What's happening
This bill allows school or college personnel to remove students displaying signs of mental illness and requires notification of emergency contacts and student advisement of the policy.
Why it matters
Expands authority for campus personnel. By allowing teachers, administrators, or even other students to report peers showing signs of mental illness—and enabling campus safety officers to remove those students under powers similar to peace officers—this bill broadens who can initiate and carry out mental health interventions on campus. This could lead to quicker responses, but also raises important concerns about the threshold for removal and the training of those involved.
Immediate family/contact notification. Schools or colleges would be required to notify the emergency contacts listed by the student as soon as a removal for mental health reasons occurs. This ensures families or designated contacts are informed right away, which could improve support for the student but may also impact student privacy or autonomy if not handled sensitively.
Mandatory advisement of policy to students. All institutions must proactively inform students about this policy when they are accepted and begin attending. This transparency gives students advance notice about how mental health crises will be handled, potentially reducing confusion or mistrust, but it may also deter some students from seeking help if they fear involuntary removal.
Potential impact on campus culture and civil liberties. The bill could significantly affect how mental health is perceived and managed in educational environments. While designed to enhance safety, it may also risk stigmatizing mental illness, and raises questions about due process, students' rights, and the adequacy of support systems versus disciplinary action.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Campus Security Intervention
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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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
80
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to safe school or college campuses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6435-a to read as follows:
§ 6435-a. Safe campus intervention. 1. If a person alleged to be mentally ill is a student residing, or in attendance, at a school or college at the time that such person is observed exhibiting said mentally ill behavior, any teacher, administrator or student may report such behavior to the chief of safety and security, or other officer responsible for campus safety and security or a designee, and such personnel may exercise the authorized powers given to peace officers pursuant to section 9.41 of the mental hygiene law. In such instances, the institution shall, upon removal of said student alleged to be mentally ill, immediately notify the appropriate person or persons so listed to be notified in case of emergency involving alleged mental health illness intervention or treatment on the student's admission application or student records.
2. All schools and colleges shall inform and advise all students of this provision of law at the time of acceptance and entry to the institution.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02575-01-9
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.