Bill Text: NY A05197 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes an LGBTQ+ 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 11-2)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-12 - referred to mental health [A05197 Detail]
Download: New_York-2025-A05197-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5197 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 12, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. REYES, WOERNER, WEPRIN, SEAWRIGHT, HEVESI, McDO- NOUGH, OTIS, EPSTEIN, BURDICK, GLICK, DINOWITZ, SIMONE -- Multi-Spon- sored by -- M. of A. TAGUE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health AN ACT to establish an LGBTQ+ youth and young adult suicide prevention task force; and providing 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. LGBTQ+ youth and young adult suicide prevention task force. 2 (a) There is hereby created the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and 3 queer+ (LGBTQ+) youth and young adult suicide prevention task force to 4 examine, evaluate and determine how to improve mental health and suicide 5 prevention for New York's LGBTQ+ 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 LGBTQ+ 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. LBD03013-01-5A. 5197 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 LGBTQ+ youth 20 and 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 22 months after the effective date of 46 this act and shall submit with its reports legislative proposals as it 47 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.
