Requires at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses and for state colleges and universities to update such ratio every five years.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4142
SPONSOR: Forrest TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring at least a
ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one
thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill will require all SUNY and CUNY campuses to maintain a ratio of
at least one certified mental health professional to every one thousand
students, and it will prevent this from being funded through new student
fees.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends section 355 of education law to require each SUNY or
CUNY campus to maintain a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental
health staff member to every one thousand students within two years of
enactment. Each campus will be required to establish a board of experts
and advisors within two years to study and make updates to the clini-
cian-to-student ratio, and make recommendations every five years to
update the ratio based on average national ratios and best-available
practices. Updated ratios cannot fall below a minimum of a one to one
thousand clinician-to-student ratio. Maintaining the minimum clinician-
to-student ratio cannot be funded by the imposition of any new student
fees created on or after the date of enactment of this subdivision.
Section 2 makes identical changes to section 6206 of education law in a
new subdivision 20.
Section 3 is the effective date, July 1st after it becomes a law.
JUSTIFICATION:
Mental health is a pressing issue on college campuses across the state.
Approximately 75% of mental health conditions are diagnosed prior to age
24, yet young adults are least likely to receive mental health coun-
seling. Mental health issues can have a dire impact on college students'
academic success, and in more serious cases can lead to suicide and
physical harm linked to depression. College students on SUNY and CUNY
campuses currently pay a fee for mental health services, but the
reported staffing ratio on some campuses is only one mental health coun-
selor for over 3,000 students. Research shows that low-income students
are more likely to suffer from mental health conditions, and CUNY and
SUNY campuses have a higher share of low-income students than their
national counterparts. This bill ensures that campuses are required to
staff an adequate number of licensed clinicians in order to meet the
specific needs of their student populations.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-2021: A302 (Gottfried) - referred to Higher Education
2019-2020: A9746-A (Gottfried) - referred to Higher Education
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4142
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 10, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FORREST -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring at least a
ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one
thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
3 22. Through on-campus capacity, each state college or university
4 center of the state university of New York and each state college and
5 university center of the city university of New York shall have at least
6 a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one
7 thousand full-time equivalent students. Two years after the effective
8 date of this subdivision, and once every five years thereafter, each
9 state college and university shall establish a board of advisors and
10 experts and have such board update such ratio based on actual ratios in
11 this state and any new information related to appropriate benchmarks for
12 clinician-to-student ratios; provided, however, such updated ratio shall
13 be at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff
14 member per one thousand students. This subdivision shall not be funded
15 by student fees created on or after the effective date of this subdivi-
16 sion. State colleges or universities may seek federal funding or private
17 grants, if available, to support the provisions of this subdivision.
18 § 2. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
19 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
20 22. Through on-campus capacity, each state college or university
21 center of the state university of New York and each state college and
22 university center of the city university of New York shall have at least
23 a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one
24 thousand full-time equivalent students. Two years after the effective
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01502-01-3
A. 4142 2
1 date of this subdivision, and once every five years thereafter, each
2 state college and university shall establish a board of advisors and
3 experts and have such board update such ratio based on actual ratios in
4 this state and any new information related to appropriate benchmarks for
5 clinician-to-student ratios; provided, however, such updated ratio shall
6 be at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff
7 member per one thousand students. This subdivision shall not be funded
8 by student fees created on or after the effective date of this subdivi-
9 sion. State colleges or universities may seek federal funding or private
10 grants, if available, to support the provisions of this subdivision.
11 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
12 the date on which it shall have become a law.
