NY State Senate Bill 2025-S3610

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
Jan 29, 2025	referred to mental health

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2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Mental Health
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Add §7.48, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S5453
2023-2024: S3587

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Creates the twelve member rural suicide prevention council to examine the causes of rural suicides or attempts and to make recommendations for rural suicide reduction.

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S3610

SPONSOR: HELMING
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to creating the
rural suicide prevention council

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to reduce the growing rate of suicide in
rural New York - through the establishment of a rural suicide prevention
council.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Creates a new section 7.49 of Mental Hygiene Law which:

(a) Establishes a council on rural suicide prevention which will include
the Commissioner of Mental Hygiene or his or her designee, the Commis-
sioner of Health or his or her designee, and the Commissioner of Agri-
culture and Markets or his or her designee. The council will also

include 12 additional members, four of whom will be appointed by the
Governor, three of whom will be appointed by the Speaker of the Assem-
bly, three of whom will be appointed by the Temporary President of the
Senate, one of whom will be appointed by the Minority Leader of the
Assembly and one of whom will be appointed by the Minority Leader of the
Senate.

(b) Provides that the Commissioner of Mental Hygiene shall appoint the
chair of the council and vacancies will be filled by the appropriate
appointing authority.

(c) Outlines possible qualifications for council members.

(d) Outlines the duties of the council.

(e) Provides that the council will meet no less than three times annual-
ly or as deemed necessary by the chair of the council or the Commission-
er.

(f) Provides that council members will receive no compensation for their
services but allows for compensation for expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties. Requires that the council provide a prelim-
inary report of their findings within nine months of the effective date
and a final report of their findings within eighteen months of the
effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control released data from 2001-2005
which showed that rural counties had higher rates of suicide than metro-
politan counties. Presently, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death
among Americans with over half a million suicides occurring during the
survey period.

The rise in suicide rates is not attributable to one factor but instead
to a number of factors. Increasing rural suicide may be the result of
economic insecurity, social isolation, a dearth of mental health profes-
sionals, higher levels of alcohol and substance abuse, weakened social
support, and many other factors.

The Rural Suicide Prevention Council envisioned in this legislation
would be tasked with examining the epidemic of suicide in rural New York
and then creating a comprehensive plan to address the problem.  Address-
ing the root problems of the mental health crisis in our state is a
critical first step to helping the state provide needed services to our
residents.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S.3587A passed both houses; vetoed Memo 55

2023: S.3587 passed Senate; died in Assembly

2022: S.5453A referred to Mental Health/A.7977 referred to Mental Health

2021: S.5453A passed Senate/A.7977 referred to Mental Health

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

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

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3610
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 29, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. HELMING, BORRELLO, BROUK, GALLIVAN, MAY, OBERACKER,
   O'MARA, ORTT, STEC, TEDISCO, WALCZYK, WEBB -- 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  the
   rural suicide prevention council

   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
 7.48 to read as follows:
 § 7.48 RURAL SUICIDE PREVENTION COUNCIL.
   (A)  THERE  SHALL  BE  ESTABLISHED  BY  THE OFFICE, A COUNCIL ON RURAL
 SUICIDE PREVENTION, TO CONSIST OF TWELVE MEMBERS:
   1. TWO MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER;
   2. TWO MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH;
   3. TWO MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER  OF  AGRICULTURE
 AND MARKETS;
   4. TWO MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY;
   5. TWO  MEMBERS  SHALL  BE APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
 SENATE;
   6. ONE MEMBER SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE  ASSEM-
 BLY; AND
   7. ONE MEMBER SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE.
   (B)  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  DESIGNATE THE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL FROM
 AMONG SUCH TWELVE MEMBERS. VACANCIES IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF  SUCH  COUNCIL
 SHALL  BE FILLED BY THE APPROPRIATE APPOINTING AUTHORITY. THE MEMBERSHIP
 OF THE COUNCIL MAY INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED  TO,  REPRESENTATIVES  OF
 THE  STATE CONFERENCE OF LOCAL MENTAL HYGIENE DIRECTORS, PSYCHIATRIC AND
 PSYCHOLOGICAL PRACTITIONERS, SUBSTANCE USE  AND  MENTAL  HEALTH  PROFES-
 SIONALS  WITH  EXPERIENCE  IN  THE  DELIVERY OF TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
 SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS, PERSONS WITH EXPERTISE IN PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06752-01-5

 S. 3610                             2
 
 ANY GROUP, ASSOCIATION, OR UNIVERSITY WITH  EXPERTISE  IN  FINANCIAL  OR
 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, BUSINESS PLANNING, AND PROVIDING SUPPORTS FOR FARMERS
 AND  OTHER INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN RURAL AREAS, AND OTHERS WHOSE PROFES-
 SIONAL  EXPERTISE  INCLUDES  RURAL  AFFAIRS RELATED TO THE DUTIES OF THE
 COUNCIL.
   (C) THE COUNCIL SHALL FOCUS ITS EFFORTS AND WORK ON "RURAL  AREAS"  AS
 SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN SECTION FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE
 LAW.
   (D) DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   1.  EXAMINING  THE  CAUSES AND CONDITIONS RELATED TO RURAL SUICIDES OR
 SUICIDE ATTEMPTS AND THE PREVALENCE OF SUICIDE AMONG CERTAIN PROFESSIONS
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FARMERS AND AGRICULTURAL WORKERS;
   2. IDENTIFYING POLICIES, PRACTICES, RESOURCES, SERVICES, AND POTENTIAL
 LEGISLATION THAT MAY RESULT IN THE REDUCTION OF RURAL SUICIDE AND  RURAL
 SUICIDE ATTEMPTS;
   3.  OFFERING RECOMMENDATIONS ON POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE THE
 COORDINATION OF SERVICES AND RESOURCES AMONG AGENCIES  INVOLVED  IN  THE
 DELIVERY   OF  MENTAL  HEALTH,  SUBSTANCE  USE,  OR  SUICIDE  PREVENTION
 SERVICES; AND
   4. MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON FUNDING INITIATIVES TO INCREASE ACCESS TO
 MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE, AND SUICIDE PREVENTION SERVICES  IN  RURAL
 AREAS  AND  FACILITATE  THE  USE  OF  INNOVATIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
 SPECIFIC TO INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN RURAL AREAS.
   (E) THE RURAL SUICIDE PREVENTION COUNCIL SHALL MEET NOT LESS THAN  TWO
 TIMES  ANNUALLY,  OR  AS DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL OR
 THE COMMISSIONER.
   (F) THE MEMBERS OF THE RURAL SUICIDE PREVENTION COUNCIL SHALL  RECEIVE
 NO  COMPENSATION  FOR  THEIR SERVICES, BUT SHALL BE ALLOWED THEIR ACTUAL
 AND NECESSARY EXPENSES INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES.
   (G) THE COUNCIL SHALL PREPARE AND SUBMIT A REPORT NO  LATER  THAN  THE
 FIRST OF JANUARY NEXT SUCCEEDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, AND
 BIENNIALLY  THEREAFTER,  TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE THAT RECOM-
 MENDS POLICIES, LEGISLATION, AND FUNDING NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT ANY OF  THE
 FINDINGS IN THE COUNCIL'S REPORT.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S3610

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health Committee

co-Sponsors

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S3610

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health Committee

co-Sponsors

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S3610 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments