NY State Senate Bill 2023-S8537

Senate Bill S8537

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Creates interagency placement committees to recommend treatment and rehabilitation programs or strategies for youths with co-existing mental disabilities

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 12, 2024	referred to mental health

2023-S8537 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8023
Current Committee:: Senate Mental Health
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Add §41.58, Ment Hyg L

2023-S8537 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Creates 10 interagency placement committees throughout the state to recommend treatment and rehabilitation programs or strategies for youths with co-existing mental disabilities; directs such committees to establish a process by which youths can be referred to such committees; directs such committees to submit a report annually to the governor and legislature identifying gaps in treatment and rehabilitation options, and any plans or recommendations to increase such options.

2023-S8537 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8537

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to creating intera-
gency placement committees to recommend treatment and rehabilitation
programs or strategies for youths with co-existing mental disabilities

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Creates interagency placement committees to recommend treatment and
rehabilitation programs or strategies for youths with co-existing mental
disabilities.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the mental hygiene law by adding section 41.58 Intera-
gency Placement Committee. This section lays out the guidelines for such
committees.

Section 2 establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

There is an increase in cases where children are in crises and there is
a shortage of housing for them. Many of these youths are sent to our
local hospitals as a first step and then there is no secure housing for
them when they are released. It can be a court matter, a school matter,
or a family situation that has escalated. Children in the state who are
dealing with complex co-existing mental health disorders are often shuf-
fled around the system, with no real action being taken to remedy their
situation. This legislation will ensure that our state agencies are
working together, in a timely manner, to place children in treatment
facilities that are best equipped to deal with their unique needs.

Additionally, this legislation will call for a report to be submitted to
the legislature that will identify the gaps in our treatment across the
state, and recommendations to start mending this problem.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.

2023-S8537 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8537
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 12, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to creating  intera-
   gency  placement  committees to recommend treatment and rehabilitation
   programs or strategies for youths with co-existing mental disabilities

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
 41.58 to read as follows:
 § 41.58 INTERAGENCY PLACEMENT COMMITTEES.
   1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED TEN INTERAGENCY PLACEMENT COMMITTEES IN
 THE STATE, ONE FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING REGIONS: LONG ISLAND, NEW  YORK
 CITY,  MID-HUDSON,  THE  CAPITAL  REGION,  MOHAWK VALLEY, NORTH COUNTRY,
 CENTRAL NEW YORK, THE SOUTHERN TIER, THE FINGER LAKES, AND  WESTERN  NEW
 YORK.  EACH SUCH COMMITTEE SHALL BE COMPRISED OF NINE MEMBERS, WHO SHALL
 BE FAMILIAR WITH THE REGION IN WHICH THEY ARE APPOINTED  AND  KNOWLEDGE-
 ABLE  OF  THE  SERVICES  UNDER  THIS  SECTION THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN SUCH
 REGION, AND WHO SHALL BE APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS:
   (A) THREE MEMBERS TO  BE  APPOINTED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  MENTAL
 HEALTH;
   (B) THREE MEMBERS TO BE APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF DEVELOPMENTAL
 DISABILITIES; AND
   (C)  THREE MEMBERS TO BE APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CHILDREN AND
 FAMILY SERVICES.
   2. THE PURPOSES OF THE INTERAGENCY  PLACEMENT  COMMITTEES  ESTABLISHED
 PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS SECTION SHALL BE TO ENSURE THAT
 YOUTH WITH CO-EXISTING MENTAL DISABILITIES ARE BEING PROVIDED SUFFICIENT
 WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO MEET  THEIR  NEEDS.  EACH  INTERAGENCY  PLACEMENT
 COMMITTEE  SHALL  ESTABLISH  A  PROCEDURE UNDER WHICH FAMILIES, SCHOOLS,
 PROBATION CENTERS, AND OTHER APPROPRIATE ESTABLISHMENTS IN THEIR  REGION
 MAY REFER YOUTHS WITH CO-EXISTING MENTAL DISABILITIES TO SUCH INTERAGEN-
 CY  PLACEMENT  COMMITTEE,  TO DETERMINE THE BEST TREATMENT AND REHABILI-
 TATION PROGRAMS OR STRATEGIES AVAILABLE FOR SUCH YOUTH AND TO  RECOMMEND
 SUCH  DETERMINATIONS  TO THE REFERRING ENTITY. IN MAKING SUCH A DETERMI-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD11920-01-3
 S. 8537                             2
 
 NATION, INTERAGENCY PLACEMENT COMMITTEES  SHALL  AVOID  RECOMMENDING  AN
 IN-PATIENT  SETTING  FOR A YOUTH UNLESS THERE ARE NO REASONABLE ALTERNA-
 TIVES APPROPRIATE FOR SUCH YOUTH.
   3.  UPON RECEIVING A REFERRAL OF A YOUTH WITH CO-EXISTING MENTAL DISA-
 BILITIES PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF  THIS  SECTION,  AN  INTERAGENCY
 PLACEMENT  COMMITTEE  SHALL MAKE ITS DETERMINATION AND RECOMMENDATION OF
 THE BEST TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS OR  STRATEGIES  AVAILABLE
 FOR  SUCH  YOUTH  PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION WITHIN TWO
 WEEKS OF RECEIVING SUCH REFERRAL. SUCH DETERMINATION SHALL BE BASED UPON
 A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE MEMBERS OF SUCH INTERAGENCY PLACEMENT  COMMITTEE.
 THE  FINDINGS  AND  REASONING  FOR SUCH DETERMINATION AND RECOMMENDATION
 SHALL BE PROVIDED TO THE ENTITY THAT SUBMITTED SUCH REFERRAL.
   4. BEGINNING ON THE FIRST OF JANUARY NEXT THE  DATE  UPON  WHICH  THIS
 SECTION  SHALL  HAVE  BECOME A LAW, EACH INTERAGENCY PLACEMENT COMMITTEE
 SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE
 SENATE,  AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THAT SHALL CONTAIN INFORMATION
 ON IDENTIFIED GAPS IN TREATMENT  AND  REHABILITATION  OPTIONS  IN  THEIR
 REGION FOR YOUTHS WITH CO-EXISTING MENTAL DISABILITIES, AND ANY PLANS OR
 RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF SUCH SERVICES.
   § 2. 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.

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