S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1937
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 23, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. STERN, DeSTEFANO, BUTTENSCHON, BYRNES, SIMPSON --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a pilot
   program for the prevention of, and treatment for, the effects of trau-
   matic stress on volunteer first responders; providing for  the  repeal
   of  such  provisions  upon expiration thereof; and making an appropri-
   ation therefor
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 715 to
 read as follows:
   §  715.  PILOT  PROGRAM  FOR THE PREVENTION OF, AND TREATMENT FOR, THE
 EFFECTS OF TRAUMATIC STRESS ON  VOLUNTEER  FIRST  RESPONDERS.    1.  THE
 COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES
 IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES COUNCIL, SHALL
 DEVELOP A PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO VOLUNTEER CERTIFIED FIRST
 RESPONDERS  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO, PREVENTATIVE MENTAL HEALTH
 CARE, PEER TO PEER TRAINING AND  ASSISTANCE  AND  SUPPORT  SERVICES  FOR
 THOSE  SUFFERING  FROM  TRAUMATIC  STRESS  RELATED TO THE PERFORMANCE OF
 THEIR DUTIES.   THE VOLUNTEER FIRST RESPONDER  PILOT  PROGRAM  SHALL  BE
 ADMINISTERED  WITHIN  FOUR COUNTIES, TWO OF WHICH SHALL BE UPSTATE COUN-
 TIES LOCATED NORTH OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY AND TWO OF WHICH SHALL BE DOWN-
 STATE COUNTIES.
   2. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION "VOLUNTEER CERTIFIED FIRST  RESPON-
 DER"  SHALL MEAN AN INDIVIDUAL WHO MEETS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ESTAB-
 LISHED BY REGULATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION  THREE  THOUSAND  TWO  OF  THE
 PUBLIC  HEALTH  LAW AND WHO ADMINISTERS INITIAL LIFE SAVING CARE TO SICK
 AND INJURED PERSONS AS A MEMBER OF A VOLUNTEER FIRE OR AMBULANCE  COMPA-
 NY.
   3. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY
 SERVICES  SHALL  DESIGNATE  AN  EDUCATIONAL  FACILITY  WITHIN  THE STATE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02381-01-3
              

 A. 1937                             2
 
 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SYSTEM TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THE QUAL-
 ITY, APPROPRIATENESS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM AND  SHALL  REPORT
 TO  THE  LEGISLATURE  WITHIN  ONE  YEAR  OF  THE  EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
 SECTION,  AND ON JANUARY FIRST OF EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, ON THE PROGRAM'S
 EFFECTIVENESS.
   § 2. The sum of three hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($375,000)
 is hereby appropriated to the division of homeland security and emergen-
 cy services 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. Such moneys shall be payable on  the  audit  and
 warrant  of  the  comptroller  on  vouchers certified or approved by the
 division of homeland security  and  emergency  services  in  the  manner
 prescribed  by  law  and  shall  be proportionally distributed among the
 counties participating in the program based on the number  of  volunteer
 first responders in each participating county.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law; and shall expire and be deemed  repealed  five  years
 after  it shall take effect. 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.