NY State Senate Bill 2021-S1956

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to education
Jan 16, 2021	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §2801-c, amd §§3602 & 3602-c, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S7805
2019-2020: S2462
2023-2024: S5683

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the school mental health services program coordinator to provide qualifying public and nonpublic schools with mental health services professionals.

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S1956

SPONSOR: AKSHAR
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to creating a school
mental health services program coordinator

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would establish a Mental Health Services Coordinator Program
under the education law and establish a mental health services program
coordinator education aid program to reimburse school districts outside
the city of New York, $50,000 for the hiring of such a mental health
services professional.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

More specifically, this bill would add a new section 2801-c to the
education law to:

- Define the term Mental Health Services Program Coordinator to include
a mental health services professional, with qualifications determined by
regulation by the commissioner of education.

- Authorize school districts to hire mental health services program
coordinators, or contract for their services with mental health services
providers.

- Define the role and responsibility of a mental health services program
coordinator as working with students, faculty and other mental health
and health care professionals to identify, report and address mental
health issues of students, faculty and administration, at any public or
non-public school, that could pose a risk to public safety.

- Authorize the state department of education by regulation, to deter-
mine the qualifications for a mental health services program coordina-
tor, and establish the mandatory reports, the persons or entities with
whom such reports shall be filed, and the treatment services that may be
offered or directed by a mental health services program coordinator.

This bill would further amend sections 3641 of the education law, to
establish a mental health services program coordinator grant program, in
order to reimburse school districts outside the city of New York, for
the hiring of mental health services professionals.

This bill would lastly amend section 211 of the retirement and social
security law, to make the position of mental health services program
coordinator a factor in the granting of a "211 waiver" allowing a reti-
ree to earn over the earnings limitation threshold amounts prescribed in
law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Recent school attacks across the nation have demonstrated an important
need to increase security at schools. In many of these tragedies, it has
been demonstrated that the failure to properly identify and address
mental illness of the attacker has led, at least in part, to the failure
to prevent the attack. Therefore, one of the best possible preventive
and responsive measures is the deployment of mental health services to
identify, report and address individuals who they, in their clinical and
professional judgment could pose a threat to public safety and security.

This bill would provide a specific definition of Mental Health Services
Program Coordinator, requiring such persons to be experienced mental
health services professional, with the qualifications determined by
regulations established by the state department of education. it further
provides, for the first time, an important state aid component, which
will allow all schools across the state, to have the necessary funds to
retain the services of such invaluable mental health services
professions who could seriously enhance public protection.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

This bill will establish a new state education grant program, the cost
of which will depend upon the number of mental health services program
coordinators hired. This program would establish a grant formula,
providing $50,000 for every district that hires a single mental health
services professional, or a multiple of $20,000 for multiple hires.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2020 - S2462: Referred to Education

2019 - S2462: Referred to Education

2018 - S7805(Croci): Passed Senate

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act would take effect immediately.

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1956
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 16, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  AKSHAR,  JORDAN, SERINO -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Educa-
   tion
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education law, in relation to creating a school
   mental health services program coordinator
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 2801-c
 to read as follows:
   § 2801-C. NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM COORDI-
 NATOR.  1.  FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH
 SERVICES PROGRAM  COORDINATOR"  SHALL  MEAN  A  MENTAL  HEALTH  SERVICES
 PROFESSIONAL,  WITH  QUALIFICATIONS  DETERMINED  BY  REGULATION  BY  THE
 COMMISSIONER, WHOSE ROLE  AND  RESPONSIBILITY  SHALL  BE  TO  WORK  WITH
 STUDENTS,  FACULTY AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
 TO IDENTIFY, REPORT AND ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OF STUDENTS, FACUL-
 TY AND ADMINISTRATION AT ANY PUBLIC OR NON-PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT COULD POSE
 A RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
   2. ANY PUBLIC OR NON-PUBLIC SCHOOL MAY EMPLOY A MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
 PROFESSIONAL, IN EITHER THE CLASSIFIED OR UNCLASSIFIED  SERVICE,  DETER-
 MINED  IN  REGULATION  BY  THE COMMISSIONER TO BE QUALIFIED, AS A MENTAL
 HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM COORDINATOR.   ANY  SUCH  PUBLIC  OR  NON-PUBLIC
 SCHOOL  MAY  ALSO  CONTRACT  WITH THE STATE OF NEW YORK, A COUNTY, CITY,
 TOWN OR VILLAGE, OR WITH A PRIVATE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDER,  FOR
 THE  PROVISION  OF  A MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROFESSIONAL, DETERMINED IN
 REGULATION BY THE COMMISSIONER TO BE QUALIFIED, TO  SERVE  AS  A  MENTAL
 HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM COORDINATOR.
   3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL, BY REGULATION, DETERMINE THE QUALIFICATIONS
 FOR  A  MENTAL  HEALTH  SERVICES  PROGRAM COORDINATOR. A SCHOOL DISTRICT
 SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO EMPLOY OR CONTRACT  FOR  AS  MANY  MENTAL  HEALTH
 SERVICES  PROGRAM  COORDINATORS,  AS  SUCH DISTRICT DEEMS NECESSARY. THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD04210-01-1

 S. 1956                             2
 
 COMMISSIONER SHALL BY REGULATION, ESTABLISH THE MANDATORY  REPORTS,  THE
 PERSONS  OR  ENTITIES  WITH  WHOM  SUCH  REPORTS SHALL BE FILED, AND THE
 TREATMENT SERVICES THAT MAY BE OFFERED OR DIRECTED BY  A  MENTAL  HEALTH
 SERVICES PROGRAM COORDINATOR.
   §  2.  Section  3602  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 5-b to read as follows:
   5-B. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES  PROGRAM  COORDINATOR  AID.  EVERY  SCHOOL
 DISTRICT  EMPLOYING  OR  CONTRACTING FOR THE SERVICES OF A MENTAL HEALTH
 SERVICES PROGRAM COORDINATOR, IN EITHER THE CLASSIFIED  OR  UNCLASSIFIED
 SERVICE,  IN  ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT HUNDRED ONE-C OF THIS
 CHAPTER, SHALL BE ENTITLED  TO  A  PAYMENT  OF  MENTAL  HEALTH  SERVICES
 PROGRAM  COORDINATOR AID IN THE AMOUNT OF THE DISTRICT'S EXPENDITURE FOR
 THE COST OF  SUCH  EMPLOYMENT  OR  CONTRACTING  OF  SUCH  MENTAL  HEALTH
 SERVICES  PROGRAM  COORDINATOR.  BUT  IN NO EVENT SHALL SUCH AID TO SUCH
 SCHOOL DISTRICT BE IN EXCESS OF FIFTY  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  ANNUALLY.  THE
 MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM COORDINATOR AID PROVIDED BY THIS SUBDIVI-
 SION  SHALL  BE  LIMITED  TO  THE PAYMENT FOR ONE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
 PROGRAM COORDINATOR PER SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   § 3. Section 3602-c of the education law is amended by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 11 to read as follows:
   11.  AID  SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNDER THIS
 SECTION, FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM COORDINATORS,  IN  THE  SAME
 MANNER AS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN SUBDIVISION FIVE-B OF SECTION THIRTY-SIX
 HUNDRED TWO OF THIS ARTICLE.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S1956

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

co-Sponsors

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S1956

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Sponsored By

Fred Akshar

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

co-Sponsors

Daphne Jordan

Susan Serino

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S1956 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments