STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4921 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 10, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, BURDICK, SHIMSKY, McMAHON, MAMDANI, SEAWRIGHT, HEVESI, EACHUS, GLICK, REYES, SIMON, STIRPE, GIBBS, FORREST, SAYEGH, GIGLIO, SHRESTHA, CLARK, EPSTEIN, PAULIN, ZACCARO, GALLAGHER, SMITH, R. CARROLL, SIMONE, TAPIA, LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the college 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 "college student suicide prevention act". 3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6438-d to 4 read as follows: 5 § 6438-d. College student suicide prevention act. 1. Legislative 6 intent. The legislature finds and declares the following: 7 (a) According to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and 8 Prevention as reported in the year two thousand twenty-one, suicide is 9 the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults ten to 10 twenty-four years of age, inclusive, across both the state of New York 11 and the United States. Suicide rates nearly doubled among New York state 12 youth in this age range from the year two thousand seven to the year two 13 thousand eighteen. One in four surveyed young adults eighteen to twen- 14 ty-four years of age, the largest age demographic on college campuses, 15 reported having seriously considered suicide in the prior thirty days 16 nationally. 17 (b) In the year two thousand twenty-three, separate reports from the 18 Healthy Minds Network's national Healthy Minds Survey, the Gallup and 19 Lumina Foundation's national State of Higher Education Survey, and the 20 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment 21 declared that United States college students were experiencing historic 22 levels of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, frequent emotional EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07650-01-5
A. 4921 2 1 stress, overall moderate to severe psychological distress, and loneli- 2 ness. 3 (c) According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, New 4 York state is not among the twenty-one states that uniformly require 5 institutions of higher education to adopt specific, evidence-based 6 suicide prevention policies by law. Such policies include the regular 7 dissemination of information on available mental health resources and 8 services to students, as well as the internal development of guidelines 9 and protocols to inform staff on how to respond to a student in suicidal 10 crisis, in order to most effectively support those at risk and empower 11 students to proactively seek help. 12 (d) According to data from Healthy CUNY, as reported in the year two 13 thousand twenty-one, more than half of all city university of New York 14 students report experiencing depression or anxiety. While nearly every 15 city university of New York institution houses its own counseling 16 center, data reported by the city university of New York board of trus- 17 tees in the board's four-year financial plan released in the year two 18 thousand nineteen stated that the average student-to-counselor ratio 19 across the city university of New York system is at least two thousand 20 four hundred-to-one. Until adequate staffing levels of mental health 21 professionals can be sustainably funded, uniformly requiring higher 22 education institutions to develop partnerships with community providers 23 is imperative to meet the needs of students at such institutions with 24 large student-to-counselor ratios or whose student populations primarily 25 live off-campus. 26 (e) Establishing gatekeeper suicide prevention or mental health aid 27 training requirements and opportunities for college residential staff 28 and other student-facing positions has been recommended by the state 29 university of New York Student Mental Health and Wellness Task Force and 30 adopted by dozens of state university of New York institutions. However, 31 these requirements have not been modeled by many colleges and universi- 32 ties outside of the state university of New York system, weakening 33 preparedness frameworks for students attending other public and private 34 institutions of higher education alike. As students most often seek 35 emotional support from peers and those in close proximity, institutions 36 must compel residential assistants and staff to utilize the free Ques- 37 tion, Persuade, and Refer suicide prevention training already fully 38 funded by state university of New York for all New York state college 39 students in order to bolster their preparedness for such emergency 40 scenarios. 41 (f) New York state colleges and universities are facing a deepening 42 mental health crisis among students, marked by increases in the preva- 43 lence of thoughts of suicide and attempts. All levels of collegiate 44 staff must be equipped by their respective institutions' policies, 45 guidelines and training opportunities to effectively and appropriately 46 prevent student suicide, intervene in crisis situations, and support 47 their college communities in postvention. 48 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms 49 shall have the following meanings: 50 (a) "Crisis situation" means a situation where a teacher or other 51 employee of an educational institution believes a student or other indi- 52 vidual is in imminent danger of a suicide attempt. 53 (b) "LGBTQ" means individuals who identify, with regards to gender 54 identification and sexual orientation, as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, 55 transgender, queer or questioning.
A. 4921 3 1 (c) "Higher education institution" means a college university, or 2 professional or technical school, whether public or private, that has 3 been incorporated by a special act of the legislature or chartered by 4 the regents of the university of the state of New York to confer academ- 5 ic degrees in this state. 6 (d) "QPR" means suicide prevention training based on the Question, 7 Persuade, and Refer emergency response model. 8 (e) "Suicide intervention" means specific actions higher education 9 institutions can take in response to suicidal behavior by a student, 10 including, but not limited to: 11 (i) student supervision; 12 (ii) notification of designated emergency contacts; 13 (iii) crisis situation response protocols; 14 (iv) when and how to request an immediate mental health assessment or 15 emergency services; and 16 (v) higher education institution re-entry procedures following a 17 student mental health crisis. 18 (f) "Suicide postvention" means planned support and interventions 19 higher education institutions can implement after a suicide attempt or 20 suicide death of a member of the higher education institution community 21 that are designed to: 22 (i) reduce the risk of suicide contagion, or the spread of suicidal 23 thoughts or intentions; 24 (ii) provide support for affected students and higher education insti- 25 tution-based personnel; 26 (iii) address the social stigma associated with suicide; and 27 (iv) disseminate factual information about suicide and its prevention. 28 (g) "Suicide prevention" means specific actions higher education 29 institutions can take to recognize and reduce suicidal behavior, includ- 30 ing, but not limited to: 31 (i) identifying risk and protective factors for suicide and suicide 32 warning signs; 33 (ii) establishing a process by which students are referred to a mental 34 and behavioral health provider for help; 35 (iii) making available higher education institution-based and communi- 36 ty-based mental health supports; 37 (iv) providing the location of available online and community suicide 38 prevention resources, including the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and 39 other local crisis centers and hotlines; 40 (v) adopting policies and protocols regarding suicide prevention, 41 intervention, and postvention, campus safety, and response to crisis 42 situations; 43 (vi) training for higher education institution personnel who interact 44 directly with students in recognizing suicide risk factors and warning 45 signs and how to refer students for further assessment and evaluation; 46 and 47 (vii) instruction to students in problem-solving and coping skills to 48 promote students' mental, emotional, and social health and well-being, 49 and instruction in recognizing and appropriately responding to signs of 50 suicidal intent in others. 51 3. Policies, procedures, and guidelines for higher education insti- 52 tutions. (a) The governing board or body of every higher education 53 institution shall, before the first day of August, two thousand twenty- 54 six, adopt policies, procedures, and guidelines on student suicide 55 prevention, intervention, and postvention for said students. Such poli- 56 cies, procedures, and guidelines shall be developed in consultation with
A. 4921 4 1 collegiate and community stakeholders, campus-employed mental health 2 professionals, and suicide prevention experts, and shall include, but 3 not be limited to: 4 (i) methods to increase awareness of the relationship between suicide 5 and suicide warning signs, risk factors and protective factors, includ- 6 ing but not limited to: 7 (1) mental health and substance use conditions; 8 (2) childhood abuse, neglect, or trauma; 9 (3) prolonged stress, including individual experiences such as bully- 10 ing, harassment, family or relationship stress, or other stressful life 11 events as well as collective stressors such as systemic bias and 12 discrimination; 13 (4) exposure to another person's suicide, or sensationalized or graph- 14 ic accounts of suicide; and 15 (5) previous suicide attempts or history of suicide within a student's 16 family; 17 (ii) adoption of a requirement for residential assistants and staff of 18 student housing facilities, students' academic and professional advi- 19 sors, and campus security personnel to participate in either a QPR 20 gatekeeper suicide prevention training course, or a similar program 21 prior to the commencement of their duties or before the beginning of the 22 next full academic year. Such training shall include, but not be limit- 23 ed to: 24 (1) methods for early identification of suicide risk factors and 25 inclusion of expertise from higher education institution employees who 26 have previously been trained in recognizing suicide risks; 27 (2) information on how higher education institution employees should 28 respond to suspicion, concerns, or warning signs of suicide in students, 29 and the appropriate referral and reporting procedures available to high- 30 er education institution employees; 31 (3) information on how higher education institution employees should 32 respond within their means to a crisis situation where a student is in 33 imminent danger to such student; 34 (4) policies and protocols to respond to a student or staff suicide or 35 suicide attempt and provide support to survivors and affected peers and 36 families; 37 (iii) counseling services available within the higher education insti- 38 tution for students and their families that are related to suicide 39 prevention; 40 (iv) availability of information about depression and other mental 41 health conditions associated with an increased risk of suicide, includ- 42 ing development of an annual live orientation session for newly matricu- 43 lated students aimed at raising awareness of said conditions; 44 (v) implementation of specialized mental health awareness curricula 45 into existing courses and seminars if opportunities for integration 46 exist; 47 (vi) availability of information concerning crisis situation inter- 48 vention, suicide prevention, and mental health services in the community 49 for students and their families and higher education institution employ- 50 ees, and inclusion of said information on dedicated pages of the student 51 handbook and higher education institution website or primary mobile 52 application; 53 (vii) revision of emergency contact notification protocols to include 54 a student's expression of thoughts of suicide as among the circumstances 55 in which notification of said student's designated emergency contact may 56 take place by a campus-employed mental health professional, after noti-
A. 4921 5 1 fying said student of the protocol's activation and following case-by- 2 case consideration and documentation of any objections raised by the 3 student, any concerns that disclosure of such information may threaten 4 the student's safety or unreasonably compromise their right to privacy, 5 and the process by which the final determination that such disclosure is 6 in the student's best interest is made; 7 (viii) revision of emergency contact notification protocols to include 8 language specifically outlining the higher education institution's role 9 following notification, the institution's expectation of an emergency 10 contact following notification, and the contact employee at the institu- 11 tion who may answer questions regarding the protocol, with all said 12 information being routinely communicated to students and emergency 13 contacts and published on dedicated pages of the student handbook and 14 higher education institution website or primary mobile application; 15 (ix) periodic assessments of elements of the campus environment that 16 may be used in a suicide attempt, including but not limited to access to 17 building rooftops, balconies, windows, and bridges, or access to drugs, 18 alcohol, and toxic or controlled dangerous substances, and ways to 19 secure these locations and substances to minimize threats posed to 20 students' health and safety; 21 (x) assessments of new and proposed campus buildings and infrastruc- 22 ture, as well as revisions and updates to existing campus buildings and 23 infrastructure, during the design process, for the implementation of 24 suicide deterrent barriers and other measures to minimize access to 25 areas of significant height, reducing suicide risk; 26 (xi) revision of medical leave and withdrawal policies to no longer 27 compel a student to involuntarily withdraw from enrollment solely on the 28 grounds of having considered or attempted suicide, without first allow- 29 ing said student to take a temporary leave of absence to seek support 30 for their mental health and providing a guarantee of readmission or 31 reinstatement following completion of such a leave of absence; 32 (xii) identification and development of off-campus peer support 33 programs and partnerships with community providers, organizations, and 34 agencies for referral of commuter students and other students who may 35 not substantially benefit from on-campus services to mental health, 36 substance use, and social support services, including the development of 37 at least one memorandum of understanding between the higher education 38 institution and a supporting provider, organization or agency in the 39 community or region; 40 (xiii) development of a culturally competent plan to promote sensitiv- 41 ity in outreach to diverse and traditionally underserved populations, to 42 assist survivors of attempted suicide, and to assist students and higher 43 education institution employees in coping with an attempted suicide or 44 suicide death within the higher education institution community; and 45 (xiv) development of any other related program or activity for 46 students or higher education institution employees. 47 (b) The policies, procedures, and guidelines adopted pursuant to para- 48 graph (a) of this subdivision shall specifically outline sensitive and 49 competent responses to address the needs of high-risk groups, including 50 but not limited to the following: 51 (i) youth who have lost a friend or family member to suicide; 52 (ii) youth with disabilities or with chronic health conditions, 53 including mental health and substance use conditions; 54 (iii) youth experiencing homelessness or in out-of-home settings, such 55 as foster care;
A. 4921 6 1 (iv) youth belonging to racial and ethnic minority groups and interna- 2 tional students; 3 (v) LGBTQ youth; 4 (vi) first-year, transfer, or otherwise newly matriculated students; 5 (vii) youth participating in demanding or high-performance programs, 6 including student athletes and academic honors or accelerated students; 7 and 8 (viii) youth reporting significant financial or academic challenges as 9 barriers to their ability to fully participate in higher education 10 institution activities. 11 (c) The policies, procedures, and guidelines adopted pursuant to para- 12 graph (a) of this subdivision shall be written to ensure that a higher 13 education institution employee acts only within the authorization and 14 scope of such employee's credential or license. Nothing in this section 15 shall be construed as authorizing or encouraging a higher education 16 institution employee to diagnose or treat mental health conditions 17 unless such employee is specifically licensed and employed to do so. 18 (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no 19 cause of action may be brought for any loss or damage caused by any act 20 or omission resulting from the implementation of the provisions of this 21 section, or resulting from any training, or lack of training, required 22 by this section. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose 23 any specific duty of care. 24 (e) To assist higher education institutions in developing policies for 25 student suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, the board of 26 regents of the university of the state of New York shall develop and 27 maintain model policies, procedures, and guidelines in accordance with 28 this section to serve as a guide for higher education institutions. Such 29 model policies, procedures, and guidelines shall be posted within thirty 30 days of their completion on the university's internet website, along 31 with relevant resources and information to support higher education 32 institutions in developing and implementing the policies, procedures, 33 and guidelines required under paragraph (a) of this subdivision. 34 (f) The trustees or other governing board or body of a higher educa- 35 tion institution shall review, at minimum every fifth year following the 36 effective date of this section, its policies, procedures, and guidelines 37 on student suicide prevention and, if necessary, update such policies, 38 procedures, and guidelines. 39 4. Severability and construction. The provisions of this section shall 40 be severable, and if any court of competent jurisdiction declares any 41 phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this section to be invalid, or 42 its applicability to any government agency, person or circumstance is 43 declared invalid, the remainder of this section and its relevant appli- 44 cability shall not be affected. The provisions of this section shall be 45 liberally construed to give effect to the purposes thereof. 46 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.