NY State Senate Bill 2025-S8061

Senate Bill S8061

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Provides for mental health counseling for correction officers and civilian staff in correctional facilities

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Crime Victims, Crime And Correction 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

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 15, 2025	referred to crime victims, crime and correction

2025-S8061 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8027
Current Committee:: Senate Crime Victims, Crime And Correction
Law Section:: Correction Law
Laws Affected:: Add §22-b, Cor L

2025-S8061 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the commissioner of corrections and community supervision, in consultation with the commissioner of mental health, to make mental health counseling available to all correction officers and civilian staff in correctional facilities.

2025-S8061 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8061

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the correction law, in relation to providing mental
health counseling for correction officers and civilian staff in correc-
tional facilities

 
PURPOSE:

Provides for mental health counseling for correction officers and civil-
ian staff in correctional facilities.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends the correction law by adding a new section 22-b, to
state that the commissioner, in collaboration with the mental health
commissioner, must ensure that mental health counseling is available to
all correction officers and civilian staff working in correctional
facilities.

Section 2: Sets effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Employees in New York State correctional facilities face immense daily
challenges that take a serious toll on their mental health. They regu-
larly put themselves at physical, emotional, and psychological risk-of-
ten working far beyond their scheduled hours. To truly support correc-
tional officers and civilian staff, the state must prioritize mental
health on par with physical health. Investing in accessible mental
health counseling not only benefits these employees, but also strength-
ens the entire corrections system, positively affecting the prison popu-
lation and institutional outcomes. If we expect the best from those
performing this demanding yet essential work, the state must rise to the
occasion and provide the resources they need to thrive.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2025-S8061 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8061
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims,  Crime  and
   Correction
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  correction law, in relation to providing mental
   health counseling  for  correction  officers  and  civilian  staff  in
   correctional facilities

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section  22-b
 to read as follows:
   §  22-B.  CORRECTION  OFFICER  AND  CIVILIAN STAFF MENTAL HEALTH COUN-
 SELING. THE COMMISSIONER,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
 MENTAL  HEALTH,  SHALL  MAKE  MENTAL  HEALTH COUNSELING AVAILABLE TO ALL
 CORRECTION OFFICERS AND CIVILIAN STAFF IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11130-02-5

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