What's happening
This bill authorizes specified officials to visit state inmate-patient facilities at will.
Why it matters
Statewide access. The bill covers all inmate-patient facilities of the Department of Mental Hygiene, rather than individual facilities.
Staff accompaniment. Legislators could request a facility employee accompany them, provided the commissioner determines it would not impair facility management.
Entry controls. People without other legal authorization would need the mental health commissioner's permission to enter, under regulations the commissioner prescribes.
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Who cares
State legislators
They would gain explicit authority to visit these facilities at will and request staff accompaniment.
State officials, judges and local law enforcement officials
The listed officeholders would receive express authority to visit at will.
Mental health administrators and facility employees
They would manage authorized visits and requests for staff accompaniment.
Patients in inmate-patient facilities
The bill would authorize specified officials to enter the facilities where they receive care.
Headline styles
Authorize Officials’ Inmate-Patient Facility Visits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to mental health
- Referred to mental health
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.
Limit Facility Visitor Access
In Senate Committee · Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities · Sponsor Patrick M. Gallivan
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4376
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, AUBRY, BARRON, BLAKE, COOK, GOTTFRIED, HYNDMAN, JOYNER, LAWRENCE, MONTESANO, MORINELLO, RIVERA, TAYLOR -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to certain persons authorized to visit inmate-patient facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 29.27-a to read as follows: § 29.27-a Persons authorized to visit inmate-patient facilities of the
department.
The following persons shall be authorized to visit at pleasure all inmate-patient facilities of the department: the governor and lieutenant-governor, commissioner of general services, secretary of state, comptroller and attorney general, members of the legislature and any employee of the inmate-patient facility as requested by the member of the legislature if the member requests to be so accompanied, provided that such request does not impact upon the department's ability to manage its facilities as determined by the commissioner, judges of the court of appeals, supreme court and county judges, district attorneys and county sheriffs. No other person not otherwise authorized by law shall be permitted to enter an inmate-patient facility of the department except by authority of the commissioner of mental health under such regulations, as the commissioner shall prescribe.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02955-01-9
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.