Bill Text: NY A09201 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides mental telehealth services to children, adolescents, and young adults.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-15 - referred to mental health [A09201 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A09201-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9201

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 15, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. KELLES, SIMON, HEVESI -- read once and referred
          to the Committee on Mental Health

        AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to providing  mental
          telehealth services to children, adolescents, and young adults

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

     1    Section 1. Legislative findings and intent.  The  Legislature  affirms
     2  the  finding  of the U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Protecting Youth
     3  Mental Health that the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered  young
     4  peoples'  experiences  at  home, at school, and in the community and has
     5  exacerbated the unprecedented stresses young people face.  The  Legisla-
     6  ture  also  finds  that  there exists an obligation to act to assist our
     7  children and their families in this  moment  of  need.  The  Legislature
     8  intends,  then,  to  provide  actionable  solutions for young people and
     9  their families in support of the mental health of children, adolescents,
    10  and young adults.
    11    § 2. Section 5.05 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new
    12  subdivision (f) to read as follows:
    13    (f) The commissioners of the office of mental health and the office of
    14  addiction services and supports shall establish  a  youth  mental  tele-
    15  health  services program to facilitate access to mental health services,
    16  including substance use disorder services, for youth to respond to iden-
    17  tified mental health needs, including those needs that may have resulted
    18  from the COVID-19 pandemic, and for youth or families that may not  have
    19  access  to  mental  health  professionals  in-person. Such program shall
    20  provide up to five mental telehealth services annually at no cost to the
    21  individual, for acute crisis  response,  mental  health  assessment,  or
    22  initiation of care to reduce barriers and facilitate engagement in long-
    23  term care.
    24    As  soon  as practicable, but no later than August first, two thousand
    25  twenty-four, the offices shall enter into an agreement with a vendor  to
    26  create,  or  use  an  existing,  website  or web-based application, as a
    27  portal available to youth and providers to facilitate the program.  Such
    28  vendor shall be determined through a competitive bidding process.
    29    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    30  it shall have become a law.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14005-01-4