A09746 Summary:
BILL NO | A09746A |
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SAME AS | SAME AS S07317 |
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SPONSOR | Gottfried |
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COSPNSR | |
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MLTSPNSR | |
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Amd §§355 & 6206, Ed L | |
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Requires at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses and for state colleges and universities to update such ratio every five years. |
A09746 Actions:
BILL NO | A09746A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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02/07/2020 | referred to higher education | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
02/11/2020 | amend and recommit to higher education | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
02/11/2020 | print number 9746a |
A09746 Memo:
Go to topNEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)   BILL NUMBER: A9746A SPONSOR: Gottfried
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This bill will require all SUNY and CUNY campuses to maintain a ratio of at least one certified mental health professional to every one thousand students, and it will prevent this from being funded through new student fees.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1 amends section 355 of education law to require each SUNY or CUNY campus to maintain a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member to every one thousand students within two years of enactment. Each campus will be required to establish a board of experts and advisors within two years to study and make updates to the clini- cian-to-student ratio, and make recommendations every five years to update the ratio based on average national ratios and best-available practices. Updated ratios cannot fall below a minimum of a one to one thousand clinician-to-student ratio. Maintaining the minimum clinician- to-student ratio cannot be funded by the imposition of any new student fees created on or after the date of enactment of this subdivision. Section 2 makes identical changes to section 6206 of education law. Section 3 is the effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: Mental health is a pressing issue on college campuses across the state. Approximately 75% of mental health conditions are diagnosed prior to age 24, yet young adults are least likely to receive mental health coun- seling. Mental health issues can have dire impact for college students' academic success, and in more serious cases can lead to suicide and physical harm linked to depression. College students on SUNY and CUNY campuses currently pay a fee for mental health services, but the reported staffing ratio on some campuses is only one mental health coun- selor for over 3,000 students. Research shows that low-income students are more likely to suffer from mental health conditions, and CUNY and SUNY campuses have a higher share of low-income students than their national counterparts. This bill ensures that campuses are required to staff an adequate number of licensed clinicians in order to meet the specific needs of their student populations.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: To be determined.   EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1st after it becomes law.
A09746 Text:
Go to top STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9746--A IN ASSEMBLY February 7, 2020 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. GOTTFRIED -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 20 to read as follows: 3 20. Through on-campus capacity, each state college or university 4 center of the state university of New York and each state college and 5 university center of the city university of New York shall have at least 6 a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one 7 thousand full-time equivalent students. Two years after the effective 8 date of this subdivision, and once every five years thereafter, each 9 state college and university shall establish a board of advisors and 10 experts and have such board update such ratio based on actual ratios in 11 this state and any new information related to appropriate benchmarks for 12 clinician-to-student ratios; provided, however, such updated ratio shall 13 be at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff 14 member per one thousand students. This subdivision shall not be funded 15 by student fees created on or after the effective date of this subdivi- 16 sion. State colleges or universities may seek federal funding or private 17 grants, if available, to support the provisions of this subdivision. 18 § 2. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new 19 subdivision 20 to read as follows: 20 20. Through on-campus capacity, each state college or university 21 center of the state university of New York and each state college and 22 university center of the city university of New York shall have at least 23 a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one 24 thousand full-time equivalent students. Two years after the effective 25 date of this subdivision, and once every five years thereafter, each 26 state college and university shall establish a board of advisors and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14720-03-0A. 9746--A 2 1 experts and have such board update such ratio based on actual ratios in 2 this state and any new information related to appropriate benchmarks for 3 clinician-to-student ratios; provided, however, such updated ratio shall 4 be at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff 5 member per one thousand students. This subdivision shall not be funded 6 by student fees created on or after the effective date of this subdivi- 7 sion. State colleges or universities may seek federal funding or private 8 grants, if available, to support the provisions of this subdivision. 9 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 10 the date on which it shall have become a law.