What's happening
This bill creates a task force to study and recommend improvements for veterans' mental health and suicide prevention in New York.
Why it matters
Focuses on actionable improvements. By requiring the task force to not only study but also recommend specific practices for mental health and suicide prevention, the bill aims to produce concrete, implementable changes rather than just identifying problems.
Ensures statewide and expert representation. The mandate that appointees have mental health expertise and reflect geographic diversity helps ensure the group's recommendations are both informed and relevant to veterans across all regions of New York.
Promotes accountability and transparency. The task force must provide both preliminary and final reports to the governor and legislature, creating public records of their findings and proposals, which can drive legislative follow-up and public oversight.
Facilitates interagency collaboration. By empowering the task force to request studies or data from any state agency, the legislation encourages cooperation across government departments, potentially leading to more integrated and effective solutions for veterans’ mental health.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Veterans Mental Health Task Force
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to veterans' affairs
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.546
- Reported and committed to finance
- Print number 2248a
- Amend and recommit to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
Show 7 earlier actions
- Referred to veterans' affairs
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 58–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.996
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military 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.
Create Veterans Mental Health Task Force
In Assembly Committee · Veterans' Affairs · Sponsor Felix Ortiz
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2248--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 23, 2019
Introduced by Sens. SANDERS, ADDABBO, JACKSON, LANZA, PARKER, RITCHIE, SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs -- recommitted to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to create a veterans' mental health and suicide prevention task force; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature is concerned with the health, safety, and welfare of all returning veterans of the United States armed forces to New York and the high rate of mental health problems and suicides of members of the United States armed forces.
§ 2. Veterans' suicide task force. (a) There is hereby created the veterans' mental health and suicide prevention task force to examine, evaluate and determine how to improve mental health and suicide prevention for our veterans, consisting of seven members, each to serve until May first, two thousand twenty-two.
(b)(1) Such members shall be appointed as follows: one member shall be appointed by the governor; one member shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; one member shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; one member shall be appointed by the director of the New York State Division of Veterans' Services; and one member shall be appointed by the commissioner of health. Appointments shall be made within sixty days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07156-04-0
S. 2248--A 2
task force shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments.
(2) All appointees shall have expertise in fields or disciplines related to mental health. All appointments shall be coordinated to ensure geographic representation from the entire state.
(3) The task force shall be chaired by the governor's appointee. The task force shall elect a vice-chair and other necessary officers from among all appointed members.
(4) A majority of the members of the task force then in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or the exercise of any power or function of the task force. An act, determination or decision of the majority of the members present during the presence of a quorum shall be held to be the act, determination, or decision of the task force.
(5) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call of the chair. Meetings may be held via teleconference. Special meetings may be called by the chair at the request of a majority of the members of the task force.
(6) Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in the work of the task force.
(c) The task force shall:
(1) study current mental health practices and suicide prevention efforts; and
(2) recommend mental health practices and suicide prevention efforts to increase effectiveness across the state.
(d) The task force may establish such advisory committees as it deems appropriate on matters relating to the task force's functions, powers and duties. Such committees shall be chaired by a task force member, but may be composed of task force members as well as other individuals selected by the task force to provide expertise of interest specific to the charge of such committees.
(e) The task force may, as it deems appropriate, request that studies, surveys, or analyses relating to the task force's powers and duties be performed by any state department, commission, agency or public authority. All state departments, commissions, agencies or public authorities shall provide information and advice in a timely manner and otherwise assist the task force with its work.
(f) The task force shall submit a request for any appropriation as shall be necessary to enable the task force to perform its functions and duties to the governor, director of the division of budget, and chairpersons of the senate finance committee and the assembly ways and means committee.
(g) The task force may hold public hearings, take testimony and make investigations at such places as it deems necessary.
(h) The task force shall make a preliminary report to the governor and the legislature of its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activities already undertaken by the task force, not later than June 1, 2021, and a final report of its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activities already undertaken by the task force, not later than March 1, 2022 and shall submit with its reports legislative proposals as it deems necessary to implement its recommendations.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall expire May 1, 2022 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed to be repealed.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to create a veterans' mental health and suicide prevention task force; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
Purpose
To creates a veterans' mental health and suicide prevention task force.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 states legislative intent.
Section 2 provides for the creation of the task force, including how members are appointed and what the task force's roles are (e.g., study current practices, recommend mental health practices and suicide prevention efforts).
Section 3 provides the act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law and expire May 1, 2022.
Existing law
New Law
Justification
The legislature is concerned with the health, safety, and welfare of all returning veterans of the United States armed forces to New York and the high rate of mental health problems and suicides of members of the United States armed forces.
Legislative history
2015 Referred to Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs 2016 Referred to Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs 2017 Referred to Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs 2018 Referred to Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs 2019 Passed Senate 58-0
Fiscal implications
None
Local fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall expire May 1, 2022 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be repealed.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.