Bill > S08165

This bill requires all State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) campuses to maintain at least one full-time, non-student clinical mental health staff member for every one thousand full-time equivalent students. The legislation mandates that every two years, each state college and university must establish a board of advisors and experts to review and update the mental health staff-to-student ratio, ensuring it reflects current best practices and state benchmarks. Importantly, the bill specifies that these staffing requirements cannot be funded through new student fees, and instead encourages institutions to seek federal funding or private grants to support the implementation. The updated ratio must maintain at least the minimum standard of one mental health professional per thousand students. This bill aims to improve mental health support and accessibility for students across SUNY and CUNY campuses by ensuring consistent, adequate professional mental health resources. The provisions will take effect on the first of July following the bill's enactment.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8165