Skip to main content

Agora
Sign in

Senate bill · S3610 (2025-26)

Establishes the rural suicide prevention council

PassedLatest action Jun 4, 2026

New York State Senate

Same as A8434, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Sponsor

Pamela Helming

State Senator, District 54 · Republican/Conservative/Independence

Follow

Summary

Establishes the rural suicide prevention council to identify barriers to mental health and substance use treatment and prevention services and other policies, practices, resources, services, and potential legislation that aim to reduce death by suicide and suicide attempts and acknowledge the demographic and cultural differences in rural communities; makes related provisions.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Mental Hygiene Law.

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 22, 2026. About our data

Follow

Following needs an Agora account. You will sign in first, then come back to this page.

Your position on this bill

Choose the position closest to yours. You'll sign in or create an account to save it.

Sign in or create an account to give your position

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The purpose of this bill is to reduce the growing rate of suicide in rural New York through the establishment of a rural suicide prevention council to examine circumstances unique to rural New York State and provide informed recommendations to address those circumstances.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Passed the legislature and is awaiting a signature.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

Committee

Mental Health · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Mental Health · New York State Senate, Ways and Means · New York State Assembly.

Cosponsors

Angelo Santabarbara, Anthony H. Palumbo and 15 more on Agora

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab)
  • Republican9
  • Democratic8

This bill has cosponsors from more than one party.

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

Show the full list (17 names)

The sponsor's argument

Why Pamela Helming says this is needed

In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control released data from 2001-2005 which showed that rural counties had higher rates of suicide than metro- politan counties. Presently, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death among Americans with over half a million suicides occurring during the survey period. The rise in suicide rates is not attributable to one factor but instead to a number of factors. Increasing rural suicide may be the result of economic insecurity, social isolation, a dearth of mental health profes- sionals, higher. levels of alcohol and substance abuse, weakened social support, and many other factors. The Rural Suicide Prevention Council envisioned in this legislation would be tasked with examining the epidemic of suicide in rural New York and then creating a comprehensive plan to address the problem. Address- ing the root problems of the mental health crisis in our state is a critical first step to helping the state provide needed services to our residents.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Committee vote · Rules

    Senate RulesJun 1, 2026Result: passed

    (20) (0) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 1, 2026Result: passed

    (60) (0) (0) (3)

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 9, 2025Result: passed

    (62) (0) (0) (1)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Mental Health

    Senate Mental HealthMay 21, 2025Result: passed

    (7) (0) (0) (0)

Full history

  1. Jun 4, 2026

    Ordered to Third Reading Rules CAL.494

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING RULES CAL.494

    NY Assembly

  2. Jun 4, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  3. Jun 4, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED

    NY Assembly

  4. Jun 4, 2026

    Substituted

    SUBSTITUTED FOR A8434

    NY Assembly

  5. Jun 1, 2026

    In committee

    COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES

    NY Senate

Show full history (18 earlier events)
  1. Jun 1, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  2. Jun 1, 2026

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1450

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1450

    NY Senate

  3. Jun 1, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  4. Jun 1, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

    NY Assembly

  5. May 19, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES

    NY Assembly

  6. Feb 25, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

    NY Assembly

  7. Jan 7, 2026

    Died in Assembly

    DIED IN ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  8. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH

    NY Senate

  9. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH

    NY Assembly

  10. Jun 9, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  11. Jun 9, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  12. Jun 9, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH

    NY Assembly

  13. May 27, 2025

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  14. May 27, 2025

    Amended

    AMENDED (T) 3610A

    NY Senate

  15. May 22, 2025

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

  16. May 21, 2025

    1ST Report CAL.1269

    1ST REPORT CAL.1269

    NY Senate

  17. May 16, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH

    NY Assembly

  18. Jan 29, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH

    NY Senate