What's happening
This bill requires New York colleges to provide a consent form allowing notification of parents or guardians if a student is identified as at risk for suicide.
Why it matters
Empowers students and families with choice. By requiring a clear opt-in or opt-out consent form at college acceptance, the bill gives students (or their parents/guardians) direct control over whether their families can be notified if the student is at risk for suicide.
Increases institutional responsibility. College employees who are in positions to identify at-risk students are explicitly authorized and encouraged to report concerns to campus leadership, potentially improving early intervention and support.
Prioritizes mental health expertise. The requirement that college leadership must consult with a mental health professional before notifying parents/guardians helps ensure that decisions are informed by professional judgment, aiming to balance privacy with safety.
Standardizes practices across New York colleges. By mandating a statewide, commissioner-developed form and process, the bill aims to create consistent procedures and reduce confusion or variability between institutions, potentially leading to more equitable student protections.
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Who cares
Colleges and universities
They would have to provide the notice and consent form with acceptance materials, and presidents or chief administrative officers would be directed to consult a mental health professional before notifying parents or guardians.
Prospective college students and their parents or guardians
The form would ask either the student or a parent or guardian to select whether the college may notify parents or guardians about the student's mental well-being.
College employees and affiliated personnel
The form would authorize those positioned to identify students potentially at risk for suicide to report their concerns to the college president or chief administrative officer.
State education and mental health commissioners
The education commissioner would have to develop the form in consultation with the mental health commissioner.
Headline styles
Notify Parents of At-Risk Students
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to higher education
- Referred to higher education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2924
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 28, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. EPSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the commissioner of education to develop a notice and consent form for the notification of parents and guardians of college students that are identified as potentially at-risk for suicide
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 60 to read as follows:
60. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of mental health, shall develop a notice and consent form to be provided to students and parents by colleges and universities in the state upon acceptance of prospective students to college or university, authorizing permission to contact the parents or guardians of students identified as potentially at-risk for suicide. Such form shall:
a. be included in a clear and conspicuous manner and in the same size type as the other documents provided with the college acceptance letter sent to the prospective student;
b. request that the student or the parent or guardian of the student indicate whether the college may notify the parents or guardians of the student as to such student's mental well-being by checking either the box "notify parents" or "do not notify parents"; and
c. authorize any employee who is employed by, or affiliated with the college, and who through their employment is in a position to identify a student who is potentially at risk for suicide, to report such belief to the college president or chief administrative officer. The college president or chief administrative officer of the college shall, after consultation with a mental health professional, notify the parents or guardians of such student's mental well-being.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02536-02-9
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.