Bill Text: NY A01548 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Establishes an LGBT youth and young adult suicide prevention task force; provides for the number of members, manner of appointment and the topics to be reviewed.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 16-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-09 - reported referred to ways and means [A01548 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A01548-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          1548

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 11, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. REYES, O'DONNELL, FERNANDEZ, WOERNER, DICKENS,
          BARRON, WEPRIN,  SEAWRIGHT,  HEVESI,  McDONOUGH,  GOTTFRIED,  OTIS  --
          Multi-Sponsored  by -- M. of A. TAGUE -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Mental Health

        AN ACT to establish an LGBT youth and  young  adult  suicide  prevention
          task  force; and provides for the repeal of such provisions upon expi-
          ration thereof

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  LGBT youth and young adult suicide prevention task force.
     2  (a) There is hereby created the lesbian, gay, bisexual  and  transgender
     3  (LGBT)  youth  and young adult suicide prevention task force to examine,
     4  evaluate  and  determine  how  to  improve  mental  health  and  suicide
     5  prevention  for  New  York's  LGBT  youth and young adults up to age 24,
     6  consisting of seven members, each to serve until  two  years  after  the
     7  effective date of this act.
     8    (b)(1) Such members shall be appointed as follows: one member shall be
     9  appointed  by the governor; two members shall be appointed by the tempo-
    10  rary president of the senate; two members  shall  be  appointed  by  the
    11  speaker  of  the  assembly;  and  two  members shall be appointed by the
    12  commissioner of health. Appointments shall be made within sixty days  of
    13  the  effective  date  of  this act. Vacancies in the task force shall be
    14  filled in the same manner provided for original appointments.
    15    (2) All appointees shall  have  expertise  in  fields  or  disciplines
    16  related  to  mental health and knowledge related to LGBT youth and young
    17  adults. All appointments  shall  be  coordinated  to  ensure  geographic
    18  representation from the entire state.
    19    (3)  The  task force shall be chaired by the governor's appointee. The
    20  task force shall elect a vice-chair and other  necessary  officers  from
    21  among all appointed members.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00074-01-1
        A. 1548                             2

     1    (4)  A  majority  of  the  members  of  the task force in office shall
     2  constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or the  exercise  of
     3  any  power or function of the task force. An act, determination or deci-
     4  sion of the majority of the members present during  the  presence  of  a
     5  quorum  shall  be  held to be the act, determination, or decision of the
     6  task force.
     7    (5) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the  call  of  the
     8  chair.  Meetings may be held via teleconference. Special meetings may be
     9  called by the chair at the request of a majority of the members  of  the
    10  task force.
    11    (6)  Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their
    12  services but shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses  incurred  in
    13  the performance of their duties in the work of the task force.
    14    (c) The task force shall:
    15    (1)  study  current  mental  health  practices  and suicide prevention
    16  efforts;
    17    (2) recommend mental health practices and suicide  prevention  efforts
    18  to increase effectiveness across the state; and
    19    (3)  determine potential reasons for the high number of LGBT youth and
    20  young adult suicides.
    21    (d) The task force may establish such advisory committees as it  deems
    22  appropriate  on  matters  relating to the task force's functions, powers
    23  and duties. Such committees shall be chaired by a task force member, but
    24  may be composed of task force  members  as  well  as  other  individuals
    25  selected  by the task force to provide expertise of interest specific to
    26  the charge of such committees.
    27    (e) The task force may, as it deems appropriate, request that studies,
    28  surveys, or analyses relating to the task force's powers and  duties  be
    29  performed by any state department, commission, agency or public authori-
    30  ty.  All  state departments, commissions, agencies or public authorities
    31  shall provide information and advice in a timely  manner  and  otherwise
    32  assist the task force with its work.
    33    (f)  The  task  force  shall submit a request for any appropriation as
    34  shall be necessary to enable the task force to perform its functions and
    35  duties to the governor, director of the division of budget,  and  chair-
    36  persons  of the senate finance committee and the assembly ways and means
    37  committee.
    38    (g) The task force may hold public hearings, take testimony  and  make
    39  investigations at such places as it deems necessary.
    40    (h) The task force shall make a preliminary report to the governor and
    41  the legislature of its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activ-
    42  ities  already  undertaken  by  the  task force, not later than thirteen
    43  months after the effective date of this act, and a final report  of  its
    44  findings, conclusions, recommendations and activities already undertaken
    45  by  the task force, not later than twenty-two months after the effective
    46  date of this act and shall submit with its reports legislative proposals
    47  as it deems necessary to implement its recommendations.
    48    § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
    49  have  become  a  law  and shall expire 2 years after such effective date
    50  when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed.