Int. No. 884
By Council Members Narcisse, Louis, Stevens, Hudson, Restler, Abreu, Richardson Jordan and Riley
A Local Law in relation to the establishment of a task force to study city mental health resources and mental health bed capacity in hospitals and jails and issue a report and make recommendations for remedying any deficiencies
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings:
City. The term “city” means the city of New York.
Task force. The term “task force” means the mental health resources and bed capacity task force established by this local law.
§ 2. Task force established. There is hereby established a task force to be known as the mental health resources and bed capacity task force.
§ 3. Duties. The task force shall study the state of mental health resources in the city and the state of mental health bed capacity in hospitals and jails in the city and shall make recommendations for legislation and policy to remedy any deficiencies in mental health resources or mental health bed capacity. Those recommendations shall take into account potential effects on the health and welfare of persons in the city, the projected costs of implementing any recommended programs, anticipated effects on stakeholders, and any other considerations the task force deems relevant.
§ 4. Membership. a. The task force shall be composed of the following members:
1. The commissioner of health and mental hygiene or such commissioner’s designee, who shall serve as chair;
2. The commissioner of buildings or such commissioner’s designee;
3. The commissioner of social services or such commissioner’s designee;
4. Two members appointed by the mayor; and
5. Two members appointed by the speaker of the council.
b. The mayor may invite officers and representatives of relevant federal, state, and local agencies and authorities to participate in the work of the task force.
c. All appointments required by this section shall be made no later than 90 days after the effective date of this local law.
d. Each member of the task force shall serve at the pleasure of the officer who appointed the member. In the event of a vacancy on the task force, a successor shall be appointed in the same manner as the original appointment. All members of the task force shall serve without compensation.
§ 5. Meetings. a. The chair shall convene the first meeting of the task force no later than 30 days after the last member has been appointed, except that where not all members of the task force have been appointed within the time specified in section four, the chair shall convene the first meeting of the task force within 10 days of the appointment of a quorum.
b. The task force may invite experts and stakeholders to attend its meetings and to provide testimony and information relevant to its duties.
c. The task force shall meet no less than once each quarter to carry out the duties described in section three.
d. The meeting requirement of subdivision c shall be suspended when the task force submits its report as required by section six.
§ 6. Report. a. No later than 270 days after the effective date of this local law, the task force shall submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council setting forth its recommendations for legislation and policy relating to remedying any deficiencies in mental health resources in the city or mental health bed capacity in hospitals and jails in the city. The report shall include a summary of the study’s findings and any other information the task force considered in formulating its recommendations.
b. The commissioner of health and mental hygiene shall publish the task force’s report electronically on the website of the department of health and mental hygiene no later than 10 days after its submission to the mayor and the speaker of the council.
§ 7. Agency support. Each agency affected by this local law shall provide appropriate staff and resources to support the work of such agency related to the task force.
§ 8. Termination. The task force shall terminate 180 days after the date on which it submits its report, as required by section six.
§ 9. Effective date. This local law takes effect immediately.
EH
LS #11164
1/3/23