A 7548: Establishes a mandatory mental health first aid training program for licensed cosmetologists and barbers.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7548 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY April 1, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Economic Development AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to establishing a mental health first aid training program for licensed cosmetologists and barbers The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative intent. It shall be the intent of this legisla- 2 ture to promote the general health, safety, and welfare of the residents 3 of the state by requiring beauty professionals who provide services 4 directly to the public to undergo training in the provision of mental 5 health first aid. Beauty professionals interact with the public daily, 6 build relationships with their clients, and have a strong connection to 7 the community they live and work in. 8 It is the judgment of this legislature that prompt and effective first 9 aid for mental illness should be a top priority for the state. Mental 10 health first aid training is customarily an eight-hour course of 11 instruction which educates participants in the methods of effectively 12 recognizing, identifying, understanding and responding to signs and 13 behavioral manifestations of mental illness and substance abuse disor- 14 ders. This legislature recognizes that mental health illnesses and 15 substance abuse disorders often go undetected, and as such, beauty 16 professionals who have frequent contact with the community that they 17 live in should receive mental health first aid training to potentially 18 avert tragedies attributable to suicidal, harmful or aggressive behav- 19 iors related to mental illness, reduce the stigma of mental health 20 issues, and de-escalate and refer individuals who are suffering from a 21 mental illness to receive the medical and emotional care and support 22 they need. 23 § 2. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 408-c 24 to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11184-01-5 
 A. 7548 2 1 § 408-c. Mental health first aid training. 1. All licensees and appli- 2 cants for a license or renewal pursuant to this article shall be 3 required to receive eight hours of a mental health first aid training 4 program, as detailed in subdivision two of this section. 5 2. The mental health first aid training program shall be an eight-hour 6 course specifically designed to educate individuals eighteen years and 7 older in effective approaches to assisting such individuals experiencing 8 a mental health related crisis or problem such as anxiety, depression, 9 psychosis, and addiction. Additionally, such program shall be designed 10 to include, but, not be limited to accomplishing the following objec- 11 tives: recognizing the symptoms of common mental illnesses and substance 12 abuse disorders, de-escalating crisis situations safely and initiating 13 timely referral to mental health and substance abuse resources available 14 in the community. Upon completion of the mental health first aid train- 15 ing program, such licensee or applicant shall be issued a certificate of 16 completion, which shall be effective for the duration of their license. 17 3. All new licensees and applicants for a license or renewal shall be 18 required to complete a training course, pursuant to subdivision two of 19 this section, either through a certified online or in-person mental 20 health first aid training program as directed by the secretary. 21 4. The secretary shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement 22 and administer the provisions of this section. 23 § 3. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 436-a 24 to read as follows: 25 § 436-a. Mental health first aid training. 1. All licensees and appli- 26 cants for a license or renewal pursuant to this article shall be 27 required to receive eight hours of a mental health first aid training 28 program, as detailed in subdivision two of this section. 29 2. The mental health first aid training program shall be an eight-hour 30 course specifically designed to educate individuals eighteen years and 31 older in effective approaches to assisting such individuals experiencing 32 a mental health related crisis or problem such as anxiety, depression, 33 psychosis, and addiction. Additionally, such program shall be designed 34 to include, but, not be limited to accomplishing the following objec- 35 tives: recognizing the symptoms of common mental illnesses and substance 36 abuse disorders, de-escalating crisis situations safely and initiating 37 timely referral to mental health and substance abuse resources available 38 in the community. Upon completion of the mental health first aid train- 39 ing program, such licensee or applicant shall be issued a certificate of 40 completion, which shall be effective for the duration of their license. 41 3. All new licensees and applicants for a license or renewal shall be 42 required to complete a training course, pursuant to subdivision two of 43 this section, either through a certified online or in-person mental 44 health first aid training program as directed by the secretary. 45 4. The secretary shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement 46 and administer the provisions of this section. 47 § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 48 have become a law.