NY State Senate Bill 2025-S8968

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

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

View Actions

Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 05, 2026	advanced to third reading
Feb 04, 2026	2nd report cal.
Feb 03, 2026	1st report cal.225
Jan 21, 2026	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

Votes

- Feb 3, 2026 - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote
  S8968
  
  Aye
  
  9
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  
  0
  - - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote: Feb 3, 2026
      
      aye (9)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Baskin
      
      Harckham
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Serrano
      
      Stec
      
      Weik

co-Sponsors

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9645
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 38-A §§3850 - 3854, Pub Health L

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a veteran suicide mortality review board to serve as the statewide entity responsible for the multidisciplinary review of suicide deaths among veterans by identifying trends and systemic factors contributing to veteran suicide; assessing gaps in services, access to care, and institutional practices; developing evidence-based recommendations for prevention and policy improvement; and promoting collaboration among relevant state, local, and federal agencies.

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8968

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act

to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a veteran
suicide mortality review board

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Creates the VSMRB within the Department of Health, in consultation with
the Office of Mental Health and the Division of Veterans' Services. The
VSMRB will include representatives from DOH, OMH, the Division of Veter-
ans' Services, coroners/medical examiners, mental health clinicians,
public health experts, and a VA liaison. The board is authorized to
access relevant records while maintaining confidentiality, review all
veteran suicide deaths (including recently separated service members),
coordinate with state and federal agencies, and issue an annual report
to the Governor and Legislature with trends, gaps, and actionable policy
recommendations.  Staffing and administrative support will be provided
by DOH, and the board may utilize existing federal and state resources
and technical assistance.

The bill takes effect six months after enactment, with the board conven-
ing its first meeting within 90 days.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Veterans in New York die by suicide at twice the rate of civilians and
younger veterans are particularly at risk; Veteran suicide is a signif-
icant public health crisis in New York. Nationally, more than 6,400
veterans died by suicide in 2022, underscoring the urgency of targeted
and sustained prevention efforts. New York State has already committed,
as a matter of policy, to addressing it through participation in federal
veteran suicide prevention and mortality review initiatives led by the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration.

New York has formally joined the Governor's Challenge to Prevent Veteran
Suicide and has convened stakeholder meetings and implementation
discussions, to develop a Veteran Suicide Mortality Review process.
However, despite these commitments, the review board has not been fully
implemented or operationalized because it lacks a clear statutory frame-
work requiring interagency cooperation, data sharing and coordinated
review. As is the case with other mortality review efforts, the absence
of statutory authority has resulted in fragmented and incomplete imple-
mentation. Under current law, state agencies are not mandated to share
information, participate in reviews, or align their efforts in a unified
manner.

As a result, data remains fragmented across the Department of Health,
the Office of Mental Health, the Division of Veterans' Services, medical
examiners, and federal partners, undermining the State's ability to
conduct comprehensive reviews, identify systemic failures, and make
effective policy recommendations. Without clear statutory direction,
participation remains discretionary, reviews are inconsistent, and the
State is unable to fully analyze the circumstances surrounding veteran
suicide deaths or identify systemic gaps in care, services, and transi-
tions. This lack of coordination significantly limits the State's abili-
ty to develop evidence-based recommendations to prevent future deaths.
This bill establishes the statutory structure necessary to implement
existing State policy as intended. It does not create a new program or
duplicate existing efforts.

Rather, it codifies and formalizes the Veteran Suicide Mortality Review
Board within the Department of Health, ensuring that the work already
underway is conducted in a coordinated, multidisciplinary, and non-frag-
mented manner. The board already has identified funding streams and is
intended to operate within existing Department of Health infrastructure.

This legislation simply provides the legal authority required to mandate
interagency participation, protect confidentiality, and ensure consist-
ent review and reporting. By placing the Veteran Suicide Mortality
Review Board in statute, this bill ensures accountability, durability,
and effectiveness. A statutory mandate is the only mechanism that will
allow New York State to fully implement its existing commitments, elimi-
nate silos between agencies, and conduct meaningful, data-driven suicide
prevention work for veterans across the State.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPACT:

Minimal. The board will build upon current funding streams, including
federal technical assistance and grant-supported activities associated
with the Governor's Challenge to Prevent Veteran Suicide and related
United States Department of Veterans Affairs and Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration programs.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This section shall take six months after enactment, and the board shall
convene its first meeting within 90 days of the effective date.

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8968
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 21, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on  Veterans,  Home-
   land Security and Military Affairs
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the public health law, in relation to establishing a
   veteran suicide mortality review board
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new article
 38-A to read as follows:
                               ARTICLE 38-A
                  VETERAN SUICIDE MORTALITY REVIEW BOARD
 SECTION 3850. VETERAN SUICIDE MORTALITY REVIEW BOARD; ESTABLISHMENT  AND
                 PURPOSE.
         3851. MEMBERSHIP.
         3852. POWERS AND DUTIES.
         3853. REPORTING.
         3854. STAFFING AND RESOURCES.
   §  3850.  VETERAN  SUICIDE  MORTALITY  REVIEW BOARD; ESTABLISHMENT AND
 PURPOSE. 1. THERE  IS  HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  WITHIN  THE  DEPARTMENT,  IN
 CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  OFFICE  OF  MENTAL HEALTH AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
 VETERANS' SERVICES, A VETERAN SUICIDE MORTALITY REVIEW BOARD, HEREINAFT-
 ER "THE BOARD".
   2. THE BOARD SHALL BUILD UPON NEW YORK STATE'S PARTICIPATION IN FEDER-
 AL VETERAN SUICIDE REVIEW PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE U.S.  SUBSTANCE  ABUSE
 AND  MENTAL  HEALTH  SERVICES ADMINISTRATION/VA SUICIDE MORTALITY REVIEW
 FRAMEWORK AND THE GOVERNOR'S CHALLENGE TO PREVENT VETERAN  SUICIDE,  AND
 SHALL  SERVE  AS THE STATEWIDE ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MULTIDISCIPLI-
 NARY REVIEW OF SUICIDE DEATHS AMONG VETERANS. THE PURPOSE OF  THE  BOARD
 IS TO:
   (A)  IDENTIFY  TRENDS  AND  SYSTEMIC  FACTORS  CONTRIBUTING TO VETERAN
 SUICIDE;
   (B) ASSESS GAPS IN SERVICES, ACCESS TO CARE, AND  INSTITUTIONAL  PRAC-
 TICES;
   (C)  DEVELOP  EVIDENCE-BASED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTION AND POLICY
 IMPROVEMENT; AND
   (D) PROMOTE COLLABORATION AMONG RELEVANT  STATE,  LOCAL,  AND  FEDERAL
 AGENCIES.

 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14433-01-6
 S. 8968                             2
 
   §  3851.  MEMBERSHIP.  1. THE BOARD SHALL BE COMPOSED OF THE FOLLOWING
 MEMBERS, EACH DESIGNATED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENCY OR ORGANIZATION:
   (A)  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF HEALTH, OR THEIR DESIGNEE, WHO SHALL BE THE
 CHAIR;
   (B) THE COMMISSIONER OF MENTAL HEALTH, OR THEIR DESIGNEE;
   (C) THE STATE COMMISSIONER OF VETERANS' SERVICES, OR THEIR DESIGNEE;
   (D) TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS OR CORONERS;
   (E) TWO LICENSED CLINICIANS EXPERIENCED IN MENTAL HEALTH  AND  SUICIDE
 PREVENTION;
   (F)  ONE  REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS,
 WHO SHALL BE A NON-VOTING MEMBER;
   (G) TWO PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS WITH EXPERIENCE IN MORTALITY  REVIEW  OR
 EPIDEMIOLOGY; AND
   (H)  UP  TO  THREE  ADDITIONAL  MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR WITH
 EXPERTISE IN VETERANS'  ISSUES,  COMMUNITY  MENTAL  HEALTH,  OR  SUICIDE
 PREVENTION.
   2.  MEMBERS  SHALL SERVE FOR RENEWABLE THREE YEAR TERMS, AND MAY SERVE
 UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED.
   § 3852. POWERS AND DUTIES. 1.  THE  BOARD  SHALL  HAVE  THE  FOLLOWING
 POWERS AND DUTIES:
   (A)  CASE  REVIEW  OF  DEATHS  BY SUICIDE OF INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED AS
 VETERANS, INCLUDING THOSE RECENTLY SEPARATED FROM MILITARY SERVICE.
   (B) ACCESS TO ALL RELEVANT RECORDS, INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,
 DEATH CERTIFICATES, CORONER/MEDICAL EXAMINER REPORTS, DEPARTMENT RECORDS
 AND  OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS, AND RELEVANT DIVISION OF VETERANS'
 SERVICES OR VA RECORDS, SUBJECT TO CONFIDENTIALITY PROTECTIONS.
   (C) COORDINATION WITH  FEDERAL  AND  STATE  PARTNERS,  INCLUDING  U.S.
 SUBSTANCE  ABUSE  AND  MENTAL  HEALTH  SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, THE U.S.
 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND OTHER AGENCIES INVOLVED  IN  VETERAN
 SUICIDE PREVENTION.
   (D)  ISSUE  EVIDENCE-BASED  RECOMMENDATIONS  FOR  SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS,
 POLICY, AND PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS.
   2. ALL INDIVIDUAL CASE INFORMATION SHALL BE CONFIDENTIAL, NOT  SUBJECT
 TO SUBPOENA, AND NOT ADMISSIBLE IN CIVIL OR CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS. AGGRE-
 GATE  FINDINGS  MAY BE PUBLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION THIRTY-EIGHT
 HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE OF THIS ARTICLE.
   § 3853. REPORTING.  1. THE BOARD SHALL SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT TO  THE
 GOVERNOR, THE LEGISLATURE, AND THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH SUMMARIZING:
   (A) TRENDS IN VETERAN SUICIDES STATEWIDE;
   (B) SYSTEMIC GAPS OR FAILURES CONTRIBUTING TO DEATHS; AND
   (C) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.
   2.  THE REPORT SHALL PROTECT INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY, PRESENTING ONLY DE-I-
 DENTIFIED OR AGGREGATED DATA.
   § 3854. STAFFING AND RESOURCES. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE  ADMINIS-
 TRATIVE  SUPPORT,  STAFFING,  AND  ANALYTICAL CAPACITY NECESSARY FOR THE
 BOARD TO FULFILL ITS DUTIES. THE BOARD MAY ALSO UTILIZE EXISTING FEDERAL
 OR STATE FUNDING, TECHNICAL  ASSISTANCE,  AND  DATA  SYSTEMS,  INCLUDING
 THOSE PROVIDED BY U.S. SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMIN-
 ISTRATION AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAMS.
   §  2. This act shall take effect six months after it shall have become
 a law. The veteran suicide mortality review board established by section
 one of this act shall convene its first meeting within  ninety  days  of
 such effective date.

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Senate Bill S8968

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

Actions

Votes

Feb 3, 2026 - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote

Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote: Feb 3, 2026

co-Sponsors

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

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Sponsored By

Jessica Scarcella-Spanton

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

Actions

Votes

co-Sponsors

Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.

Patrick M. Gallivan

Rob Rolison

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8968 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments