAN OR
 MEDICAL EXAMINER, PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN  OF  THE
 COUNTY LAW, SHALL REPORT TO THE DIVISION ANY DEATH WHICH APPEARS TO BE A
 SUICIDE  BY  A  PERSON  WHO,  TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE CORONER, CORONER'S
 PHYSICIAN OR MEDICAL EXAMINER, IS A VETERAN. THIS FORM SHALL AT A  MINI-
 MUM:  (I)  ENSURE  COMPLIANCE WITH THE STRICTEST PRIVACY PROTECTIONS AND
 ENCOURAGE DATA AGGREGATION TO THE  EXTENT  FEASIBLE;  (II)  PROVIDE  THE
 ADDRESS  TO  WHICH THE FORM IS TO BE MAILED OR SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY;
 AND (III) INCLUDE THE COUNTY OF RESIDENCE AND THE BRANCH OF  SERVICE  OF
 DECEASED VETERANS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD.
   (B)  THE  DIVISION SHALL: (I) FORWARD COMPLETED FORMS TO THE OFFICE OF
 MENTAL HYGIENE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (G) OF SECTION 7.07 OF THE MENTAL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03672-03-1
              

 A. 3237--A                          2
 
 HYGIENE LAW IN A TIMELY MANNER; AND (II) COMPILE  SUCH  INFORMATION  FOR
 INCLUSION IN THE ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   §  3.  Section  353  of  the  executive law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 6-b to read as follows:
   6-B. TO PREPARE AND SUBMIT A REPORT IN CONSULTATION WITH  THE  DEPART-
 MENT  OF  HEALTH  AND  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  MENTAL HYGIENE INCLUDING THE
 FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO THE EXTENT IT IS REASONABLY ACCESSIBLE: (A) THE
 NUMBER OF VETERANS WHO DIED BY SUICIDE; (B) TRENDS OF  VETERANS  SUICIDE
 RATES  OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, INCLUDING DETAILS BY PERIOD OF MILITARY
 SERVICE; AND (C) A COMPARISON  OF  VETERANS  SUICIDE  RATES  BY  COUNTY,
 STATEWIDE AND NATIONWIDE. SUCH REPORT SHALL BE DELIVERED TO THE GOVERNOR
 AND  LEGISLATURE NO LATER THAN JUNE THIRTEENTH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
 AND EVERY THREE YEARS THEREAFTER. SUCH REPORT SHALL ALSO BE MADE  AVAIL-
 ABLE ON THE DIVISION'S WEBSITE.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.  Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.