Assembly Bill A590A

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  590--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 9, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, STIRPE -- read once and referred to
   the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse -- reported and referred to
   the Committee on Ways and Means -- 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
   problem gambling advisory council
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
 25.04 to read as follows:
 § 25.04 PROBLEM GAMBLING ADVISORY COUNCIL.
   (A) CREATION AND PURPOSE.    THE  PROBLEM  GAMBLING  ADVISORY  COUNCIL
 (HEREINAFTER  THE  "COUNCIL")  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED. THE PURPOSE OF THE
 COUNCIL IS TO MAKE FINDINGS AND  RECOMMENDATIONS  TO  THE  GOVERNOR  AND
 LEGISLATURE ON HOW TO PREVENT AND TREAT PROBLEM GAMBLING IN THE STATE OF
 NEW YORK.
   (B)  COMPOSITION.  THE  COUNCIL  SHALL  CONSIST  OF  THIRTEEN MEMBERS,
 INCLUDING THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE  OF  ALCOHOLISM  AND  SUBSTANCE
 ABUSE  SERVICES,  THE  CHAIR  OF THE GAMING COMMISSION, AND ELEVEN ADDI-
 TIONAL MEMBERS:  FOUR MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF
 THE  SENATE;  FOUR MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY; ONE
 MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE  SENATE;  ONE  MEMBER
 APPOINTED  BY  THE  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY;  AND ONE MEMBER
 APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF
 THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY SHALL EACH APPOINT  AT  LEAST
 TWO   REPRESENTATIVES  OF  COMMUNITY-BASED  BEHAVIORAL  HEALTH  SERVICES
 PROVIDERS.
   (C) DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL SHALL  MEET  AS  FREQUENTLY  AS
 NECESSARY,  BUT NOT LESS THAN TWO TIMES PER YEAR. MEETINGS SHALL BE HELD
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD04068-02-9

 A. 590--A                           2
 
 AT LOCATIONS DETERMINED BY THE COUNCIL.  ALL  MEETINGS  OF  THE  COUNCIL
 SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW. THE COUNCIL SHALL:
   1.  DEVELOP AND RECOMMEND STRATEGIES TO ENSURE AVAILABILITY AND ACCESS
 TO PROBLEM GAMBLING PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES,  INCLUDING  INFORMATION  AND
 RESOURCES  REGARDING  PREVENTION  OF  PROBLEM  GAMBLING, FOR INDIVIDUALS
 THROUGHOUT THE STATE;
   2. CONSULT WITH INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS WITH  EXPERIENCE  IN  THE
 FIELD  OF  PROBLEM  GAMBLING  SERVICES ON FUNDING AND POLICY RECOMMENDA-
 TIONS, INCLUDING THE AVAILABILITY  OF  PROBLEM  GAMBLING  SERVICES,  THE
 LOCATION OF SUCH SERVICES, AND THE NEED FOR SUCH SERVICES;
   3.  CREATE STRATEGIES TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF PROBLEM GAMBLING
 AND THE AVAILABILITY OF PROBLEM GAMBLING RESOURCES;
   4. RECOMMEND ALLOCATIONS OF MACHINE AND TABLE FEES  COLLECTED  FROM  A
 GAMING  LICENSEE PURSUANT TO SECTION THIRTEEN HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHT OF THE
 RACING, PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING AND BREEDING LAW AND  DISTRIBUTED  PURSUANT
 TO  SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-NNNN OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW TO EFFECTUATE THE
 RECOMMENDATIONS AND STRATEGIES DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS ONE, TWO
 AND THREE OF THIS SUBDIVISION; AND
   5. DEVELOP AN ANNUAL REPORT TO BE PROVIDED TO THE GOVERNOR AND  LEGIS-
 LATURE  CONTAINING ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WITH REGARD TO PROB-
 LEM GAMBLING, INCLUDING PROGRAMS, RESOURCES, AND SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE
 STATE. THE ANNUAL REPORT SHALL BE DUE NO LATER  THAN  OCTOBER  FIRST  OF
 EACH  YEAR,  WITH  THE  FIRST REPORT PROVIDED NO LATER THAN THE FIRST OF
 OCTOBER NEXT SUCCEEDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   (D) TERM. APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL SHALL SERVE FOR A  TERM  OF
 FOUR  YEARS  AND  CONTINUE  TO SERVE UNTIL THEIR SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED.
 EACH MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL SHALL BE ENTITLED TO DESIGNATE IN  WRITING  A
 REPRESENTATIVE  TO  ATTEND  MEETINGS  IN HIS OR HER PLACE AND TO VOTE OR
 OTHERWISE ACT ON HIS OR HER BEHALF IN  HIS  OR  HER  ABSENCE.  A  MEMBER
 APPOINTED TO FILL A VACANCY SHALL SERVE THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM OF THE
 MEMBER  HE  OR  SHE  IS APPOINTED TO SUCCEED. THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL
 SHALL RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION FOR THEIR SERVICES BUT SHALL BE REIMBURSED
 FOR THEIR EXPENSES ACTUALLY INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR  DUTIES
 HEREUNDER.  THE  COUNCIL  SHALL  SELECT,  BY A MAJORITY VOTE, MEMBERS TO
 SERVE AS A CHAIR AND AS A SECRETARY.
   (E) SHARING  OF  INFORMATION.  THE  COUNCIL  MAY  REQUEST,  AND  SHALL
 RECEIVE,  INFORMATION FROM ANY STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY NECES-
 SARY TO COMPLETE ITS DUTIES PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, SO  LONG  AS  SUCH
 INFORMATION  DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY PERSONALLY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION AND
 NOT OTHERWISE PROTECTED BY STATE OR FEDERAL LAW.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.