S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1860
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. BROUK, RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor
 
 AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to workplace mental health
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  The labor law is amended by adding a new section 201-i to
 read as follows:
   § 201-I. WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND RESOURCES.  1.  POSTING
 OF INFORMATION REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND RESOURCES.
   A.  THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
 OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, AND THE DIVISION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, SHALL  CREATE
 AND  DISTRIBUTE  WRITTEN  MATERIALS REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND
 RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO EMPLOYEES. SUCH MATERIALS SHALL INCLUDE AT  MINI-
 MUM,  SIGNS  AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, HOTLINES, WEBSITES,
 OR OTHER RESOURCES MAINTAINED BY LOCAL, STATE OR NATIONAL  ORGANIZATIONS
 OFFERING  MENTAL  HEALTH  SERVICES,  AND RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION ABOUT
 FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS  FOR  EMPLOYEES  WITH
 MENTAL  HEALTH  RELATED  DISABILITIES.   SUCH WRITTEN MATERIALS SHALL BE
 TRANSLATED INTO AT LEAST THE TWELVE MOST  COMMON  NON-ENGLISH  LANGUAGES
 SPOKEN  BY  INDIVIDUALS  WITH  LIMITED-ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN THE STATE,
 BASED ON THE DATA IN THE MOST RECENT AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY PUBLISHED
 BY THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU.
   B. EVERY EMPLOYER IN THE STATE SHALL POST SUCH MATERIALS  IN  A  PLACE
 ACCESSIBLE TO HIS OR HER EMPLOYEES AND IN A VISUALLY CONSPICUOUS MANNER.
 WHERE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES HAVE IDENTIFIED AS THEIR PRIMARY
 LANGUAGE  A  LANGUAGE  FOR WHICH SUCH WRITTEN MATERIALS HAVE BEEN TRANS-
 LATED BY THE DEPARTMENT, SUCH WRITTEN MATERIALS SHALL BE POSTED IN  BOTH
 ENGLISH AND SUCH ADDITIONAL PRIMARY LANGUAGE OR LANGUAGES AS APPLICABLE.
   2.  VOLUNTARY  GUIDANCE FOR ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE.
 THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF
 MENTAL HEALTH AND THE DIVISION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, SHALL  ESTABLISH  VOLUN-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04549-01-3
              

 S. 1860                             2
 
 TARY  GUIDANCE  FOR EMPLOYERS TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE.
 SUCH GUIDANCE SHALL  CONTAIN,  AT  MINIMUM,  STRATEGIES  AND  TOOLS  FOR
 EMPLOYERS  TO  REDUCE  MENTAL  HEALTH  STIGMA IN THE WORKPLACE, INCREASE
 AWARENESS  OF THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, CREATE A
 WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT INCLUSIVE OF MENTAL HEALTH  RELATED  DISABILITIES,
 AND  PROMOTE  MENTAL  HEALTH WELLNESS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT IN THE WORK-
 PLACE.  SUCH GUIDANCE SHALL PROVIDE BOTH GUIDELINES  FOR  BEST  EMPLOYER
 PRACTICES  AS WELL AS WRITTEN AND DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS TO USE
 IN THE WORKPLACE AT THEIR OPTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.