S 4523: Relates to excused absence of a public employee for mental health purposes.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4523 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 6, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. BAILEY, FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to excused absence of a public employee for mental health purposes The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The civil service law is amended by adding a new section 2 159-e to read as follows: 3 § 159-e. Excused leave for mental or behavioral health. 1. Every 4 public officer, employee of this state, employee of any county, employee 5 of any community college, employee of any public authority, employee of 6 any public benefit corporation, employee of any board of cooperative 7 educational services (BOCES), employee of any vocational education and 8 extension board, or a school district enumerated in section one of chap- 9 ter five hundred sixty-six of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-seven, 10 employee of any municipality, employee of any school district, any 11 employee of a participating employer in the New York state and local 12 employees' retirement system or any employee of a participating employer 13 in the New York state teachers' retirement system shall be entitled to 14 absent themself and shall be deemed to have a paid leave of absence from 15 their duties or service as such public officer, employee of this state, 16 employee of any county, employee of any community college, employee of 17 any public authority, employee of any public benefit corporation, 18 employee of any board of cooperative educational services (BOCES), 19 employee of any vocational education and extension board, or a school 20 district enumerated in section one of chapter five hundred sixty-six of 21 the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-seven, employee of any municipality, 22 employee of any school district, any employee of a participating employ- 23 er in the New York state and local employees' retirement system or any EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06343-01-5 
 S. 4523 2 1 employee of a participating employer in the New York state teachers' 2 retirement system for the purpose of mental or behavioral health. 3 2. Absence for the mental or behavioral health pursuant to this 4 section shall not be charged to the sick time allotted for such employ- 5 ee. 6 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.