Senate Bill S5938

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Establishes a peer support services program for transgender and non-binary individuals

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly 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

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions
Votes

co-Sponsors

2021-S5938 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Mental Health
Law Section:
Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:
Add §7.49, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2019-2020: S9101
2023-2024: S7280

2021-S5938 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a regional or county-based peer support services program for transgender and non-binary individuals that provides support services including but not limited to, peer counseling for mental illness including alcohol and substance abuse counseling, family support services, domestic violence, mental health and physical health.

2021-S5938 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S5938 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5938
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 23, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  establishing  a
   peer  support services program for transgender and non-binary individ-
   uals

   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
 7.49 to read as follows:
 § 7.49 TRANSGENDER PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM.
   (A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH REGIONAL  OR  COUNTY-
 BASED  PEER  SUPPORT  SERVICES  PROGRAMS  FOR TRANSGENDER AND NON-BINARY
 INDIVIDUALS.   SERVICES PROVIDED  BY  THE  PEER  SUPPORT  PROGRAM  SHALL
 INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,  PEER COUNSELING FOR MENTAL ILLNESS
 INCLUDING  ALCOHOL  AND  SUBSTANCE  ABUSE  COUNSELING,  FAMILY   SUPPORT
 SERVICES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, MENTAL HEALTH AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.
   (B) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL FOSTER PROGRAMS FOR THE TRAINING AND DEVEL-
 OPMENT  OF  PERSONS  CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE SERVICES SET FORTH IN THIS
 SECTION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A  PROCESS  OF  ISSUING,  EITHER
 DIRECTLY  OR  THROUGH  CONTRACT, CREDENTIALS FOR RECOGNIZED OR CERTIFIED
 PEER COUNSELORS.
   (C) THE OFFICE SHALL ESTABLISH MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS  FOR  RECOGNIZED
 OR  CERTIFIED  PEER  COUNSELORS IN ALL PHASES OF DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO
 TRANSGENDER AND NON-BINARY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EVALUATED  AND  CERTIFIED
 OR  RECOGNIZED  BY  THE OFFICE ON FACTORS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 COMPLETION OF APPROVED COURSES OF STUDY OR EQUIVALENT ON-THE-JOB EXPERI-
 ENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE  ABUSE  COUN-
 SELING OR OTHER CREDENTIALS ESTABLISHED OR RECOGNIZED BY THE OFFICE.
   (D)  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR ISSUING, DIRECTLY OR
 THROUGH CONTRACT, CREDENTIALS TO  CERTIFIED  PEER  COUNSELORS  WHO  MEET
 MINIMUM  QUALIFICATIONS,  AND  SHALL  FURTHER  ESTABLISH  PROCEDURES  TO
 SUSPEND, REVOKE OR ANNUL SUCH CREDENTIALS FOR GOOD CAUSE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.