S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
844
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
(PREFILED)
January 6, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring at least a
ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one
thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 20 to read as follows:
20. THROUGH ON-CAMPUS CAPACITY, EACH STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
CENTER OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND EACH STATE COLLEGE AND
UNIVERSITY CENTER OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL HAVE AT LEAST
A RATIO OF ONE CLINICAL, NON-STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH STAFF MEMBER PER ONE
THOUSAND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS. TWO YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE
DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, AND ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS THEREAFTER, EACH
STATE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY SHALL ESTABLISH A BOARD OF ADVISORS AND
EXPERTS AND HAVE SUCH BOARD UPDATE SUCH RATIO BASED ON ACTUAL RATIOS IN
THIS STATE AND ANY NEW INFORMATION RELATED TO APPROPRIATE BENCHMARKS FOR
CLINICIAN-TO-STUDENT RATIOS; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, SUCH UPDATED RATIO SHALL
BE AT LEAST A RATIO OF ONE CLINICAL, NON-STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH STAFF
MEMBER PER ONE THOUSAND STUDENTS. THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL NOT BE FUNDED
BY STUDENT FEES CREATED ON OR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVI-
SION. STATE COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES MAY SEEK FEDERAL FUNDING OR PRIVATE
GRANTS, IF AVAILABLE, TO SUPPORT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
§ 2. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 20 to read as follows:
20. THROUGH ON-CAMPUS CAPACITY, EACH STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
CENTER OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND EACH STATE COLLEGE AND
UNIVERSITY CENTER OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL HAVE AT LEAST
A RATIO OF ONE CLINICAL, NON-STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH STAFF MEMBER PER ONE
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00533-01-1
S. 844 2
THOUSAND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS. TWO YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE
DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, AND ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS THEREAFTER, EACH
STATE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY SHALL ESTABLISH A BOARD OF ADVISORS AND
EXPERTS AND HAVE SUCH BOARD UPDATE SUCH RATIO BASED ON ACTUAL RATIOS IN
THIS STATE AND ANY NEW INFORMATION RELATED TO APPROPRIATE BENCHMARKS FOR
CLINICIAN-TO-STUDENT RATIOS; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, SUCH UPDATED RATIO SHALL
BE AT LEAST A RATIO OF ONE CLINICAL, NON-STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH STAFF
MEMBER PER ONE THOUSAND STUDENTS. THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL NOT BE FUNDED
BY STUDENT FEES CREATED ON OR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVI-
SION. STATE COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES MAY SEEK FEDERAL FUNDING OR PRIVATE
GRANTS, IF AVAILABLE, TO SUPPORT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.