The Office of Mental Health (OMH) awarded $2 million each to the City of Rochester, Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services, and Children’s Home of Jefferson County as the first recipients of Daniel’s Law Pilot Program funding.

Daniel Prude tragically lost his life because the wrong first responders answered the call for help.

Senator Samra Brouk introduced Daniel’s Law (S3670) in 2021 as a comprehensive plan to improve how communities respond to a person experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. 

Senator Brouk advocated for funding the Daniel’s Law Task Force, a group tasked with holding public meetings and stakeholder engagement sessions to study methods of introducing a trauma-informed, community and public health based crisis response for New York State. A year ahead of schedule, the Task Force released a written report of its recommendations at the close of 2024. Both recommendations–to establish a defined response protocol for behavioral health crisis and establish a statewide technical assistance center–were incorporated into the re-introduction of Daniel’s Law in 2025. 

In the FY26 Budget, New York State made a historic investment in Daniel’s Law with $6 million in funding for new and existing Daniel’s Law pilot programs and $2 million for the creation of a Behavioral Health Crisis and Technical Assistance Center that will now be housed at OMH. The Center will develop and support the implementation of standardized protocols for community-based, public health-led response to behavioral health emergencies and provide training and technical assistance to localities on their crisis plans.   

Senator Brouk and Assemblymember Harry Bronson are continuing the fight to pass the full bill and get Daniel’s Law funding in the state budget. 

Senator Samra Brouk (SD-55): “We made historic progress with Daniel’s Law today, as the Office of Mental Health announced $6 million to fund three pilot programs in New York State, including $2 million for the city of Rochester’s Person in Crisis team. As Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee and sponsor of Daniel’s Law (S3670) along with Assemblymember Bronson, I recognize that many programs applied for this critical funding and not everyone was awarded. The enthusiasm for creating non-police, peer-led compassionate responses to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis is encouraging, and we must build upon this momentum by ensuring we secure an additional $8 million in funding in the state budget this legislative session. I am grateful that the city of Rochester was selected as a recipient of this award and has the opportunity to prevent tragedies like the loss of Daniel Prude’s life. Thank you to the Prude family, Assemblymember Bronson, the Office of Mental Health, and our fellow advocates for addressing our statewide mental health crisis with action rooted in safety, compassion, and dignity for all.”