New York Assembly Bill A08027

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/22/25
• Refer: 4/22/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Directs the commissioner of corrections and community supervision, in consultation with the commissioner of mental health, to make mental health counseling available to all correction officers and civilian staff in correctional facilities.

Summary

A08027 would amend the New York Correction Law to require the commissioner of corrections and community supervision, in consultation with the commissioner of mental health, to make mental health counseling available to all correction officers and civilian staff working in correctional facilities. The bill creates a new section of law establishing access to counseling for both sworn correction officers and non-uniformed civilian employees in prisons and other correctional facilities. The measure is straightforward and administrative in nature: it does not set out a specific counseling model, eligibility screening process, or funding mechanism, but instead directs the relevant state agencies to ensure that counseling services are available. It would take effect 90 days after becoming law.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would add a new section 22-b to the Correction Law and place an affirmative duty on the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, working with the Office of Mental Health, to provide access to mental health counseling for correction officers and civilian staff in correctional facilities. The bill would affect state correctional operations and employee support services, potentially requiring agency coordination, program development, and resource allocation to implement counseling access for a broad class of correctional employees.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote record is available with the bill materials, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge formal sentiment. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a workforce-support and wellness proposal, suggesting a generally supportive policy rationale centered on employee mental health in a high-stress correctional environment.

Contention

Because there are no recorded discussions or votes provided, no specific points of contention are documented. Potential areas of debate, if the bill were considered, could include how counseling would be funded, whether participation would be voluntary or confidential, how services would be delivered across facilities, and whether the mandate should extend beyond availability to guaranteed access or staffing standards. The bill also leaves implementation details to the agencies, which could prompt questions about scope and administrative burden.