Legislative Report: Update to End of Legislative Session Report

Prepared by Richard Gallo & Jamie Papapetros

Prohibition on “Conversion Therapy” for Minors Passes NYS Senate and Assembly

NYSPA is very pleased to announce that both houses of the NYS Legislature have passed legislation that prohibits licensed mental health professionals from engaging in efforts to change a minor’s sexual orientation (so-called “conversion therapy”) and would define such efforts as professional misconduct (A.576, Glick/S.1046, Hoylman).  The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 57-4 and the Assembly by a vote of 141-7. Governor Cuomo has already announced his intention to sign the bills into law stating, “Conversion therapy belongs in the dustbin of history. Looking forward to signing this bill and ending this discredited, harmful practice in New York State.”  If signed into law, this legislation would make New York the 15^th state to ban conversion therapy for minors. 

Parity/Access to Care Resources

Information and resources for New York psychiatrists and their patients experiencing difficulty in accessing insurance benefits for mental health and substance use disorder services

Governor Cuomo Enacts One of NYSPA's Major Legislative Priorities: Law to Prohibit "Conversion Therapy" for Minors

NYSPA is very pleased to report that late last week Governor Cuomo signed into law legislation that prohibits licensed mental health professionals from engaging in efforts to change a minor’s sexual orientation (so-called “conversion therapy”) and defines such efforts as professional misconduct (A.576, Glick/S.1046, Hoylman).  The bill signing took place on Friday, January 25, 2019 in New York City and was attended by NYSPA members Frank Dowling, M.D., Jack Drescher, M.D., and Barry Perlman, M.D. and Jamie Papapetros from the NYSPA Government Relations office.

Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Parity Report Act

Interested members may use the following link to send a thank you letter to Governor Cuomo, Assemblymember Gunther and Senator Ortt for their work on this important legislation:

 https://cqrcengage.com/mssny/app/write-a-letter10&engagementId=494053. This link was created by the Medical Society of the State of New York. 

The enactment of A.3694-C (Chapter 455 of the Laws of 2018) is a huge victory for NYSPA and the broader mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) community as it will compel insurers, health plans, and behavioral health management companies to submit key data and information to the Department of Financial Services for analysis and evaluation of compliance with the federal and state parity laws, culminating in the publication of a report posted on the Department's website. This measure will provide much needed accountability and transparency as parity laws are critical to maintaining and enhancing access to care.

This victory is particularly significant for NYSPA because the bill started as a proposal from the NYSPA Committee on Legislation and was approved by the Area II Council as a proactive legislative priority. The enactment of this important law is a shared success as NYSPA partnered with twenty-five statewide organizations as well as five national organizations, including MSSNY, other medical specialty societies, organized social work and psychology as well as a broad array of consumer and provider representatives of MH/SUD services. This success would not have been possible without the tremendous grassroots support of NYSPA members and members of the partnering organizations that generated letters, calls and tweets in support of the legislation.