Senate Bill S7596

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Enhances assisted outpatient treatment program and makes Kendra's law permanent

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2009-S7596 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10421
Current Committee:
Senate Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities
Law Section:
Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§7.17, 9.47, 9.48, 9.60 & 29.15, Ment Hyg L; amd §404, Cor L; amd §18, Chap 408 of 1999

2009-S7596 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enhances assisted outpatient treatment program and repeals expiration of Kendra's law.

2009-S7596 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S7596 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7596

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             April 23, 2010
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  YOUNG  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Develop-
  mental Disabilities

AN ACT to amend the mental  hygiene  law  and  the  correction  law,  in
  relation  to  enhancing the assisted outpatient treatment program; and
  to amend chapter 408 of the laws of 1999 constituting Kendra's Law, in
  relation to the effective date thereof

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Legislative  findings.  In  1999, the legislature enacted
"Kendra's Law," establishing a statewide court-ordered  assisted  outpa-
tient  treatment  (AOT)  program  to  improve  outcomes for persons with
severe mental illness who, in view of their treatment history and  pres-
ent  circumstances,  are  likely to have difficulty living safely in the
community. At the approach of the law's original 2005  expiration  date,
the legislature took note of Office of Mental Health (OMG) data indicat-
ing  that  Kendra's Law had impressively served its targeted population,
including documented declines in rates of homelessness, hospitalization,
violence, arrest and incarceration, and documented increases  in  treat-
ment  compliance.  However, at the time questions and concerns about the
program remained unanswered. Rather than make the law permanent in 2005,
the legislature opted to extend Kendra's  Law  for  an  additional  five
years  with a mandate that OMH contract with an external research organ-
ization to evaluate the program.
  On June 30, 2009, a  team  of  independent  researchers  released  the
report  of  their  long-term study of AOT throughout New York state. The
legislature finds that this report confirms  the  earlier  OMH  data  on
vastly improved outcomes, including less frequent psychiatric hospitali-
zations,  shorter length of hospitalizations, and reduction in the like-
lihood of arrest. We find it further establishes, inter alia,  that  AOT
recipients  are  far  more  likely  than  other patients to consistently
receive psychotropic medications appropriate to their psychiatric condi-
tion; that AOT does not cause recipients to perceive stigma or coercion;
that those who receive AOT for periods of at least  one  year  are  more

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

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