•  Summary 
  •  
  •  Actions 
  •  
  •  Committee Votes 
  •  
  •  Floor Votes 
  •  
  •  Memo 
  •  
  •  Text 
  •  
  •  LFIN 
  •  
  •  Chamber Video/Transcript 

A07552 Summary:

BILL NOA07552
 
SAME ASSAME AS S07079
 
SPONSORBurdick
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add 7.51, Ment Hyg L
 
Establishes the "first responder peer support program" which supplies peer-to-peer mental health programs to first responders.
Go to top

A07552 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A7552
 
SPONSOR: Burdick
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the "First Responder Peer Support Program Act"   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: Enacts the first responder peer support program act.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1 titles the bill "First Responder Peer Support Program Act" Section 2 amends the mental hygiene law by adding new section 7.51 which defines the terms "the program" and "eligible entities. Additionally, (B) provides that the commissioner, subject to appropriation, shall establish a statewide grant program that provides grants to eligible entities for the purpose of establishing peer-topeer mental health programs for first responders. (c) provides that the commissioner shall establish standards applicable to the program. Such standards shall include, but not limited to, initial and continued training for first responder peer volunteers, administrative staffing needs, and best practices for addressing the needs of each first responder served, including, but not limited to, a warm handoff to mental health services for individuals identified as being in duress. (d)provides that the commissioner shall not require the recipient of any grant under this section to maintain records on first responders seeking support or report any personal identifying information directly or indi- rectly to the commissioner. Section 3 states the effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: First responders are frequently exposed to distressing situations. To help address the emotional toll on these individuals it is vital that the state provides accessible resources such as peer support programs. The FBI has acknowledged that peer support programs are a unique service as they allow individuals with personal experience to assist others dealing with similar experiences through increased awareness, vigilance, empathic responses and emotional validation. These Peer support services have been proven effective in identifying risk factors for behavioral and mental health problems, reducing stigma, creating a welcoming envi- ronment and connecting individuals with outside professional resources for additional care when necessary. Modeled after the highly successful Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer to Peer Support Program, which was launched in 2012, this bill would estab- lish a First Responder Peer Support Program. This program would focus on prioritizing the mental well-being of the state's first responders. By enacting this bill we can ensure that first responders have access to the necessary systems to address some of the challenges they face.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: S8610A Serino: Died in Finance   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: To be determined   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately. (1) https://leb.fbi.qov/articles/featured-articles/first-responder- Deer-support-programs (2)httos://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmciarticles/PMC100383771 :-: text=Altoqether%2C%20the%20available%20evidence%20sumests, %2Defficacv%2C%20and%2Oreduces%20hospitalisations.
Go to top

A07552 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          7552
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      May 25, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. BURDICK -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Mental Health
 
        AN ACT to amend the mental  hygiene  law,  in  relation  to  the  "First
          Responder Peer Support Program Act"
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as  the  "First
     2  Responder Peer Support Program Act".
     3    § 2. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 7.51 to
     4  read as follows:
     5  § 7.51 First responder peer support program.
     6    (a)  For  the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have
     7  the following meanings:
     8    1. "The program" shall mean the "first responder peer support program"
     9  established by this section.
    10    2. "Eligible entities" shall mean an entity or county first  responder
    11  peer program which submits to the commissioner an application, in a form
    12  prescribed  by  the commissioner, containing such information and assur-
    13  ances as the commissioner may require to provide initial  and  continued
    14  training  in  mental  illness,  including  but  not  limited  to suicide
    15  prevention, for first responder peer volunteers.
    16    (b) The commissioner shall,  subject  to  appropriation,  establish  a
    17  statewide grant program to be known as the "first responder peer support
    18  program".  The  program shall provide grants, with appropriations there-
    19  for, to eligible entities for the purpose of  establishing  peer-to-peer
    20  mental health programs for first responders.
    21    (c)  The  commissioner  shall  establish  standards  applicable to the
    22  program. Such standards shall include, but not be  limited  to,  initial
    23  and  continued training for first responder peer volunteers, administra-
    24  tive staffing needs, and best practices for addressing the needs of each

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09287-02-3

        A. 7552                             2
 
     1  first responder served, including, but not limited to, a warm handoff to
     2  mental health services for individuals identified as being in duress.
     3    (d)  The  commissioner  shall  not  require the recipient of any grant
     4  under this section to  maintain  records  on  first  responders  seeking
     5  support or report any personal identifying information directly or indi-
     6  rectly to the commissioner.
     7    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Go to top