Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use

This bill would require mental health service providers in New York City that use artificial intelligence (“AI”) in connection with client communications or the delivery of mental health services to disclose that use to clients before or at the start of services, including whether communications may be processed by AI and shared with third-party vendors. The disclosure would need to be in plain language, provided in English and the designated citywide languages, and kept separate from general terms of service or privacy policies. The bill would also require that any required disclosures comply with applicable privacy laws, including HIPAA. This local law would take effect 180 days after becoming law.

This bill would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to report how many times city agencies and hospitals submit referrals for individuals to assisted outpatient treatment programs under the state law known as Kendra’s Law, including the number of petitions filed for such referrals and the number of resulting court orders.

This bill would establish a task force to study the current state of mental health resources in the city and mental health bed capacity in hospitals and jails in the city. The task force will issue a report and make recommendations to ensure that any such deficiencies are remedied.

This bill would require the Commissioner of Emergency Management to create and publicize a portal on its website where individuals can voluntarily self-identify as vulnerable or homebound and request inclusion in outreach and recovery plans for emergencies. The portal would allow individuals to provide relevant information to facilitate their inclusion in existing systems used by the Emergency Management Department to assist vulnerable and homebound individuals before, during, and after emergency conditions.

This bill would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to create resources related to the unique health care needs of LGBTQI+ individuals that may be relevant to such individuals, their families, or health care providers. Such resources would include information regarding access to LGBTQI+ health services and obtaining and providing gender-affirming care. DOHMH would be required to post the materials on its website in English and in the designated citywide languages and update the materials as necessary to ensure the accuracy of information. The bill would also require DOHMH to maintain a publicly accessible map of LGBTQI+ health services searchable by services offered. The map would include address, office hours, contact information, available health services, and payment information, including types of insurance accepted, for each provider listed. Finally, the bill would make purely technical changes to renumber two preceding sections of the Administrative Code.

This bill would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to design and implement a training program about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The training would be available to individuals who provide pregnancy and postpartum-related services, along with first responders and the staff of mental health crisis hotlines. DOHMH would also be required to conduct an ongoing outreach campaign to raise awareness about the availability of the training.

This bill would direct the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to work with the Office of Community Mental Health in order to offer “Mental Health First Aid Training” to the public. This type of training teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to the signs and risk factors for mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Such training would be available to the public at no cost, every day, excluding holidays, and in multiple different languages. The bill would also require outreach to raise awareness about the training and to specifically encourage individuals who have roles or professions that require frequent interaction with the public, such as salon workers, religious leaders, and community leaders, to participate in the training.

This bill would require the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to conduct a public awareness campaign on the negative mental health effects associated with chatbot use. As part of the public awareness campaign, the Commissioner would be required to develop specific materials for young people, older adults, and veterans. Additionally, the Commissioner would be required to conduct triennial citywide surveys on the mental health of chatbot users in the city. The Commissioner would be required to publish an annual report that includes agency actions, proposals, and current research addressing mental health effects of chatbot use; a summary of any mental health emergencies due to chatbot use in the city during the past year; and, if applicable, the results of that year’s citywide mental health survey.

This bill would require the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to, no later than one year after the effective date of the proposed legislation, establish an ongoing public outreach and education campaign regarding the use and availability of fentanyl test strips. The campaign would focus on the creation and distribution of informational materials that inform New Yorkers about organizations through which and locations where these strips are available, educate New Yorkers on how to use these strips effectively, and encourage New Yorkers to use these strips. The Commissioner would also be required to post these materials online and make all of the materials available in English and in each of the designated citywide languages.