What's happening
This bill creates a Rural Suicide Prevention Council to study, recommend, and report on policies addressing suicide in rural New York.
Why it matters
Targets a Critical Population. By focusing specifically on rural areas and professions like farming, the bill addresses the unique mental health challenges and higher suicide risks faced by these often-overlooked communities.
Brings Diverse Expertise Together. The council’s diverse composition—including mental health professionals, agricultural experts, and policy leaders—ensures a wide range of perspectives and solutions tailored to rural needs.
Aims for Actionable Solutions. The council is tasked not just with studying the problem, but also recommending concrete policies, practices, and funding initiatives to improve prevention and intervention resources in rural New York.
Establishes Ongoing Accountability. Regular meetings and biennial reporting to the governor and legislature help maintain focus on rural suicide prevention and create a mechanism for monitoring progress and updating strategies as needed.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Rural Suicide Council
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Vetoed memo.210
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.361
- Substituted for A6007
- Referred to mental health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 59–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.70
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
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.
Create Rural Suicide Council
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Didi Barrett
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2070
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 22, 2019
Introduced by Sen. METZGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to creating the rural suicide prevention council
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 7.48 to read as follows: § 7.48 Rural suicide prevention council.
(a) There shall be established by the office, a council on rural suicide prevention, to consist of twelve members:
1. two members shall be appointed by the commissioner;
2. two members shall be appointed by the commissioner of health;
3. two members shall be appointed by the commissioner of agriculture and markets;
4. two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
5. two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
6. one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and
7. one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
(b) The commissioner shall designate the chair of the council from among such twelve members. Vacancies in the membership of such council shall be filled by the appropriate appointing authority. The membership of the council may include, but not be limited to, representatives of the state conference of local mental hygiene directors, psychiatric and psychological practitioners, substance use and mental health professionals with experience in the delivery of treatment and prevention services in rural areas, persons with expertise in public health issues, any group, association, or university with expertise in financial or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00560-01-9
S. 2070 2
economic analysis, business planning, and providing supports for farmers and other individuals residing in rural areas, and others whose professional expertise includes rural affairs related to the duties of the council.
(c) The council shall focus its efforts and work on "rural areas" as such term is defined in section four hundred eighty-one of the executive law.
(d) Duties of the council shall include, but not be limited to:
1. examining the causes and conditions related to rural suicides or suicide attempts and the prevalence of suicide among certain professions including, but not limited to, farmers and agricultural workers;
2. identifying policies, practices, resources, services, and potential legislation that may result in the reduction of rural suicide and rural suicide attempts;
3. offering recommendations on policies and procedures to improve the coordination of services and resources among agencies involved in the delivery of mental health, substance use, or suicide prevention services; and
4. making recommendations on funding initiatives to increase access to mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention services in rural areas and facilitate the use of innovative intervention strategies specific to individuals residing in rural areas.
(e) The rural suicide prevention council shall meet not less than two times annually, or as deemed necessary by the chair of the council or the commissioner.
(f) The members of the rural suicide prevention council shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
(g) The council shall prepare and submit a report no later than January first, two thousand twenty-one, and biennially thereafter, to the governor and the legislature that recommends policies, legislation, and funding needed to implement any of the findings in the council's report.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to creating the rural suicide prevention council
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to reduce the growing rate of suicide in rural New York through the establishment of a rural suicide prevention council.
Summary of provisions
A new section 7.48 is added to the mental hygiene law entitled "rural suicide prevention council."
The new council will consist of twelve members to be appointed as follows: two members appointed by the Commissioner of the Office of Mental Hygiene; two members appointed by the Commissioner of Health; two members shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets; two members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly; two members appointed by the Temporary President of the Senate; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Assembly; and one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.
The Commissioner of the Office of Mental Hygiene will appoint the chair of the council.
Membership on the council may include representatives of local mental hygiene directors, psychiatric and psychological practitioners, substance abuse professionals, persons with expertise in public health issues, any group, association, or university with expertise in finan- cial or economic analysis, business planning, and providing supports for farmers and other individuals residing in a rural area, and others whose professional expertise includes rural affairs related to the duties of the council.
The council will examine the causes and conditions related to the rise of rural suicide, as well as access to mental health care in areas considered "rural" as defined in section 481 of the executive law. The council will identify policies, practices, resources, services and potential legislation that may result in the reduction of rural suicide and offer recommendations for coordination of the relevant services and resources.
The council will create a plan to identify persons at-risk for suicide, particularly within certain professions, including farming and agricul- tural work, and to increase access to and delivery of suicide care.
The council shall meet at least two times annually. Members of the coun- cil shall not receive compensation but will be reimbursed for their actual expenses.
The council will submit a report by January 1, 2020 to the Governor and the Legislature. The report will recommend policies, legislation, and funding needed to implement their findings.
Existing law
This is a new section of law.
Justification
In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control released data from 2001-2015 which showed that rural counties had higher rates of suicide than metro- politan counties. Presently, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death among Americans with over half a million suicides occurring during the survey period.
The rise in suicide rates is not attributable to one factor but instead to a number of factors. Increasing rural suicide may be the result of economic insecurity, social isolation, a dearth of mental health profes- sionals, higher levels of alcohol and substance abuse, weakened social supports, and many other factors.
The Rural Suicide Prevention Council envisioned in this legislation would be tasked with examining the epidemic of suicide in rural New York and then creating a comprehensive plan to address the problem. Address- ing the root problems of the mental health crisis in our state is a critical first step to helping the state provide needed services to our residents.
Legislative history
2018 - Passed Senate - Died in Assembly
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
Ninety Days after enactment
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.