NY State Senate Bill 2021-S2553

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance 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 finance
Jan 21, 2021	referred to finance

co-Sponsors

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2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3501
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Appropriations
Laws Affected:: Add §7.49, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S8371, A10950
2023-2024: S4388, A3702

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the health care worker peer support program.

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2553

SPONSOR: JORDAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to enacting the
health care worker peer support program; and making an appropriation
therefor

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:


Section 1 establishes the name of the act as the "health care worker
peer support program".

Section 2 amends the mental hygiene law by creating a new section 7.49,
which creates the health care worker peer support program.  Section 7.49
establishes definitions for the program and directs the commissioner of
mental health to establish standards for this program as well as create
a grant program to support it.

Section 3 appropriates $10,000,000 to the office of mental health to
support the health care worker peer support program.

Section 4 establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York State
revealed the depths of sacrifice that health care workers are willing to
make for the benefit of their community. Several news outlets - includ-
ing Newsday - have cited the effects that the response has had on these
health care workers, with many experiencing anxiety and depression as
well as a potential for lasting post-traumatic stress disorder. These
negative mental effects have serious consequences. On April 28th, 2020,
CNN reported that Dr. Lorna Breen committed suicide; Dr. Breen was a New
York City area emergency room doctor who not only treated COVID-19
patients but contracted it herself. This bill aims to prevent such trag-
edies by using a well-established support methodology; establishing a
peer-to-peer support program.

This legislation is modeled on the Joseph P. Dwyer peer-to-peer program,
which provides mental health support to veterans by providing for confi-
dential, peer-to-peer approach. This legislation also provides
$10,000,000 in appropriations for support of the program, and going
forward it will be subject to appropriations in the budget process. This
bill, which uses tried-and-true solutions to mental health problems,
will provide peace of mind to frontline health care workers in the
future and will also help New York State lead the way in doing all it
can for these important individuals.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: S8371 of 2019-20

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

$10,000,000 in FY2022.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2553
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 21, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  JORDAN,  BORRELLO, HELMING, ORTT, TEDISCO -- read
   twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
   Committee on Finance
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  mental hygiene law, in relation to enacting the
   health care worker peer support program; and making  an  appropriation
   therefor

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be  cited  as  the  "health
 care worker peer support program".
   § 2. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 7.49 to
 read as follows:
 § 7.49 HEALTH CARE WORKER PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM.
   (A)  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE
 THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (1) "PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN THE "HEALTH CARE WORKER PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM"
 ESTABLISHED BY THIS SECTION.
   (2) "ELIGIBLE ENTITIES" SHALL MEAN AN  ENTITY  WHICH  SUBMITS  TO  THE
 COMMISSIONER  AN  APPLICATION, IN A FORM PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER,
 CONTAINING SUCH INFORMATION  AND  ASSURANCES  AS  THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY
 REQUIRE  TO  PROVIDE  INITIAL  AND CONTINUED TRAINING IN MENTAL ILLNESS,
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND  SUICIDE
 PREVENTION, FOR HEALTH CARE WORKER VOLUNTEERS.
   (B)  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL ESTABLISH A GRANT PROGRAM TO BE KNOWN AS
 THE "HEALTH CARE  WORKER  PEER  SUPPORT  PROGRAM".  SUCH  PROGRAM  SHALL
 PROVIDE GRANTS, WITHIN APPROPRIATIONS THEREFOR, TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES FOR
 THE  PURPOSE  OF  ESTABLISHING  PEER-TO-PEER  MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS FOR
 HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
   (C) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL  ESTABLISH  STANDARDS  APPLICABLE  TO  SUCH
 PROGRAM. SUCH STANDARDS SHALL INCLUDE INITIAL AND CONTINUED TRAINING FOR
 HEALTH  CARE  WORKER PEER VOLUNTEERS, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFING NEEDS, AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD00884-01-1

 S. 2553                             2
 
 BEST PRACTICES FOR ADDRESSING THE  NEEDS  OF  EACH  HEALTH  CARE  WORKER
 SERVED.
   (D) GRANTS MAY BE AWARDED BY THE COMMISSIONER TO AN ELIGIBLE ENTITY IN
 AN AMOUNT THAT DOES NOT EXCEED TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
   (E)  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  NOT  REQUIRE THE RECIPIENT OF ANY GRANT
 UNDER THIS SECTION TO MAINTAIN RECORDS ON HEALTH  CARE  WORKERS  SEEKING
 SUPPORT OR REPORT ANY PERSONAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION DIRECTLY OR INDI-
 RECTLY TO THE COMMISSIONER.
   §  3. The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000), or so much thereof
 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated  to  the  office  of  mental
 health  out  of  any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to
 the credit of the state purposes account,  not  otherwise  appropriated,
 and  made  immediately  available,  for  the purpose of carrying out the
 provisions of this act.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S2553

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

co-Sponsors

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S2553

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Sponsored By

Daphne Jordan

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

co-Sponsors

George M. Borrello

Pamela Helming

Robert G. Ortt

Edward A. Rath III

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S2553 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments