A 6649 New York Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Enacts the PTSD awareness and rehabilitation act

Summary

Enacts the PTSD awareness and rehabilitation act to require PTSD screening, provide trauma-informed education, and implement evidence-based rehabilitation programs to ensure incarcerated individuals receive proper support for mental health challenges.

Sub-Topics: Mental Health

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 6, 2025 Last action Jan 7, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

A6649 → A6649A · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to expand the number of sponsors and add several new provisions for protecting incarcerated individuals' rights regarding PTSD screenings. The changes include adding a right to decline PTSD screening with proper documentation, clarifying how trauma-informed programs should be integrated into daily activities, and updating reporting requirements to track both treatment and declinations.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from mandatory PTSD screenings to include an opt-out mechanism with proper documentation, and treatment provisions were clarified to emphasize patient-centered care.

ELIGIBILITY

Added a right for incarcerated individuals to decline PTSD screening, provided they receive written information about PTSD symptoms and treatments, and the facility maintains a written record of the declination.

REQUIREMENT

Changed PTSD screening frequency from 'periodically' to 'annually' throughout incarceration.

Added new requirement that trauma-informed rehabilitation programs be exposed to all incarcerated individuals through their normal daily activities, not just through formal programs.

Added new subdivision requiring treatment for identified PTSD cases to be trauma-informed and patient-centered care suitable for incarcerated individuals.

FISCAL

Changed funding language from 'shall secure and utilize' to 'may secure and utilize' federal grants or partnerships, giving the department more flexibility.

REPORTING

Added requirement to report the number of incarcerated individuals who declined PTSD screening in annual reports to the governor and legislature.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jan 7, 2026

Committee

REFERRED TO CORRECTION

lower

Jun 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

PRINT NUMBER 6649A

lower

Jun 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO CORRECTION

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

REFERRED TO CORRECTION

lower

1 primary · 8 co-sponsors