S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5659
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 17, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. P. RIVERA -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disa-
bilities
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to directing the
commissioner of mental health to prepare a report on the effectiveness
of mental health parity; to amend chapter 748 of the laws of 2006
amending the insurance law relating to enacting "Timothy's law", in
relation to making the provisions of such chapter permanent; and to
amend chapter 502 of the laws of 2007 amending the insurance law
relating to certain coverage for mental illness, in relation to the
effectiveness thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 7.09 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
a new subdivision (k) to read as follows:
(K) THE COMMISSIONER OF MENTAL HEALTH, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE SUPER-
INTENDENT OF INSURANCE, SHALL PREPARE A REPORT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
MENTAL HEALTH PARITY. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO
THE RESULTS AND FINDINGS OF A STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE OFFICE OF MENTAL
HEALTH AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF INSURANCE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER SEVEN
HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHT OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND SIX. THE COMMISSIONER
OF MENTAL HEALTH SHALL DELIVER A COPY OF SUCH REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR,
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY ON
OR BEFORE MARCH THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TEN.
S 2. Section 8 of chapter 748 of the laws of 2006, amending the insur-
ance law relating to enacting "Timothy's law", is amended to read as
follows:
S 8. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law [and shall expire and
be deemed repealed December 31, 2009;] and the provisions of this act
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08317-02-9
A. 5659 2
shall apply to policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered
or amended on or after such effective date.
S 3. Section 4 of chapter 502 of the laws of 2007, amending the insur-
ance law relating to certain coverage for mental illness, is amended to
read as follows:
S 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to
have been in full force and effect on and after January 1, 2007, and
shall apply to all policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified,
altered or amended on or after such date; provided, however, that the
notice of availability of coverage requirements provided in sections
one, two and three of this act and the amendments relating to school
blanket contracts made by sections two and three of this act shall take
effect immediately and shall apply to all contracts issued, renewed,
modified, altered or amended on or after such effective date[; and
provided further, that the amendments to paragraph 5 of subsection (l)
of section 3221 and subsections (g) and (h) of section 4303 of the
insurance law made by sections one, two and three of this act shall not
affect the expiration of such provisions and shall expire therewith].
S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.