S 8695: Provides for administrative review when applying for an additional certification by applicants to become certified community behavioral health clinics if such applicant is already certified by either the department of mental health or the office of addiction services and supports and is in good standing for five or more years.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8695  IN SENATE January 7, 2026 ___________ Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to joint certif- ication of certified community behavioral health clinics The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 36.04 of the mental hygiene law, 2 as added by section 1 of part HH of chapter 57 of the laws of 2023, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 (a) The commissioners are authorized to jointly certify community 5 behavioral health clinics, subject to the availability of state and 6 federal funding. Provided however, notwithstanding any provision of law, 7 rule or regulation to the contrary, an applicant already certified by 8 either the department or the office of addiction services and supports 9 in good standing for five or more years with their respective certifying 10 agency shall be subject to administrative review when applying for an 11 additional certification by the department or such office, as applica- 12 ble, pursuant to this section. 13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 14 have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD13897-01-5