A07188 Summary:
BILL NO | A07188 |
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SAME AS | SAME AS S03587-A |
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SPONSOR | Gunther |
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COSPNSR | Santabarbara, Walsh |
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MLTSPNSR | |
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Add 7.49, Ment Hyg L | |
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Establishes the rural suicide prevention council to identify barriers to mental health and substance use treatment and prevention services and other policies, practices, resources, services, and potential legislation that aim to reduce death by suicide and suicide attempts and acknowledge the demographic and cultural differences in rural communities; makes related provisions. |
A07188 Memo:
Go to topNEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)   BILL NUMBER: A7188 SPONSOR: Gunther
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the rural suicide prevention council; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof   PURPOSE: To reduce death by suicide in rural communities.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: This bill would do the following: - Add a new § 7.48 to the mental hygiene law to establish the rural suicide prevention council. - Require members of the council to include the commissioner of the office of mental health or his or her designee, the commissioner of the department of health or his or her designee, and the commissioner of agriculture and markets or his or her designee. - Allow twelve additional appointments including: four members by the governor; three members by the speaker of the assembly; three members by the temporary president of the senate; one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and one member appointed by the minori- ty leader of the senate. Provide the duties of the council to include, but not be limited to: * Identifying barriers to mental health and substance use treatment and prevention services, as well as the causes and conditions related to death by suicide or suicide attempts in rural parts of the state; * Identifying vulnerable populations in rural areas and the prevalence of suicide among such populations including, but not limited to, farmers and agricultural workers; identifying policies, practices, resources, services; and potential legislation that aim to reduce death by suicide and suicide attempts; * Determining if there is sufficient capacity for peer supports and mental health crisis services; * Assessing the use of the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline in rural areas and identify strategies to increase utilization; * Provide recommendations to improve the coordination of services and resources among state agencies; and * Make recommendations on funding initiatives to increase access to mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention services in rural areas. - Require the council to prepare and submit a report no later than Janu- ary 15, two thousand twenty-four, and annually thereafter, to the gover- nor and the legislature.   JUSTIFICATION: "In 2020, the suicide rate in rural areas of New York State was double the rate in urban parts of the state, federal mortality data shows. Other reports indicated that rural counties had an average suicide rate of 15.2 people per population of 100,000, while urban areas had a suicide rate of 7.5 for every 100,000 people. Also, a study of sixteen rural New York counties was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago found that a lack of services and resources, economic disadvan- tage, low service utilization, lack of transportation, and heightened stigma surrounding the use of mental health services are just a few of the contributing factors to death by suicide being more common in rural parts of the state. This bill would help to address the risk factors associated with death by suicide in rural communities by establishing the Rural Suicide Prevention Council. The council would be tasked with making recommenda- tions to reduce barriers for treatment and support services in rural areas and improve service delivery for vulnerable populations who reside in rural communities." (Sponsor)   LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: This is a new bill.   BUDGET IMPLICATIONS: Undetermined.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect sixty days after it has become law and shall expire and be deemed repealed two years after such effective date.
A07188 Text:
Go to top STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7188 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY May 12, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Mental Health AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the rural suicide prevention council; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 2 7.49 to read as follows: 3 § 7.49 Rural suicide prevention council. 4 (a) There shall be established by the office, a council on rural 5 suicide prevention. Members of the council shall include the commission- 6 er or his or her designee, the commissioner of health or his or her 7 designee, and the commissioner of agriculture and markets or his or her 8 designee. There shall be twelve additional members of the council 9 including four members appointed by the governor; three members shall be 10 appointed by the speaker of the assembly; three members shall be 11 appointed by the temporary president of the senate; one member shall be 12 appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and one member shall 13 be appointed by the minority leader of the senate. 14 (b) The commissioner shall designate the chair from appointed council 15 members. Vacancies in the membership of such council shall be filled by 16 the appropriate appointing authority. 17 (c) The membership of the council may include, but not be limited to, 18 representatives of the state conference of local mental hygiene direc- 19 tors; mental health professionals and practitioners with experience in 20 the delivery of mental health treatment or suicide prevention services 21 in rural areas; persons with expertise in research of public health 22 issues in rural areas; any group, association, or university with exper- 23 tise in financial or economic analysis, business planning, and providing 24 supports for farmers and other individuals residing in a rural area; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11381-01-3A. 7188 2 1 certified peers; rural community members with lived experience who have 2 been or are currently receiving mental health services or supports; and 3 others whose professional expertise includes rural affairs related to 4 the duties of the council. For the purposes of this section the term 5 rural areas shall have the same meaning as it is defined in section four 6 hundred eighty-one of the executive law. 7 (d) Duties of the council shall include, but not be limited to: 8 (1) identifying barriers to mental health and substance use treatment 9 and prevention services, as well as the causes and conditions related to 10 death by suicide or suicide attempts in rural parts of the state; 11 (2) determine if there is sufficient capacity for peer supports and 12 mental health crisis services; 13 (3) assess the use of the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline in rural 14 areas of the state and identify strategies to increase utilization; 15 (4) identifying vulnerable populations in rural areas and the preva- 16 lence of suicide among such populations including, but not limited to, 17 farmers and agricultural workers; 18 (5) identifying policies, practices, resources, services, and poten- 19 tial legislation that aim to reduce death by suicide and suicide 20 attempts and acknowledge the demographic and cultural differences in 21 rural communities; 22 (6) offering recommendations on policies and procedures to improve the 23 coordination of services and resources among agencies involved in the 24 delivery of mental health, substance use, or suicide prevention 25 services; and 26 (7) making recommendations on funding initiatives to increase access 27 to mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention services in 28 rural areas and facilitate the use of innovative intervention strategies 29 specific to individuals residing in rural areas. 30 (e) The rural suicide prevention council shall meet not less than 31 three times annually, or as deemed necessary by the chair of the council 32 or the commissioner. 33 (f) The members of the rural suicide prevention council shall receive 34 no compensation for their services but shall be allowed their actual and 35 necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. 36 The council shall provide a preliminary report to the governor and the 37 legislature of its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activities 38 already undertaken by the council, not later than nine months after the 39 effective date of this act, and a final report of its findings, conclu- 40 sions, recommendations and activities already undertaken by the council, 41 not later than eighteen months after the effective date of this section 42 and shall submit with its reports legislative proposals as it deems 43 necessary to implement its recommendations. 44 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 45 have become a law and shall expire 2 years after such effective date 46 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed.