Bill Text: NY S08608 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Establishes the frontline workers trauma informed care advisory council to connect frontline workers impacted by COVID-19 to evidenced-based trauma-informed support resources and learning opportunities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-11-27 - approval memo.17 [S08608 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S08608-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8608--A IN SENATE June 18, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the frontline workers trauma informed care advisory council The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 2 7.48 to read as follows: 3 § 7.48 Frontline workers trauma informed care advisory council. 4 (a) The commissioner shall establish the frontline workers trauma 5 informed care advisory council within the office. The council shall 6 consist of, at a minimum, the commissioner or his or her designee; the 7 commissioner of the department of health or his or her designee; the 8 commissioner of aging or his or her designee; the commissioner of the 9 office for people with developmental disabilities or his or her desig- 10 nee; the commissioner of the office for addiction services and supports 11 or his or her designee; the commissioner of the department of 12 corrections and community supervision; the commissioner of the office of 13 children and family services or his or her designee; the commissioner of 14 the department of labor or his or her designee; a representative of the 15 state conference of local mental hygiene service directors as created 16 under article forty-one of this chapter; and twenty-one additional 17 members of which seven shall be appointed by the governor, six shall be 18 appointed by the speaker of the assembly, six shall appointed by the 19 temporary president of the senate, and one each shall be appointed by 20 the minority leader of the assembly and the senate. Each appointed 21 member shall be a representative of one of the following: (1) behav- 22 ioral health advocacy organizations; (2) health care provider organiza- 23 tions; (3) employee organizations representing nurses, doctors, and 24 other frontline workers; (4) human service providers, including but not 25 limited to a human service provider as defined pursuant to subdivision 26 four of section four hundred sixty-four-b of the social services law; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD16681-05-0S. 8608--A 2 1 (5) law enforcement agencies; (6) individuals who have expertise in 2 fields of discipline related to trauma informed care; and any other 3 group, association, organization, or individual deemed appropriate by 4 the commissioner. For purposes of this section, frontline workers shall 5 include, but shall not be limited to, healthcare workers, first respon- 6 ders, direct care workers, public safety workers, transportation work- 7 ers, food service workers and others who have been exposed to trauma 8 associated with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic while in the 9 line of duty. 10 (b) Council members shall receive no compensation for their services 11 as members of the council, but shall be reimbursed for actual and neces- 12 sary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The members 13 of the council shall choose one member of the council to be a chair- 14 person and one member to be co-chairperson. 15 (c) The council shall be established within thirty days of the effec- 16 tive date of this section. 17 (d) The council shall: 18 (1) Identify evidence-based tools to track the impact of COVID-19 19 associated collective trauma and the needs of frontline workers; 20 (2) Identify or develop training opportunities for organizations that 21 employ frontline workers on how to support the mental health and well- 22 ness of their impacted employees; 23 (3) Identify evidenced-based trauma-informed support resources and 24 learning opportunities for frontline workers; 25 (4) Identify or develop a mechanism to inform and refer impacted 26 frontline workers experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 to 27 behavioral health services and supports; 28 (5) Consult with any organization, government entity, agency, or 29 person that the council determines may be able to provide information 30 and expertise on the development and implementation of trauma informed 31 care for frontline workers; and 32 (6) Submit a report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and 33 the temporary president of the senate by December first, two thousand 34 twenty on the duties described in this section, including recommenda- 35 tions to effectively implement any initiative identified or developed by 36 the workgroup and included in its report. 37 (e) To the extent federal funds are available, grants shall be made 38 available to entities that employ frontline workers or other organiza- 39 tions with relevant experience, for the sole purpose of providing 40 support and implementing strategies or initiatives identified by the 41 frontline workers trauma informed care workgroup for their workforce. 42 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
