New York S 1797: Establishes the office of addiction and mental health services

Bill Text

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S01797 Summary:

BILL NOS01797 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORFERNANDEZ

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COSPNSRHARCKHAM

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§1.03, 5.01, 5.03, 5.05, 7.01 & 19.01, add §§5.01-a & 5.01-b, Ment Hyg L

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Establishes the office of addiction and mental health services; corrects references; makes related provisions.

Go to top S01797 Actions:

BILL NOS01797 

&nbsp

01/13/2025REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH

01/07/2026REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH

Go to topS01797 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01797 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS01797 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1797

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 13, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. FERNANDEZ, HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered print-
 ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health

 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to creating the
 office of addiction and mental health services

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

 1 Section 1. Subdivisions 2 and 2-a of section 1.03 of the mental
 2 hygiene law, subdivision 2 as amended and subdivision 2-a as added by
 3 chapter 281 of the laws of 2019, are amended to read as follows:
 4 2. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of [mental health,] addiction
 5 and mental health services and the commissioner of developmental disa-
 6 bilities [and the commissioner of addiction services and supports] as
 7 used in this chapter. Any power or duty heretofore assigned to the
 8 commissioner of mental hygiene or to the department of mental hygiene
 9 pursuant to this chapter shall hereafter be assigned to the commissioner
 10 of [mental health] addiction and mental health services in the case of
 11 facilities, programs, or services for individuals with [mental illness]
 12 a mental health diagnosis, to the commissioner of developmental disabil-
 13 ities in the case of facilities, programs, or services for individuals
 14 with developmental disabilities, to the commissioner of addiction
 15 [services] and [supports] mental health services in the case of facili-
 16 ties, programs, or addiction disorder services in accordance with the
 17 provisions of titles D and E of this chapter.
 18 2-a. Notwithstanding any other section of law or regulation, on and
 19 after the effective date of this subdivision, any and all references to
 20 the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services and the predeces-
 21 sor agencies to the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services
 22 including the division of alcoholism and alcohol abuse and the division
 23 of substance abuse services and all references to the office of mental
 24 health, shall be known as the "office of addiction [services] and
 25 [supports] mental health services." Nothing in this subdivision shall

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD05307-01-5

 S. 1797 2

 1 be construed as requiring or prohibiting the further amendment of stat-
 2 utes or regulations to conform to the provisions of this subdivision.
 3 § 2. Section 5.01 of the mental hygiene law, as amended by chapter 281
 4 of the laws of 2019, is amended and two new sections 5.01-a and 5.01-b
 5 are added to read as follows:
 6 § 5.01 Department of mental hygiene.
 7 There shall continue to be in the state government a department of
 8 mental hygiene. Within the department there shall be the following
 9 autonomous offices:
 10 (1) office of addiction and mental health services; and
 11 (2) office for people with developmental disabilities[;
 12 (3) office of addiction services and supports].
 13 § 5.01-a Office of addiction and mental health services.
 14 (a) The office of addiction and mental health services shall be a new
 15 office within the department formed by the integration of the offices
 16 and services of mental health and addiction services and supports which
 17 shall focus on the integration of care and issues related to both mental
 18 illness and addiction in the state and carry out the intent of the
 19 legislature in establishing the offices pursuant to articles seven and
 20 nineteen