Following are the major mental illness provisions of the SAFE NYS GUN LAW (S-2230 A-2388) passed by NYS Senate and Assembly and expected to be signed by Governor Cuomo today.
Much of the credit must go to Senator Catharine Young (R) and Assembly member Aileen Gunther (D) who long ago identified ways to improve Kendra’s Law and proposed the original bill on which today's action is based. We especially thank the NYS Chiefs of Police and it's President, Michael Biasotti for their help in improving care for the most seriously ill. For more info visit http://kendras-law.org/
KENDRA’S LAW LOOPHOLES THAT WERE CLOSED
Much of the credit must go to Senator Catharine Young (R) and Assembly member Aileen Gunther (D) who long ago identified ways to improve Kendra’s Law and proposed the original bill on which today's action is based. We especially thank the NYS Chiefs of Police and it's President, Michael Biasotti for their help in improving care for the most seriously ill. For more info visit http://kendras-law.org/
KENDRA’S LAW LOOPHOLES THAT WERE CLOSED
- It closes the crack that allowed mentally ill individuals to be released from state prison forensic hospitals without evaluating them for inclusion in Kendra’s Law before they are released. If the person meets the criteria, the prison director must file a petition or notify the director of mental health services in the community the released prisoner is expected to reside. (See Loopholes not closed)
- It closes the crack that allowed court orders to simply expire without determining if they should be renewed. Requires Directors of Community (mental health) Services to establish procedures so that court orders that are expiring get reviewed prior to expiring. Historically, Directors of Community Services just let many orders expire without review.
- It closes the crack that allowed a court order to become unenforceable if a patient moves to a different county. Requires Directors of Community (mental health) Services to notify directors in other counties if a patient in Kendra’s Law moves to the other county. The director in the new county becomes responsible for provisioning services for the patient.
- Allows court orders to extend for up to one year. Research shows when a court order is for one year or more, the beneficial effect of the court order continues, even when the order itself expires. This provision also saves money.
- Extends the sunset from June 30, 2015 to June 30, 2017.
KENDRA’S LAW LOOPHOLES NOT CLOSED:
