Enacts the "Lieutenant Joseph Banish mental health act"

• Democratic44
• Republican14

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why James Skoufis says this is needed

This bill would establish a formal program designating certain law enforcement officers to receive training and provide peer-to-peer coun- seling to other officers. The goal of this legislation is to better maintain the mental health of law enforcement officers, so that they may better serve our citizens. The overwhelming trauma and grief commonly experienced in the aftermath of imminent danger, violence and death associated with emergency response and disaster relief operations is well established. '.hen those daunting experiences are not processed and addressed, they become exacerbated and disrupt all areas of life. Peer counseling by a trained fellow officer would allow for an expe- ditious and proximate resource for law enforcement to receive assistance when they are struggling with, or overwhelmed by, trauma and grief. While the bill provides confidentiality consistent with other types of mental health services in New York, it expressly limits the confiden- tiality to those officers trained and designated as peer counselors. It also specifies circumstances where confidentiality would not apply, such as a court order or subpoena, information regarding involvement in crim- inal activity, thoughts of harming self or others, suicide or the abuse or neglect of a child. This legislation strikes a fair balance between the need for expanded confidential mental health services for law enforcement, while ensuring the waiver of that confidentiality in situations that have the potential to threaten the safety of the officer or others. This bill is modeled after the successful federal COPS Counseling Act, which passed with bipartisan support in 2021. The federal act provides confidential peer support services to federal law enforcement officers. Additionally, several states including Oregon, Massachusetts, Nevada, Kentucky, and Ohio have passed similar legislation for their police officers. When our officers are healthy and receiving the resources they need and deserve, our communities are safer. This legislation is in memory of Lt. Joseph Banish, a State Trooper who died by suicide. The Banish family has honored his memory by advocating for programs, such as this, that help officers deal with mental health issues.

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.