What's happening
This bill allows certain state officials to visit mental health facilities, with notification and limitations to avoid disrupting facility operations.
Why it matters
Expands oversight and transparency. by allowing high-level state officials (including the governor, legislature members, and other top leaders) to visit mental health facilities, potentially leading to more direct accountability and awareness of facility conditions.
Balances oversight with patient care. by giving facility directors authority to deny visits if they would disrupt therapeutic activities or the safe management of the facility, ensuring patient well-being and routine operations are prioritized.
Formalizes notification protocols. requiring officials to notify facility directors before visiting, which helps facilities prepare and minimize disruption, while still supporting the officials' oversight role.
Clarifies access rules. by specifying that individuals not already authorized by law can only enter these facilities with explicit permission from the commissioner, reinforcing security and controlled access.
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Who cares
State legislators and listed statewide officials
The bill would authorize them to visit designated inmate-patient facilities at pleasure, provided they make a concerted effort to notify the facility director as soon as practicable.
Directors of designated inmate-patient facilities
They could deny a visit if it would interfere with regularly scheduled therapeutic activities or affect their ability to manage the facility.
Inmate-patients in designated facilities
The bill would allow visits by specified officials while permitting directors to protect scheduled therapeutic activities from interference.
Commissioner of mental hygiene
The bill would require people not otherwise authorized by law to obtain the commissioner’s authorization to enter a facility, under regulations the commissioner prescribes.
Headline styles
Let Officials Visit Mental Facilities
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
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.
Allow Officials Visit Mental Facilities
In Senate Committee · Mental Health · Sponsor Patrick M. Gallivan
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1519
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, COOK, HYNDMAN, MORINELLO, TAYLOR -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. WALSH -- 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. Section 29.27 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new subdivision (k) to read as follows:
(k) The following persons shall be authorized to visit at pleasure any facility designated by the commissioner for care and treatment under this section, provided that such persons shall make a concerted effort to notify the director of any facility, as soon as practicable, that a visit will occur: the governor and lieutenant-governor, commissioner of general services, secretary of state, comptroller, attorney general, and members of the legislature. The director of a facility shall be authorized to deny any visit, if the director determines that the visit would interfere with the regularly scheduled therapeutic activities or there would be an impact upon the ability to manage such facility. No other person not otherwise authorized by law shall be permitted to enter a facility of the office except by authority of the commissioner 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.
LBD02817-01-5
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.