S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6960
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 27, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the
   commission on public safety, emergency preparedness, and mental health
 
   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  article  49-D
 to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 49-D
  COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SAFETY, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND MENTAL HEALTH
 SECTION 997.   DEFINITIONS.
         997-A. COMMISSION  ON PUBLIC SAFETY, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND
                  MENTAL HEALTH.
         997-B. DIVISION OF SCHOOL SAFETY.
         997-C. DIVISION OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
         997-D. DIVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH.
         997-E. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC OVERSIGHT.
         997-F. UTILIZATION OF OTHER AGENCY ASSISTANCE.
         997-G. REPORTS.
   § 997. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL
 HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1. "COMMISSION" SHALL MEAN THE COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SAFETY,  EMERGENCY
 PREPAREDNESS, AND MENTAL HEALTH ESTABLISHED BY THIS ARTICLE.
   2.  "STATE  AGENCY" SHALL MEAN THE STATE AND ANY DEPARTMENT, DIVISION,
 BOARD, BUREAU, COMMISSION OR AGENCY OF THE STATE OR ANY POLITICAL SUBDI-
 VISION THEREOF.
   § 997-A. COMMISSION ON  PUBLIC  SAFETY,  EMERGENCY  PREPAREDNESS,  AND
 MENTAL  HEALTH.  1. THERE IS HEREBY CREATED WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE DEPART-
 MENT A COMMISSION ON PUBLIC SAFETY, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,  AND  MENTAL
 HEALTH CONSISTING OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF STATE POLICE, COMMISSIONER OF
 THE  DIVISION  OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, COMMISSIONER
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08247-01-5
              

 S. 6960                             2
 
 OF EDUCATION, THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE DISASTER  PREPAREDNESS  COMMISSION,
 THE  COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH, AND THE COMMISSIONER OF MENTAL HEALTH. EACH
 MEMBER AGENCY MAY DESIGNATE AN EXECUTIVE LEVEL OFFICER OF  THAT  AGENCY,
 WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS MATTERS, WHO MAY REPRESENT
 THAT AGENCY ON THE COMMISSION.
   2.  THE  COMMISSION  SHALL  ELECT  A  CHAIR, VICE-CHAIR, AND ANY OTHER
 NECESSARY OFFICERS FROM AMONG THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. A  MAJORITY
 OF  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  COMMISSION  THEN IN OFFICE SHALL CONSTITUTE A
 QUORUM FOR THE TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS OR THE EXERCISE OF ANY  POWER  OR
 FUNCTION  OF THE COMMISSION. THE COMMISSION, ON CALL OF THE CHAIRPERSON,
 SHALL MEET AT LEAST QUARTERLY AND AT SUCH OTHER TIMES AS MAY  BE  NECES-
 SARY. THE AGENDA AND MEETING PLACE OF ALL REGULAR MEETINGS SHALL BE MADE
 AVAILABLE  TO  THE PUBLIC IN ADVANCE OF SUCH MEETINGS AND ALL SUCH MEET-
 INGS SHALL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. AN ACT, DETERMINATION OR  DECISION  OF
 THE  MAJORITY  OF  THE  MEMBERS  PRESENT DURING THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM
 SHALL BE HELD TO BE THE ACT, DETERMINATION, OR DECISION OF  THE  COMMIS-
 SION.
   3.  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE COMMISSION SHALL BE ALLOWED THEIR ACTUAL AND
 NECESSARY EXPENSES INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE  OF  THEIR  DUTIES  UNDER
 THIS  ARTICLE  BUT SHALL RECEIVE NO ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR SERVICES
 RENDERED PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
   4. THE COMMISSION SHALL HAVE THE  FOLLOWING  POWERS  AND  RESPONSIBIL-
 ITIES:
   (A)  WORK  WITH  THE  DIVISION OF SCHOOL SAFETY, DIVISION OF EMERGENCY
 PREPAREDNESS, AND THE DIVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH  TO  PROVIDE  RESOURCES,
 TRAINING,  AND  SUPPORT TO SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS PROMOTE
 AWARENESS AND REDUCE THE STIGMA SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH.
   (B) WORK WITH LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES  AND  MENTAL  HEALTH
 ORGANIZATIONS  TO  IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO RESPOND TO NATURAL
 DISASTERS, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, AND OTHER CRITICAL INCIDENTS.
   (C) ADDRESS  CRITICAL  ISSUES  RELATED  TO  PUBLIC  SAFETY,  EMERGENCY
 PREPAREDNESS, AND MENTAL HEALTH.
   (D)  PROVIDE  A  COMPREHENSIVE  APPROACH  TO  PUBLIC SAFETY, EMERGENCY
 PREPAREDNESS, AND MENTAL HEALTH.
   (E) IMPROVE THE OVERALL SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY.
   (F) PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO  SCHOOLS  AND  THE  COMMUNITY  TO
 PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND REDUCE THE STIGMA SURROUNDING MENTAL
 HEALTH.
   (G) PRIORITIZE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC OVERSIGHT.
   §  997-B.  DIVISION  OF  SCHOOL  SAFETY. THE DIVISION OF SCHOOL SAFETY
 SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS,  AND
 STAFF  IN  SCHOOLS.  THE  DIVISION OF SCHOOL SAFETY SHALL CONSIST OF THE
 MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL  LAW  ENFORCE-
 MENT,  SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND SCHOOL SAFETY EXPERTS. THE DIVISION OF
 SCHOOL SAFETY SHALL PROVIDE TRAINING AND RESOURCES TO SCHOOLS, INCLUDING
 BUT NOT LIMITED TO THREAT ASSESSMENTS, SCHOOL SAFETY DRILLS, AND  ACTIVE
 SHOOTER RESPONSE PLANS.
   § 997-C. DIVISION OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. THE DIVISION OF EMERGENCY
 PREPAREDNESS  SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING EMER-
 GENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANS FOR THE COMMUNITY. THE  DIVISION  OF  EMERGENCY
 PREPAREDNESS  SHALL CONSIST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WITH REPRE-
 SENTATIVES FROM LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES,  FIRST  RESPONDERS,
 AND  PUBLIC  HEALTH  OFFICIALS.  THE  DIVISION OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
 SHALL IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF COMMUNITIES TO RESPOND  TO  NATURAL  DISAS-
 TERS, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, AND OTHER CRITICAL INCIDENTS.
 S. 6960                             3
 
   §  997-D.  DIVISION  OF  MENTAL  HEALTH. THE DIVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH
 SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH  AWARENESS  IN  SCHOOLS
 AND  THE  COMMUNITY.  THE DIVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SHALL CONSIST OF THE
 MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL MENTAL  HEALTH
 ORGANIZATIONS,  SCHOOL  COUNSELORS, AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THE
 DIVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SHALL  PROVIDE  MENTAL  HEALTH  RESOURCES  AND
 TRAINING  TO  SCHOOLS,  AS  WELL  AS SUPPORT AND REFERRALS FOR STUDENTS,
 TEACHERS, AND STAFF.
   § 997-E. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND  PUBLIC  OVERSIGHT.  THE  COMMISSION
 SHALL MAINTAIN A WEBSITE WHERE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC CAN LEAVE A PUBLIC
 COMMENT ON THE COMMISSION. THE COMMISSION SHALL ALSO CONDUCT HEARINGS AT
 LEAST  TWICE  A YEAR WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN COMMENT ON THE COMMISSION. ONE
 SUCH HEARING SHALL OCCUR IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF ONE  MILLION  OR
 MORE  AND  ANOTHER  SUCH  HEARING SHALL NOT OCCUR IN A CITY WITH A POPU-
 LATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE.
   § 997-F. UTILIZATION OF OTHER AGENCY ASSISTANCE.  ALL  STATE  AGENCIES
 ARE  HEREBY  AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND AVAILABLE
 RESOURCES, AS REQUESTED BY THE COMMISSION, IN ORDER  TO  EFFECTUATE  THE
 PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE.
   §  997-G. REPORTS. THE COMMISSION SHALL REPORT ON ITS PROGRESS, ACCOM-
 PLISHMENTS, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS,  AND  ACTIVITIES  TO
 THE  GOVERNOR  AND  TO THE LEGISLATURE ANNUALLY ON OR BEFORE THE THIRTY-
 FIRST DAY OF MARCH OF EACH YEAR.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.