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Bill

S 8165

Relates to requiring at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Toby Stavisky

Mandates SUNY/CUNY campuses have at least one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per 1,000 students to boost campus mental health access for all students.

REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · S 8165

Summary of Bill S 8165

Bill at a Glance

  • Bill Number: S 8165
  • Title: Relates to requiring at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses
  • Status: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION
  • Introduced: May 16, 2025
  • Primary Sponsor: Toby Ann Stavisky

Purpose and Intent

The bill seeks to ensure access to mental health services on State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) campuses by mandating a minimum staffing ratio. Specifically, each campus would be required to maintain at least one clinical, non-student mental health staff member for every 1,000 students enrolled.

Key Provisions (as stated in the summary)

  • Coverage: Applies to all SUNY and CUNY campuses.
  • Staffing Ratio: Requires at least one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per 1,000 students on each campus.
  • Staff Type: The term used is “clinical, non-student mental health staff member.” The summary does not provide further definitions of who qualifies (e.g., licensure, job titles, or roles beyond “clinical” and “non-student”).
  • Implementation Details: The provided information does not include a timeline for compliance, funding, enforcement mechanisms, or reporting requirements. These elements, if included in the bill text, would determine how campuses implement the ratio and how compliance is measured.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Institutions: All SUNY and CUNY campuses, their student health services or equivalent departments.
  • Students: All SUNY and CUNY students would be affected through changes in access to campus-based mental health services, potentially including increased wait times or improved service capacity depending on implementation.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • The bill has been introduced and referred to the Higher Education committee.
  • No specific implementation deadline, funding appropriation, or enforcement framework is provided in the available summary. Such details would typically appear in the full text and any committee amendments.

Related and Companion Measures

  • Assembly counterparts/related bills: A 9746, A 302, A 4142 (prior-session), and A 832 (companion; listed twice). These related measures indicate ongoing interest in campus mental health staffing across both houses and prior sessions.

Notes for Readers

  • The summary reflects the information available from the bill’s introduction and committee referral. The actual bill text would define key terms (e.g., “clinical,” “staff member”), specify any vacancies, grace periods, funding sources, and enforcement mechanisms, and may include timelines or phased implementation.

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

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