Summary: Bill A 3713 – Establishes a Support Team Assisted Response Pilot Program
Disclaimer: The full text of Bill A 3713 is not provided here. This summary is based on the bill’s title, status, introduction date, and related bills. It outlines the likely purpose and areas a typical “support team assisted response pilot program” bill would address, along with questions readers should verify in the enacted text.
Overview and Purpose
- Bill Number: A 3713
- Title: Establishes a support team assisted response pilot program
- Purpose (as suggested by the title): To create a pilot program that deploys a specialized “support team” to respond to certain crisis or behavioral health incidents, with the goal of providing immediate assistance, de-escalation, and connections to services, potentially reducing reliance on traditional police-led crisis responses.
Key Provisions (to be confirmed in the bill text)
Because the text is not provided, the following are typical elements often found in pilot programs of this nature. Readers should verify which, if any, are included in A 3713:
- Establishment of a pilot program in designated jurisdictions or communities.
- Composition of the support team (e.g., mental health professionals, crisis workers, peer specialists, other trained responders).
- Operations and protocols for responding to behavioral health crises, including when and how teams are dispatched, and coordination with existing public safety agencies.
- Goals and performance metrics (response times, reduction in arrests or use of force, linkage to services, participant outcomes).
- Funding sources and administration (state or local funding, grant mechanisms, budget oversight).
- Eligibility and scope of incidents covered by the pilot.
- Data collection, evaluation, and reporting requirements (frequency of reports, program evaluation standards).
- Privacy, confidentiality, and civil rights protections related to data handling.
- Sunset, renewal, or expansion criteria if the pilot proves effective.
- Interagency coordination requirements (public health, social services, judiciary, law enforcement, EMS).
Who Would Be Affected
- Individuals experiencing behavioral health crises or related distress in the pilot areas.
- Local governments and municipalities implementing the pilot.
- State and local health and mental health agencies.
- Law enforcement, emergency medical services, and other first responders who may coordinate with the new support teams.
- Service providers and community-based organizations delivering mental health and social supports.
Procedural and Timeline Aspects
- Status: Referred to Mental Health (indicates the bill is in committee for consideration of policy and fiscal implications).
- Introduced: January 30, 2025.
- Related Bills: A 7269 and A 7921 (prior-session) may reflect ongoing interest or previous iterations of similar proposals. Reviewing these bills could provide context on scope and design preferences.
Potential Impact and Considerations
- Potential Benefits: Enhanced crisis response with professional behavioral health support; reduced law enforcement involvement in non-criminal crises; improved linkage to services; potential for better short- and long-term outcomes for participants.
- Potential Risks or Concerns: Funding sustainability; ensuring appropriate privacy protections; preventing program fragmentation across jurisdictions; ensuring clear authority and interagency coordination.
- Evaluation: Critical to the bill’s success would be clear metrics, independent evaluation, and transparent reporting to assess effectiveness and inform potential expansion.
Next Steps for Readers
- Obtain the full text of A 3713 to confirm the exact provisions, scope, and timelines.
- Review fiscal impact statements and any anticipated funding sources.
- Compare with related bills (A 7269, A 7921) to understand similarities, differences, and legislative intent across sessions.
- Monitor committee hearings in Mental Health for amendments, testimonies, and timeline toward potential floor action.
If you’d like, I can add a placeholder checklist once the bill text is released or summarize once you provide the full provisions.
