S 8165 NY
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
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Summary
This bill requires all SUNY and CUNY campuses to maintain at least one full-time clinical mental health staff member per 1,000 full-time equivalent students. Starting two years after the bill takes effect and every five years thereafter, each state college and university must establish a board of advisors and experts to review and update the staff-to-student ratio based on current data and benchmark information for the state. However, any updated ratio must not fall below the minimum of one mental health staff member per 1,000 students. The bill prohibits funding this requirement through new student fees but allows colleges and universities to seek federal funding or private grants to support the provision.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Official abstract
Requires at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses and for state colleges and universities to update such ratio every five years.
Sponsor (1)
- Toby Ann Stavisky Democratic · primary
Action history (3)
- May 16, 2025 REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION · upper
- Jan 7, 2026 REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION · upper
- May 5, 2026 REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE · upper
Text versions (2)
Full text
Full text imported from assembly.state.ny.us
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Bill No.: Summary Actions Committee Votes Floor Votes Memo Text LFIN Chamber Video/Transcript S08165 Summary: BILL NO S08165   SAME AS SAME AS A00832
  SPONSOR STAVISKY   COSPNSR   MLTSPNSR   Amd §§355 & 6206, Ed L   Requires at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one thousand students on all SUNY and CUNY campuses and for state colleges and universities to update such ratio every five years.
Go to top S08165 Text:
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________
8165
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 16, 2025 ___________
Introduced by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation 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
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 22 to read as follows: 3 22. Through on-campus capacity, each state college or university 4 center of the state university of New York and each state college and 5 university center of the city university of New York shall have at least 6 a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one 7 thousand full-time equivalent students. Two years after the effective 8 date of this subdivision, and once every five years thereafter, each 9 state college and university shall establish a board of advisors and 10 experts and have such board update such ratio based on actual ratios in 11 this state and any new information related to appropriate benchmarks for 12 clinician-to-student ratios; provided, however, such updated ratio shall 13 be at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff 14 member per one thousand students. This subdivision shall not be funded 15 by student fees created on or after the effective date of this subdivi- 16 sion. State colleges or universities may seek federal funding or private 17 grants, if available, to support the provisions of this subdivision. 18 § 2. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new 19 subdivision 24 to read as follows: 20 24. Through on-campus capacity, each state college or university 21 center of the state university of New York and each state college and 22 university center of the city university of New York shall have at least 23 a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff member per one 24 thousand full-time equivalent students. Two years after the effective
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02074-01-5
S. 8165 2
1 date of this subdivision, and once every five years thereafter, each 2 state college and university shall establish a board of advisors and 3 experts and have such board update such ratio based on actual ratios in 4 this state and any new information related to appropriate benchmarks for 5 clinician-to-student ratios; provided, however, such updated ratio shall 6 be at least a ratio of one clinical, non-student mental health staff 7 member per one thousand students. This subdivision shall not be funded 8 by student fees created on or after the effective date of this subdivi- 9 sion. State colleges or universities may seek federal funding or private 10 grants, if available, to support the provisions of this subdivision. 11 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 12 the date on which it shall have become a law.
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