New York S 2705: Enacts the student suicide prevention act

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S02705 Summary:

BILL NOS02705A

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORHOYLMAN-SIGAL

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COSPNSRBRISPORT, CLEARE, FERNANDEZ, GOUNARDES, JACKSON, MYRIE, PALUMBO, PARKER, SALAZAR,
 SCARCELLA-SPANTON, SERRANO, WEBB

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MLTSPNSR

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Add Art 2-A §§20 - 24, amd §§11, 12, 13, 15, 16 & 2801, Ed L

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Enacts the student suicide prevention act; requires the governing board or body of every local educational agency serving students in grades seven to twelve, to adopt policies, procedures and guidelines on student suicide prevention, intervention and postvention for students in such grades.

Go to top S02705 Actions:

BILL NOS02705A

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01/22/2025REFERRED TO EDUCATION

04/15/2025AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO EDUCATION

04/15/2025PRINT NUMBER 2705A

Go to topS02705 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS02705 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS02705 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 2705--A

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 22, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. HOYLMAN-SIGAL, BRISPORT, CLEARE, FERNANDEZ,
 GOUNARDES, JACKSON, MYRIE, PALUMBO, PARKER, SALAZAR, SCARCELLA-SPAN-
 TON, SERRANO, WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed
 to be committed to the Committee on Education -- committee discharged,
 bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said
 committee

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the student
 suicide prevention act

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "student suicide prevention act".
 3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new article 2-A to read
 4 as follows:
 5 ARTICLE 2-A
 6 STUDENT SUICIDE PREVENTION
 7 Section 20. Legislative intent.
 8 21. Definitions.
 9 22. Policies, procedures, and guidelines.
 10 23. Application.
 11 24. Severability and construction.
 12 § 20. Legislative intent. The legislature finds and declares the
 13 following: 1. According to data from the federal Centers for Disease
 14 Control and Prevention as reported in the year two thousand sixteen,
 15 suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults
 16 ten to twenty-four years of age, inclusive, in both the United States
 17 and in New York state.
 18 2. As children and teens spend a significant amount of their young
 19 lives in school, the personnel who interact with them on a daily basis
 20 are essential gatekeepers for recognizing warning signs of suicide and
 21 making the appropriate referrals for help.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD06148-06-5

 S. 2705--A 2

 1 3. In a national survey conducted by the Jason Foundation, a teacher
 2 was identified as the number one person to whom a student would turn to
 3 help a friend who might be suicidal. It is imperative that when a young
 4 person comes to a teacher for help, such teacher has the knowledge,
 5 tools, and resources to respond correctly.
 6 4. In the year two thousand eighteen, the federal Centers for Disease
 7 Control and Prevention found in its Youth Risk Behavior Survey that
 8 lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are almost four times more likely to
 9 seriously consider attempting suicide, have made a suicide plan, or have
 10 attempted suicide, than their heterosexual peers.
 11 5. There are national hotlines available to help adults and youth,
 12 including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning
 13 (LGBTQ) youth, who are experiencing suicidal ideation or who are worried
 14 about a family member or peer who may be at risk, including the National
 15 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line, the Trevor Project
 16 Lifeline, and TrevorChat.
 17 6. According to the Family Acceptance Project, research has found
 18 that, for an LGBTQ youth, having at least one supportive adult can
 19 reduce the youth's risk of suicide.
 20 7. New York state schools face the serious issues of students at high
 21 risk of suicide and death by suicide in the school communities. School
 22 per