NY State Senate Bill 2025-S5678

Senate Bill S5678

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes a law enforcement, first responder, active and non-active-duty service members and veteran informational mobile application

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 27, 2025	referred to mental health

2025-S5678 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5408
Current Committee:: Senate Mental Health
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Add §7.49, Ment Hyg L

2025-S5678 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the commissioner of the office of mental health to create and operate a law enforcement, first responder, active and non-active-duty service members and veteran informational mobile application.

2025-S5678 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5678

SPONSOR: ROLISON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
law enforcement, first responder, active and non-active-duty service
members and veteran informational mobile application

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Establishes a law enforcement, first responder, active and non-active-
duty service members and veteran informational mobile application.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
7.49 to read as follows: § 7.49 Law enforcement, first responder, active
and non-active-duty service members and veteran informational mobile
application.

1. The office shall create and operate a New York-tailored, membership-

based mobile application for law enforcement personnel, first respon-
ders, and active and non-active-duty service members and veterans.

2. (a) The commissioner is authorized to contract with a mobile develop-
er to create and operate such application on a statewide basis following
a competitive bidding process as set forth in the state finance law.

(b)The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of criminal
justice services, the commissioner of veterans' services, and other
relevant stakeholders at the discretion of the commissioner, shall
include the following application platform deliverables, and any other
tools the commissioner shall deem necessary, in the request for
proposals:

(i) The platform shall have the capability to deliver education,
resources and support to law enforcement personnel, first responders,
active and nonactive-duty service members, veterans and their families,
including New York-specific information such as links to department and
other state agency programs and resources available to law enforcement
personnel, first responders, active and non-active-duty service members,
and veterans.

(ii) The platform shall demonstrate a consistent workflow to increase
awareness of state agency programs and resources available to users of
the mobile application.

(iii) The platform shall allow the department and other state agencies
to directly interface with users of the mobile application.

(iv) The platform shall have the capability to allow the department to
share specific content and resources with users of the mobile applica-
tion.

3. The selected mobile developer shall regularly provide the office, the
temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of the senate,
the speaker of the assembly, and the minority leader of the assembly
with aggregate, deidentified data concerning the following:
(a) the number of users of the mobile application that are engaging with
New York-specific content.

(b) the number of users of the mobile application seeking additional
information about other available resources.

(c) the number of monthly users of the mobile application.

(d) the number of daily users of the mobile application.

(e) the average length of time a user uses the mobile application.

(f) any other information requested by the department or other state
agencies.

4. The mobile application shall be available on multiple mobile plat-
forms.

5. The selected mobile developer shall not share, sell, or otherwise
process users' personal information except as strictly necessary for the
operation of the mobile application and shall not provide personally
identifiable information about any user to the department or any other
governmental entity.

Section 2. The act shall take effect on the first of April next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become law; provided, however, that
the department of health shall issue a request for proposals no late
than one hundred eighty days after this act shall have become a law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Reducing the incidents of law enforcement, first responder, active and
non-active-duty service members and veteran suicide is a top priority,
and we must actively work with and support our community partners to
connect these heroes in crisis to the best possible resources to help
them live a safe, healthy, quality life.

The free "Help For Heroes" smartphone mobile app will provide a lifeline
to those struggling with mental health challenges by providing various
resources right at their fingertips. These resources include but are not
limited to informational videos, reading materials, and behavioral
modification exercises. The mobile app will also offer peer-to-peer and
mental health professional support to guide them through their emotions
or send emergency suicide care.

The "Help For Heroes" app can be accessed twenty-four hours a day which
is a major advantage for people in a crisis. Together we can reduce the
growing epidemic of suicide and eradicate the stigma surrounding our
heroes from coming forward to seek help.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the
department of health shall issue a request for proposals no later than
one hundred eighty days after this act shall have become a law.

2025-S5678 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5678
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 27, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. ROLISON -- 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  establishing  a
   law  enforcement,  first responder, active and non-active-duty service
   members and veteran informational mobile application

   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
 7.49 to read as follows:
 § 7.49 LAW ENFORCEMENT,  FIRST  RESPONDER,  ACTIVE  AND  NON-ACTIVE-DUTY
           SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERAN INFORMATIONAL MOBILE APPLICATION.
   1.  THE  OFFICE  SHALL CREATE AND OPERATE A NEW YORK-TAILORED, MEMBER-
 SHIP-BASED MOBILE  APPLICATION  FOR  LAW  ENFORCEMENT  PERSONNEL,  FIRST
 RESPONDERS, AND ACTIVE AND NON-ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS.
   2. (A) THE COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED TO CONTRACT WITH A MOBILE DEVEL-
 OPER TO CREATE AND OPERATE SUCH APPLICATION ON A STATEWIDE BASIS FOLLOW-
 ING A COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AS SET FORTH IN THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   (B)  THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF CRIMI-
 NAL JUSTICE SERVICES, THE COMMISSIONER OF VETERANS' SERVICES, AND  OTHER
 RELEVANT  STAKEHOLDERS  AT  THE  DISCRETION  OF  THE COMMISSIONER, SHALL
 INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING APPLICATION PLATFORM DELIVERABLES, AND  ANY  OTHER
 TOOLS  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  DEEM  NECESSARY,  IN  THE  REQUEST  FOR
 PROPOSALS:
   (I) THE PLATFORM SHALL  HAVE  THE  CAPABILITY  TO  DELIVER  EDUCATION,
 RESOURCES  AND  SUPPORT  TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL, FIRST RESPONDERS,
 ACTIVE AND NON-ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES,
 INCLUDING NEW YORK-SPECIFIC INFORMATION SUCH AS LINKS TO DEPARTMENT  AND
 OTHER  STATE  AGENCY PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
 PERSONNEL, FIRST RESPONDERS, ACTIVE AND NON-ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS,
 AND VETERANS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08049-01-5
 S. 5678                             2

 
   (II) THE PLATFORM SHALL DEMONSTRATE A CONSISTENT WORKFLOW TO  INCREASE
 AWARENESS  OF  STATE AGENCY PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO USERS OF
 THE MOBILE APPLICATION.
   (III) THE PLATFORM SHALL ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER STATE AGENCIES
 TO DIRECTLY INTERFACE WITH USERS OF THE MOBILE APPLICATION.
   (IV) THE PLATFORM SHALL HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO
 SHARE  SPECIFIC  CONTENT AND RESOURCES WITH USERS OF THE MOBILE APPLICA-
 TION.
   3. THE SELECTED MOBILE DEVELOPER SHALL REGULARLY PROVIDE  THE  OFFICE,
 THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  SENATE,  THE  MINORITY LEADER OF THE
 SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND  THE  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE
 ASSEMBLY WITH AGGREGATE, DEIDENTIFIED DATA CONCERNING THE FOLLOWING:
   (A)  THE  NUMBER  OF USERS OF THE MOBILE APPLICATION THAT ARE ENGAGING
 WITH NEW YORK-SPECIFIC CONTENT.
   (B) THE NUMBER OF USERS OF THE MOBILE APPLICATION  SEEKING  ADDITIONAL
 INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
   (C) THE NUMBER OF MONTHLY USERS OF THE MOBILE APPLICATION.
   (D) THE NUMBER OF DAILY USERS OF THE MOBILE APPLICATION.
   (E) THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME A USER USES THE MOBILE APPLICATION.
   (F)  ANY  OTHER INFORMATION REQUESTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OR OTHER STATE
 AGENCIES.
   4. THE MOBILE APPLICATION SHALL BE AVAILABLE ON MULTIPLE MOBILE  PLAT-
 FORMS.
   5.  THE  SELECTED MOBILE DEVELOPER SHALL NOT SHARE, SELL, OR OTHERWISE
 PROCESS USERS' PERSONAL INFORMATION EXCEPT AS STRICTLY NECESSARY FOR THE
 OPERATION OF THE MOBILE APPLICATION AND  SHALL  NOT  PROVIDE  PERSONALLY
 IDENTIFIABLE  INFORMATION  ABOUT ANY USER TO THE DEPARTMENT OR ANY OTHER
 GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
 the  date  on  which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that
 the department of health shall issue a request for  proposals  no  later
 than one hundred eighty days after this act shall have become a law.

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