The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                 10629--A
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 10, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Gunther) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health --  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
   frontline workers trauma informed care 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
 7.48 to read as follows:
 § 7.48 FRONTLINE WORKERS TRAUMA INFORMED CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
   (A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL  ESTABLISH  THE  FRONTLINE  WORKERS  TRAUMA
 INFORMED  CARE  ADVISORY  COUNCIL  WITHIN  THE OFFICE. THE COUNCIL SHALL
 CONSIST OF, AT A MINIMUM, THE COMMISSIONER OR HIS OR HER  DESIGNEE;  THE
 COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF HEALTH OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE; THE
 COMMISSIONER OF AGING OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE; THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE
 OFFICE  FOR  PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES OR HIS OR HER DESIG-
 NEE; THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE FOR ADDICTION SERVICES AND  SUPPORTS
 OR   HIS  OR  HER  DESIGNEE;  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF
 CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION; THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF
 CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE; THE COMMISSIONER OF
 THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE; A REPRESENTATIVE OF  THE
 STATE  CONFERENCE  OF  LOCAL MENTAL HYGIENE SERVICE DIRECTORS AS CREATED
 UNDER ARTICLE FORTY-ONE  OF  THIS  CHAPTER;  AND  TWENTY-ONE  ADDITIONAL
 MEMBERS  OF WHICH SEVEN SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIX SHALL BE
 APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, SIX  SHALL  APPOINTED  BY  THE
 TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE SENATE, AND ONE EACH SHALL BE APPOINTED BY
 THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE  ASSEMBLY  AND  THE  SENATE.  EACH  APPOINTED
 MEMBER  SHALL  BE  A REPRESENTATIVE OF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:  (1) BEHAV-
 IORAL HEALTH ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS; (2) HEALTH CARE PROVIDER  ORGANIZA-
 TIONS;  (3)  EMPLOYEE  ORGANIZATIONS  REPRESENTING  NURSES, DOCTORS, AND
 OTHER FRONTLINE WORKERS; (4) HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS, INCLUDING BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO  A HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDER AS DEFINED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
 FOUR OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR-B OF THE  SOCIAL  SERVICES  LAW;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16681-04-0

 A. 10629--A                         2
 
 (5)  LAW  ENFORCEMENT  AGENCIES;  (6)  INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXPERTISE IN
 FIELDS OF DISCIPLINE RELATED TO TRAUMA  INFORMED  CARE;  AND  ANY  OTHER
 GROUP,  ASSOCIATION,  ORGANIZATION,  OR INDIVIDUAL DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY
 THE  COMMISSIONER. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, FRONTLINE WORKERS SHALL
 INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO, HEALTHCARE WORKERS, FIRST  RESPON-
 DERS,  DIRECT  CARE WORKERS, PUBLIC SAFETY WORKERS, TRANSPORTATION WORK-
 ERS, FOOD SERVICE WORKERS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE  BEEN  EXPOSED  TO  TRAUMA
 ASSOCIATED  WITH  THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS, COVID-19, PANDEMIC WHILE IN THE
 LINE OF DUTY.
   (B) COUNCIL MEMBERS SHALL RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION FOR  THEIR  SERVICES
 AS MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, BUT SHALL BE REIMBURSED FOR ACTUAL AND NECES-
 SARY  EXPENSES  INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES. THE MEMBERS
 OF THE COUNCIL SHALL CHOOSE ONE MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL  TO  BE  A  CHAIR-
 PERSON AND ONE MEMBER TO BE CO-CHAIRPERSON.
   (C)  THE COUNCIL SHALL BE ESTABLISHED WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THE EFFEC-
 TIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   (D) THE COUNCIL SHALL:
   (1) IDENTIFY EVIDENCE-BASED TOOLS TO  TRACK  THE  IMPACT  OF  COVID-19
 ASSOCIATED COLLECTIVE TRAUMA AND THE NEEDS OF FRONTLINE WORKERS;
   (2)  IDENTIFY OR DEVELOP TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT
 EMPLOY FRONTLINE WORKERS ON HOW TO SUPPORT THE MENTAL HEALTH  AND  WELL-
 NESS OF THEIR IMPACTED EMPLOYEES;
   (3)  IDENTIFY  EVIDENCED-BASED  TRAUMA-INFORMED  SUPPORT RESOURCES AND
 LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS;
   (4) IDENTIFY OR DEVELOP A  MECHANISM  TO  INFORM  AND  REFER  IMPACTED
 FRONTLINE  WORKERS  EXPERIENCING  SYMPTOMS  ASSOCIATED  WITH COVID-19 TO
 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORTS;
   (5) CONSULT WITH  ANY  ORGANIZATION,  GOVERNMENT  ENTITY,  AGENCY,  OR
 PERSON  THAT  THE  COUNCIL DETERMINES MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION
 AND EXPERTISE ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF  TRAUMA  INFORMED
 CARE FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS; AND
   (6)  SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND
 THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE BY DECEMBER  FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND
 TWENTY  ON  THE  DUTIES DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, INCLUDING RECOMMENDA-
 TIONS TO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT ANY INITIATIVE IDENTIFIED OR DEVELOPED BY
 THE WORKGROUP AND INCLUDED IN ITS REPORT.
   (E) TO THE EXTENT FEDERAL FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, GRANTS  SHALL  BE  MADE
 AVAILABLE  TO  ENTITIES THAT EMPLOY FRONTLINE WORKERS OR OTHER ORGANIZA-
 TIONS WITH RELEVANT  EXPERIENCE,  FOR  THE  SOLE  PURPOSE  OF  PROVIDING
 SUPPORT  AND  IMPLEMENTING  STRATEGIES  OR INITIATIVES IDENTIFIED BY THE
 FRONTLINE WORKERS TRAUMA INFORMED CARE WORKGROUP FOR THEIR WORKFORCE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.