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Bill

Bill

S 8968

Relates to establishing a veteran suicide mortality review board

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Addabbo and 5 co-sponsors

Creates a dedicated board to review veteran suicide deaths, identify factors, and issue evidence-based, actionable policy recommendations to prevent veteran suicides.

RETURNED TO SENATE
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Bill Summary · S 8968

Summary of Bill S 8968-A (2025-2026) — New York

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes a dedicated, multidisciplinary Veteran Suicide Mortality Review Board within the state Office, in consultation with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS).
  • The Board’s primary aim is to identify factors contributing to veteran suicides, assess gaps in care, and develop evidence-based recommendations to prevent veteran suicide and improve policy and program effectiveness.

Key provisions and changes

  • Establishment and scope (Article 79-A)

    • Creates the Veteran Suicide Mortality Review Board to review suicide deaths among veterans, including recently separated service members.
    • Tasks include identifying trends, systemic factors, service gaps, and developing prevention-focused recommendations.
    • The Board may promote collaboration with federal and state partners and align with federal programs (e.g., SAMHSA/VA frameworks, Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Veteran Suicide).

  • Membership and governance

    • Board composition requires at least 13 members appointed by the Governor, including:
    • Commissioner of Health (or designee)
    • Commissioner of Mental Health (or designee; serves as Chair)
    • Commissioner of Veterans’ Services (or designee)
    • Two county medical examiners/coroners
    • One representative from the State Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors
    • Two licensed clinicians with mental health and suicide prevention experience
    • Two public health experts with mortality review/epidemiology background
    • Up to three additional members with expertise in veterans’ issues, community mental health, or suicide prevention
    • Terms are three years; meetings at least twice per year (more as needed).

  • Powers and duties

    • Conduct case reviews of veteran suicide deaths, incorporating data from the DVS and other sources; assess causes, contributing factors, and preventability.
    • Coordinate with federal/state partners (e.g., SAMHSA, VA) and may sign MOUs to facilitate data sharing, ensuring confidentiality protections.
    • Require and receive information from state/local agencies (e.g., death records, medical records, autopsy/toxicology reports) to support reviews.
    • Accept voluntary information from families or others related to veteran suicide cases, with appropriate handling and transmission to the Board.
    • Maintain confidentiality: personal identifiers and sensitive data are to be kept confidential and used only to improve veteran healthcare and prevent suicide; information can be transmitted to the Board when necessary for review.
    • Ensure records, meetings, and reports are confidential and not subject to disclosure in lawsuits or public access, with access limited to Board members and authorized staff.

  • Reporting requirements

    • Annually (within one year after first meeting and then every year): publish an annual report to the Governor, Legislature, and relevant state commissioners.
    • Report contents include: number of veteran suicide cases reviewed, counts of reported veteran suicides, statewide trends (including common methods), systemic gaps or failures, demographic and service history data (as practicable), and recommendations for policy/practice improvements.
    • Reports must present only de-identified or aggregated data and be publicly accessible on DOH, DOH, and DVS websites.

  • Staffing and resources

    • The Office of Mental Hygiene (or equivalent) provides administrative support, staffing, and analytic capacity.
    • The Board may use existing federal/state funding and data systems (e.g., SAMHSA, VA programs) to support its work.

  • Effective date and implementation

    • Takes effect 180 days after becoming law.
    • The Board must convene its first meeting within 90 days of the effective date.

Who would be affected

  • Veterans and families, whose suicide deaths are reviewed and whose de-identified data inform state policy.
  • State agencies (DOH, DVS, OMH), county medical examiners/coroners, mental health authorities, public health professionals, and researchers involved in mortality review and suicide prevention.
  • The public would gain access to aggregated findings and recommended policy improvements through annual reporting.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Veto/passage timeline:
    • Introduced and referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs.
    • Passed the Senate (May 28, 2026) and Assembly (June 1, 2026); sent to Governor for signature.
    • Substituted for A9645A and advanced to third reading; final enactment contingent on legislative process.
  • Implementation timeline if enacted:
    • 180 days after enactment: act becomes law.
    • Board must convene its first meeting within 90 days after the law takes effect.
    • First annual report due within one year after the Board’s first meeting, then annually thereafter.

Practical implications

  • Creates a structured, formal mechanism to study veteran suicides with a focus on actionable prevention strategies.
  • Emphasizes data confidentiality and privacy while enabling data-informed policy improvements.
  • Encourages coordination across state and federal systems to leverage resources and best practices in veteran suicide prevention.

If you’d like, I can tailor this to a particular audience (e.g., policymakers, veterans’ organizations, or healthcare providers) or pull out potential funding or data-sharing considerations for deeper analysis.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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