Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1
Committee: Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use
The Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use held a brief meeting to vote on Proposed Introduction 91, legislation requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to report on deaths by suicide in New York City and on suicide-related behaviors among youth. The chair described suicide as a public health crisis and said the bill would produce disaggregated data—by age, race, gender, borough, veteran status, and other demographics, including sexual orientation and gender identity for young people when available—with privacy and safety in mind. Council Member Louis, the bill's sponsor, credited advocates, clinicians, and supporting organizations and said the detailed reporting would help deploy resources more effectively. The item was adopted with a vote of six in the affirmative and none in the negative, and the meeting was adjourned.
0:32 Ready. Good.
0:32 Good morning. Welcome to the
0:33 New York City Council
0:34 committee vote on mental
0:35 health and substance use at
0:36 this time we accept that you
0:37 please sign it all electronics
0:39 chair. You begin. Thank you,
0:45 good morning, everyone. My
0:47 name is council technical on a
0:49 chair of the New York City
0:51 council's committee on mental
0:52 health and substance use. I'd
0:54 like to recognize that we are
0:57 joined by council members on
0:58 zoom Council Member council
1:03 members. A give me a moment
1:03 because I am also on zoom, so
1:05 I want to make sure I get
1:08 everybody Council Member Lee
1:10 council, stephen's council
1:13 member luis a Council Member
1:15 um, a little ball a council,
1:19 sarah am I anybody? Nope. Oka
1:24 y, great. Thank you. And sarah
1:26 is my in person, eyes and ear
1:28 s, so today that the committee
1:30 is going to consider a vote on
1:31 proposed introduction number
1:33 lhealth and mental hygiene t
1:39 oreport on deaths by suicide
1:40 that occur in the City and
1:42 suicide related behavior among
1:45 youth.
1:46 Suicide is a public health
1:46 crisis that touches every
1:47 neighborhood and every family
1:49 yet too often we lack clear
1:50 data to understand who is most
1:52 at risk. So this bill would
1:54 require the health department
1:55 to regularly report on deaths
1:56 by suicide in our City.
1:57 And on suicide related
1:58 behaviors among youth. The
2:01 reports would include key
2:02 demographic information that's
2:04 age, race, gender, borough and
2:06 more and for young people data
2:09 on sexual orientation and
2:10 gender identity when available
2:11 and.
2:11 All of this would be done.
2:12 With privacy and safety and
2:14 mine and.
2:14 By shining a light on this
2:15 issue with clear, accessible
2:17 and accurate data we can
2:19 better inform policies, guided
2:20 interventions and ultimately
2:21 save lives and so before we
2:23 begin the vote. I do want t
2:24 ohand it over to Council Member
2:25 Louis for a brief statement
2:30 . Thank you. Checco bon so
2:31 much and thank you for your
2:33 leadership on this committee
2:35 and for advocating and
2:37 advancing this bill ford. I
2:38 also want to acknowledge the
2:41 organization's supported this
2:43 bill samaritans of jed
2:46 foundation veterans of foreign
2:47 wars five borough veterans and
2:49 j. C. I of coney island. Um, I
2:54 was. I'm also want to
2:56 acknowledge the advocates
2:57 service providers, clinicians
2:58 and families who shared their
3:01 expertise and lived
3:02 experiences to strengthen the
3:02 impact of this bill, I am
3:05 proud to bring intro hundred
3:07 91 forward as it is voted out
3:08 of this committee today. This
3:11 legislation requires the
3:11 department of health and
3:12 mental hygiene to publish a
3:14 comprehensive annual report on
3:18 suicide in New York City, the
3:19 limited information we have in
3:21 relation to suicides in our
3:22 City does not meet the needs
3:23 of those working on the front
3:26 lines prevention by requiring
3:29 detailed disaggregated
3:30 reporting by age, race,
3:32 ethnicity, gender, veteran
3:34 status method of suicide
3:37 occupation. This bill gives us
3:38 the tools we need to
3:39 understand how to deplo
3:41 yresources more effectively to
3:43 those in need, suicides touch
3:45 every corner of our City it
3:46 affects young people
3:48 navigating immense pressure
3:49 all the adults facing
3:52 isolation. Veterans carrying
3:53 unseen trauma at excuse me and
3:56 individuals within vulnerable
3:58 and underserved communities
3:59 who too often fall into
4:01 systematic gaps.
4:02 Without clear and accessible
4:04 data. We cannot design
4:06 policies that respond with the
4:08 urgency this crisis demands
4:09 .I'm grateful for you, cabana
4:12 for your leadership speaker
4:12 mennen and my colleagues for
4:14 moving this legislation
4:16 forward and I look forward to
4:17 continuing to work with the
4:18 administration and I advocacy
4:20 partners as this becomes the
4:22 law today's vote represents a
4:24 meaningful step forward.
4:25 Addressing the suicide
4:27 epidemic with seriousness and
4:28 care towards building a mental
4:30 health system that truly
4:31 serves all of yorkers. Thank
4:34 you. Chair. Thank you,
4:35 councilmember lewis and clark,
4:36 we are ready to begin the vote
4:38 . Good morning, william martin
4:39 committee clark roll call vote
4:41 committee on mental health and
4:43 substance abuse proposed
4:44 introduction to 9 1, eh?
4:49 Carbon high Lee
4:52 . I and congratulations, fair
4:57 Stevens are Felder fallible. I
5:06 . Hankerson arriola I vote and
5:06 congratulations chair on your
5:13 first meeting and
5:14 congratulations Council Member
5:15 luis
5:15 . For this impactful
5:19 legislation.
5:20 Thank you. With a vote of
5:21 six in the affirmative in the
5:22 negative and no pretensions
5:24 item has been adopted by the
5:27 committee. Great. Thank you.
5:28 And with that. This meeting is
5:43 adjourned. Thanks. Bye. Little
5:47 better by Tiffany. I'm waiting
5:53 for the