Bill Text: NY A06740 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Establishes a Black youth suicide prevention task force; provides for the number of members, manner of appointment and the topics to be reviewed.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 30-4)

Status: (Vetoed) 2019-12-13 - tabled [A06740 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A06740-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          6740
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                     March 18, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  JEAN-PIERRE -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Mental Health
        AN ACT to establish a Black youth 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 Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Black youth suicide prevention task  force.  (a)  There  is
     2  hereby created the Black youth suicide prevention task force to examine,
     3  evaluate  and  determine  how  to  improve  mental  health  and  suicide
     4  prevention for our Black New York residents  aged  5  though  18  years,
     5  consisting  of  seven  members,  each to serve until two years after the
     6  effective date of this act.
     7    (b)(1) Such members shall be appointed as follows: one member shall be
     8  appointed by the governor; one member shall be appointed by  the  tempo-
     9  rary  president  of  the  senate;  one  member shall be appointed by the
    10  minority leader of the senate; one member  shall  be  appointed  by  the
    11  speaker  of  the assembly; one member shall be appointed by the minority
    12  leader of the assembly; and  two  members  shall  be  appointed  by  the
    13  commissioner  of health. Appointments shall be made within sixty days of
    14  the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the  task  force  shall  be
    15  filled in the same manner provided for original appointments.
    16    (2)  All  appointees  shall  have  expertise  in fields or disciplines
    17  related to mental health and knowledge related to the  Black  community.
    18  All  appointments  shall  be  coordinated to ensure geographic represen-
    19  tation from the entire state.
    20    (3) The task force shall be chaired by the governor's  appointee.  The
    21  task  force  shall  elect a vice-chair and other necessary officers from
    22  among all appointed members.
    23    (4) A majority of the members  of  the  task  force  in  office  shall
    24  constitute  a  quorum for the transaction of business or the exercise of
    25  any power or function of the task force. An act, determination or  deci-
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10558-02-9

        A. 6740                             2
     1  sion  of  the  majority  of the members present during the presence of a
     2  quorum shall be held to be the act, determination, or  decision  of  the
     3  task force.
     4    (5)  The  task  force shall meet at least quarterly at the call of the
     5  chair. Meetings may be held via teleconference. Special meetings may  be
     6  called  by  the chair at the request of a majority of the members of the
     7  task force.
     8    (6) Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for  their
     9  services  but  shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses incurred in
    10  the performance of their duties in the work of the task force.
    11    (c) The task force shall:
    12    (1) study current  mental  health  practices  and  suicide  prevention
    13  efforts for Black youths aged 5 through 18 years;
    14    (2)  recommend  mental health practices and suicide prevention efforts
    15  for such age group to increase effectiveness across the state; and
    16    (3) determine potential reasons for the high  number  of  Black  youth
    17  suicides.
    18    (d)  The task force may establish such advisory committees as it deems
    19  appropriate on matters relating to the task  force's  functions,  powers
    20  and duties. Such committees shall be chaired by a task force member, but
    21  may  be  composed  of  task  force  members as well as other individuals
    22  selected by the task force to provide expertise of interest specific  to
    23  the charge of such committees.
    24    (e) The task force may, as it deems appropriate, request that studies,
    25  surveys,  or  analyses relating to the task force's powers and duties be
    26  performed by any state department, commission, agency or public authori-
    27  ty. All state departments, commissions, agencies or  public  authorities
    28  shall  provide  information  and advice in a timely manner and otherwise
    29  assist the task force with its work.
    30    (f) The task force shall submit a request  for  any  appropriation  as
    31  shall be necessary to enable the task force to perform its functions and
    32  duties  to  the governor, director of the division of budget, and chair-
    33  persons of the senate finance committee and the assembly ways and  means
    34  committee.
    35    (g)  The  task force may hold public hearings, take testimony and make
    36  investigations at such places as it deems necessary.
    37    (h) The task force shall make a preliminary report to the governor and
    38  the legislature of its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activ-
    39  ities already undertaken by the task  force,  not  later  than  thirteen
    40  months  after  the effective date of this act, and a final report of its
    41  findings, conclusions, recommendations and activities already undertaken
    42  by the task force, not later than twenty-two months after the  effective
    43  date of this act and shall submit with its reports legislative proposals
    44  as it deems necessary to implement its recommendations.
    45    §  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    46  have become a law and shall expire 2 years  after  such  effective  date
    47  when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed.
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