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NY A00994
Bill
Status
1/8/2025
Primary Sponsor
Phillip Steck
Click for details
AI Summary
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Authorizes mental health practitioners (physicians, psychologists, registered psychiatric nurses, nurse practitioners, and licensed clinical social workers) to take reasonable action when a patient directly communicates a threat of serious, imminent harm to self or an identifiable person
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Permits reasonable efforts including modifying treatment, initiating hospitalization procedures, notifying intended victims, or notifying law enforcement when the threat includes serious intent and ability to act
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Protects mental health practitioners from civil or criminal liability, including unprofessional conduct charges, when disclosure decisions are made reasonably and in good faith
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Does not require practitioners to take any action that would endanger themselves or increase danger to potential victims, based on reasonable professional judgment
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Requires compliance with existing section 9.46 of the mental hygiene law when practitioners take action under this section
Legislative Description
Imposes a duty to protect upon mental health practitioners; requires reasonable efforts to modify aspects of treatment in order to reduce or eliminate the risk of harm, initiating procedures for hospitalization, notifying the intended victim or victims, or notifying law enforcement officials when a person directly communicates a threat of serious, imminent harm to self or against a readily identifiable person or persons, and the threat includes both a serious intent to act and the ability to carry out the threat; does not require a mental health practitioner to take any action which, in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment, would endanger such mental health practitioner or increase the danger to a potential victim or victims.
Last Action
referred to mental health
1/7/2026