S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5484
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, REYES, HEVESI, DAVILA, CHANDLER-WATERMAN,
R. CARROLL, DE LOS SANTOS, MAHER -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT in relation to establishing a statewide person-centered mental
health services work group to improve statewide mental health planning
and outcomes to achieve a person-centered, prevention-first integrated
and tiered system of care for holistic health and wellness
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Statewide person-centered mental health services work
group. 1. There is hereby created a person-centered mental health
services work group to examine, evaluate, determine, recommend, and
oversee implementation of how to improve statewide mental health plan-
ning and outcomes to achieve a person-centered, prevention-first inte-
grated and tiered system of care for holistic health and wellness.
2. The work group shall consist of ten statewide members, four ex
officio members, and twenty-eight regional representative members,
appointed as follows:
(a) Statewide members. Statewide members shall be appointed within
sixty days of the effective date of this act:
(i) two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the
senate, one of which must be a peer or consumer representative;
(ii) two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly,
one of which must be a peer or consumer representative;
(iii) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the
senate;
(iv) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the
assembly; and
(v) four members shall be appointed by the governor, one of which must
be a peer or consumer representative.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08463-01-5
A. 5484 2
(b) Ex officio members. The commissioners of the office of addiction
services and supports, the office of mental health, the department of
health, the New York city department of health and mental hygiene, and
the local mental hygiene directors, or their designees, shall serve as
ex officio members of the work group.
(c) Regional membership and appointments. (i) For purposes of this
act, there shall be nine regions, consisting of the same geographic
areas and counties as the social care networks described in the January
2024 New York State Department of Health Request for Applications: New
York Health Equity Reform: Social Care Networks:
(1) Region 1: Capital;
(2) Region 2: Western;
(3) Region 3: Hudson Valley;
(4) Region 4: New York City;
(5) Region 5: Finger Lakes;
(6) Region 6: Southern Tier;
(7) Region 7: Central;
(8) Region 8: Long Island;
(9) Region 9: North Country.
(ii) There shall be three members from each region, except New York
City, which shall have four.
(iii) Regional member candidates shall be selected through a nominat-
ing process conducted by ex officio members of the work group in collab-
oration with a statewide advocacy group with knowledge and expertise in
public policy related to enhancing treatment mental health services and
promoting recovery, rehabilitation, individual rights and full community
inclusion. Regional member candidates must have lived experience as a
person who is currently or was previously in the shelter system, used or
using public housing vouchers, court-involved, and/or in the public
health, substance use and mental health systems.
3. Appointments shall be made within one hundred twenty days of the
effective date of this act. Vacancies in the work group shall be filled
in the same manner provided for original appointments.
4. The work group membership shall accurately reflect the race and
ethnicity of people who use public health and mental health services.
Following the nominating process and if necessary, the nominating body
under subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (c) of subdivision two of this
section shall select alternative members that will ensure the inclusion
and equity targets described herein.
5. Participation by non-voting members encourages the inclusion of
diverse viewpoints but does not dilute the decision-making authority of
the work group members who use mental health services. Non-voting
members may participate in all actions afforded members but may not vote
on any resolutions. If not otherwise selected to be a member of the work
group, the following shall be non-voting members:
(a) the director of recipient affairs from any local or state govern-
mental unit;
(b) representatives of trade associations representing housing and
service providers, hospital associations, and health insurance compa-
nies;
(c) representatives of social justice and legal advocacy organizations
with an established track record of public testimony and/or policy
research related to the provision of mental health service; and
(d) additional non-voting members may be added at the discretion of
the work group.
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6. Work group members shall receive no compensation for their efforts
and services as members for the actual and necessary expenses incurred
in the performance of their duties.
7. A quorum shall consist of a majority of members of the work group
entitled to vote on the matter under consideration. Approval of any
matter shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the members
voting thereon. The quorum must include a proportionate number of
members with lived experiences that is equal to or greater than the
proportion of the work group as a whole.
8. The work group shall be authorized to adopt by-laws for the manage-
ment and regulation of its affairs.
9. The statewide person-centered mental health services work group
shall develop the recommendations for:
(a) A regional and statewide mental health planning system to:
(i) Establish regional short and long-range strategic goals and strat-
egies that integrate behavioral health and physical health;
(ii) Ensure that persons with lived experiences have a leadership role
in the development of these goals;
(iii) Ensure adoption through a community consensus process;
(iv) Identify measurable outcomes, accountability, and funding for the
strategic goals; and
(v) Ensure there is a transparent annual evaluation and quality
improvement process that is consistent across all regions.
(b) Establishing a statewide clearinghouse of best practices to be
posted publicly, regularly updated, and on the office of mental health,
the office of addiction services and supports, the department of health,
and the New York city department of health and mental hygiene websites
to ensure the implementation of programs that have proved effective in
one region could be scaled up across the entire system.
(c) Establishing an annual budgeting system to ensure regional-identi-
fied priorities are adequately funded.
10. In carrying out its functions, the work group shall foster
discussions among, and conduct formal public hearings with requisite
public notice to solicit input from, local stakeholders' interests. It
will conduct research and evaluate strategic planning tools and tech-
niques used in the public sphere that have proven to be effective in
soliciting and incorporating meaningful community input into comparable
regional plans and meet the requirements described in paragraph (a) of
subdivision nine of this section.
11. (a) The commissioners of the office of mental health, the office
of addiction services and supports, the department of health, and the
New York city department of health and mental hygiene shall designate a
sufficient number of employees of their offices as are reasonably neces-
sary to provide support services to the statewide work group and its
efforts.
(b) The commissioners of the office of mental health, the office of
addiction services and supports, the department of health, and local
county health care agencies shall appoint representatives of their
respective offices to serve as a liaison between their offices and the
work group. All state agencies, public authorities and public benefit
corporations shall provide such assistance as may be reasonably
requested.
12. Deliberations, meetings and other proceedings of the work group,
and any committees thereof, shall be governed by article 7 of the public
officers law. Any one or more members of the work group may participate
in a meeting by means of a conference telephone, conference video or
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similar communications equipment allowing all persons participating in
the meeting to hear each other at the same time. Participation by such
means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting. At any meetings
of the work group conducted by means of a conference telephone, confer-
ence video or similar communications equipment, other than executive
sessions, the public shall be given an opportunity to listen. If a
meeting other than an executive session is to be conducted by means of a
conference telephone, conference video or similar communications equip-
ment, the public notice for the meeting shall inform the public that
such equipment will be used and identify the means by which the public
may listen to such meeting.
13. (a) Upon consideration of factors identified in subdivision nine
of this section, the work group shall develop recommendations for reform
of the state's local mental health planning process to ensure it is
informed by consumers and reflective of local needs.
(b) The work group shall transmit a report containing these specific
recommendations to the governor and the legislature on or before Novem-
ber 1, 2026. The report and recommendations shall simultaneously be
posted on the websites of the office of mental health, the office of
addiction services and supports, and the department of health, as well
as distributed to the public via the same media channels used to
announce major program or policy changes, or procurement opportunities.
ยง 2. This act shall take effect immediately.