STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3237--A 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 22, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the county law and the executive law, in relation to the reporting of a veteran's suicide The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 677 of the county law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 10 to read as follows: 3 10. The coroner, coroner's physician or medical examiner shall report 4 to the division of veterans' services, in a form, and time frame devel- 5 oped by such division in a manner that is protective of privacy and 6 contains aggregate, rather than individual data to the extent practica- 7 ble, any death which appears to be a suicide by a person who, to the 8 knowledge of the coroner, coroner's physician or medical examiner, is a 9 veteran. 10 § 2. Section 353 of the executive law is amended by adding a new 11 subdivision 26 to read as follows: 12 26. (a) To develop a form by which a coroner, coroner's physician or 13 medical examiner, pursuant to section six hundred seventy-seven of the 14 county law, shall report to the division any death which appears to be a 15 suicide by a person who, to the knowledge of the coroner, coroner's 16 physician or medical examiner, is a veteran. This form shall at a mini- 17 mum: (i) ensure compliance with the strictest privacy protections and 18 encourage data aggregation to the extent feasible; (ii) provide the 19 address to which the form is to be mailed or submitted electronically; 20 and (iii) include the county of residence and the branch of service of 21 deceased veterans during the reporting period. 22 (b) The division shall: (i) forward completed forms to the office of 23 mental hygiene pursuant to subdivision (g) of section 7.07 of the mental EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03672-03-1

A. 3237--A 2 1 hygiene law in a timely manner; and (ii) compile such information for 2 inclusion in the annual report pursuant to this section. 3 § 3. Section 353 of the executive law is amended by adding a new 4 subdivision 6-b to read as follows: 5 6-b. To prepare and submit a report in consultation with the depart- 6 ment of health and the department of mental hygiene including the 7 following information to the extent it is reasonably accessible: (a) the 8 number of veterans who died by suicide; (b) trends of veterans suicide 9 rates over the last five years, including details by period of military 10 service; and (c) a comparison of veterans suicide rates by county, 11 statewide and nationwide. Such report shall be delivered to the governor 12 and legislature no later than June thirteenth, two thousand twenty-four 13 and every three years thereafter. Such report shall also be made avail- 14 able on the division's website. 15 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 16 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 17 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 18 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 19 completed on or before such effective date.

Relates to the reporting of a veteran's suicide

What's Happening

Why It Matters