What's happening
This bill establishes an advisory board to study and recommend improvements for behavioral health services for veterans in New York.
Why it matters
Creates a formal mechanism for direct feedback and recommendations on veterans’ behavioral health services. the advisory board will study gaps and needs, potentially leading to targeted improvements and policy changes.
Brings together stakeholders from multiple state agencies. (including alcoholism, substance abuse, health, and mental hygiene departments), which can help break down silos and encourage more coordinated and integrated care for veterans.
Sets a clear timeline for action. by requiring a report with findings and recommendations to be delivered to the governor and legislature by a specified date, potentially accelerating reforms and resource allocation.
Ensures ongoing oversight from diverse political appointees. (from both majority and minority legislative leaders), which could lead to more balanced, bipartisan consideration of veterans’ mental health needs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Support Mental Health for Veterans
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Print number 3276b
- Amend and recommit to veterans' affairs
- Referred to veterans' affairs
- Print number 3276a
- Amend (t) and recommit to veterans' affairs
- Referred to veterans' affairs
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Expand Veterans Mental Health Care
In Senate Committee · Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs · Sponsor Patty Ritchie
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3276--B
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, GUNTHER, COLTON, WEPRIN, HOOPER, COOK -read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to enacting the "behavioral health services for veterans act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "behavioral health services for veterans act".
§ 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 368-a to read as follows:
§ 368-a. Behavioral health services for veterans advisory board. 1. There is hereby established within the division, a behavioral health services for veterans advisory board. Such board shall consist of nine members, three of whom shall be appointed by the governor, two of whom shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, two of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, one of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. Such members shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Vacancies on the board shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment. Members of the board shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
2. The behavioral health services for veterans advisory board shall study and analyze both the adequacy of existing and the need for new behavioral health services for veterans. In providing such analysis, the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08349-05-8
A. 3276--B 2
board shall work in cooperation with the division, the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, the department of health and the department of mental hygiene. The board shall report the findings of such study to the governor and the legislature along with recommendations it deems necessary for expanded and improved behavioral health services on or before October first, two thousand nineteen.
§ 3. This act shall take effect April 1, 2019; provided that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.