S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8715
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 11, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN  ACT to amend the county law, the public health law and the executive
   law, in relation to reporting veteran suicide
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Subdivision 10 of section 677 of the county law, as added
 by a chapter of the laws of 2021 amending the county law and the  execu-
 tive  law  relating to the reporting of a veteran's suicide, as proposed
 in legislative bills numbers S. 2036-B and A. 3237-A, is amended to read
 as follows:
   10. (A) The coroner, coroner's physician  or  medical  examiner  shall
 report  to the division of veterans' services, in a form, and time frame
 developed by [such division] THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH in a  manner  that
 is  protective of privacy and contains aggregate, rather than individual
 data to the extent practicable, any death which appears to be caused  by
 suicide  by  a  person  who,  to the knowledge of the coroner, coroner's
 physician or medical examiner, is a veteran.
   (B) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, VETERAN MEANS A  PERSON  WHO
 SERVED  IN  THE UNITED STATES ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, SPACE FORCE, MARINE
 CORPS, COAST GUARD, AND/OR RESERVES THEREOF, AND/OR IN THE ARMY NATIONAL
 GUARD, AIR NATIONAL GUARD, NEW YORK GUARD AND/OR NEW YORK NAVAL MILITIA,
 AND/OR WHO SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSIONED CORPS OF THE  NATIONAL
 OCEANIC  AND  ATMOSPHERIC  ADMINISTRATION  OR  THE  UNITED STATES PUBLIC
 HEALTH SERVICE REGARDLESS OF DISCHARGE STATUS.
   § 1-a. Subdivision 1 of section  201  of  the  public  health  law  is
 amended by adding a new paragraph (y) to read as follows:
   (Y)  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 OF VETERANS' SERVICES ANY DEATH
 WHICH  APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY 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 MINIMUM: (I) ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE STRICTEST
 PRIVACY PROTECTIONS AND ENCOURAGE DATA AGGREGATION TO THE EXTENT  FEASI-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD03672-06-2
 A. 8715                             2
 
 BLE;  (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.
   § 2. Subdivision 26 of section 353 of the executive law, as added by a
 chapter  of  the  laws of 2021 amending the county law and the executive
 law relating to the reporting of a veteran's  suicide,  as  proposed  in
 legislative bills numbers S. 2036-B and A. 3237-A, is amended 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 RECEIVED FROM A
 CORONER, CORONER'S PHYSICIAN OR MEDICAL EXAMINER PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX
 HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN OF THE COUNTY LAW to the office of mental  hygiene
 pursuant to subdivision (g) of section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law in
 a  timely manner; and (ii) compile such information for inclusion in the
 annual report pursuant to this section.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the  same  date  and  in  the  same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2021, amending the county law and the
 executive  law  relating  to  the  reporting  of a veteran's suicide, as
 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 2036-B and A.  3237-A  ,  takes
 effect.