A 6721 New York Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Enacts the "Lieutenant Joseph Banish mental health act"

Summary

Enacts the "Lieutenant Joseph Banish mental health act" which establishes a law enforcement peer support program to provide confidentiality for communications arising out of law enforcement peer support counseling; defines terms; provides exceptions for when a peer support communication may be disclosed.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Jun 2025

Assembly Passage

Jun 2025

Senate Passage

Jun 2025

Signed into Law

Dec 2025

Introduced Mar 11, 2025 Signed Dec 18, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

A6721 → A6721A · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add more sponsors and update the bill number to reflect its amended status. The substantive policy changes involve simplifying the exceptions to confidentiality for law enforcement peer support communications, removing detailed requirements about what specific information must be disclosed, and consolidating the exceptions into three clearer categories: suicide/self-harm threats, threats of bodily harm, and child abuse/neglect reporting.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains the same - it applies to law enforcement peer support programs in New York - but the confidentiality exceptions were simplified and reorganized for clarity.

TECHNICAL

Bill number updated from A6721 to A6721--A to reflect amended status

Additional sponsors were added to the bill introduction

REQUIREMENT

Confidentiality exceptions were simplified from four detailed categories into three clearer categories: suicide/self-harm threats, threats of bodily harm/death, and child abuse/neglect reporting

Removed detailed requirements about specific information types that must be disclosed, replacing them with broader categories

Added provision allowing peer support participants to consent to disclosure of their own communications at any time

Removed exception for disclosures of knowledge about participants not gained from peer support communications

Floor votes · Senate Jun 10, 2025 · Assembly Jun 6, 2025

How they voted

58–0

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 63

Jun 10, 2025

D Democratic41

37 Yea 4

90% Yea

R Republican22

21 Yea 1

95% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Dec 18, 2025

Signed into law

SIGNED CHAP.641

lower

Jun 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

PASSED SENATE

upper

Jun 6, 2025

Committee

REFERRED TO RULES

upper

Jun 6, 2025

Lower · Passed

PASSED ASSEMBLY

lower

Jun 4, 2025

Committee

REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES

lower

May 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

PRINT NUMBER 6721A

lower

May 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO JUDICIARY

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Committee

REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

lower

1 primary · 47 co-sponsors