Requires SUNY and CUNY institutions which offer a master of social work degree program to offer a maternal mental health elective course to students to provide comprehensive training in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and instruct students how to apply best practices in screening, referral and treatment.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
11315
I N A S S E M B L Y
May 11, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Simon) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring SUNY and
CUNY institutions which offer a master of social work degree program
to offer a maternal mental health elective course to students
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 22 to read as follows:
22. THE STATE UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES SHALL ADOPT A POLICY REQUIRING THAT
EACH INSTITUTION OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK THAT OFFERS A
MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK DEGREE PROGRAM OFFER A MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH
ELECTIVE COURSE. SUCH MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH ELECTIVE COURSE SHALL
PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING IN PERINATAL MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS
AND INSTRUCT STUDENTS HOW TO APPLY BEST PRACTICES IN SCREENING, REFERRAL
AND TREATMENT.
§ 2. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 25 to read as follows:
25. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL ADOPT A POLICY REQUIRING THAT EACH
INSTITUTION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK THAT OFFERS A MASTER OF
SOCIAL WORK DEGREE PROGRAM OFFER A MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH ELECTIVE
COURSE. SUCH MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH ELECTIVE COURSE SHALL PROVIDE
COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING IN PERINATAL MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS AND
INSTRUCT STUDENTS HOW TO APPLY BEST PRACTICES IN SCREENING, REFERRAL AND
TREATMENT.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
to be made and completed on or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15758-01-6
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