State Sen. Pam Helming joined school leaders, advocates and lawmakers in Bloomfield on Wednesday to urge Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign legislation creating a Rural Suicide Prevention Council.
The bipartisan measure, sponsored by Helming in the Senate and Assemblymember Anna Kelles in the Assembly, passed both chambers unanimously this year. A previous version also passed unanimously in 2024 before Hochul vetoed it.
Helming said the proposal is intended to identify why rural communities have higher suicide rates, where prevention and treatment gaps exist and what changes could improve access to care. The legislation is S.3610-A in the Senate and A.8434 in the Assembly.
Research cited by Helming's office found a rural New York suicide rate of 15.2 deaths per 100,000 residents, about twice the urban rate of 7.5 per 100,000. The release said earlier research also found the rural rate increased substantially faster than the urban rate during the period studied.
Council would examine rural barriers
The bill would create a temporary 15-member council with representatives from the state Office of Mental Health, Department of Health and Department of Agriculture and Markets, along with people familiar with rural communities. Members would serve without compensation.
The council would identify barriers to mental health care, substance-use treatment and suicide-prevention services. It would also examine access to crisis services and peer support, focus on vulnerable rural groups including farmers and agricultural workers, and recommend policies and resources to reduce suicide and improve access to care.
Helming said rural residents can face long waits, transportation problems, shortages of mental health professionals and unreliable internet service that limits telehealth. She said the council would be charged with developing recommendations grounded in those conditions.
Regional leaders back the proposal
The event at Bloomfield Central School included Assemblywoman Andrea Bailey, Rural Schools Association of New York State Executive Director Heather Zellers, Steuben County Legislator and suicide-prevention advocate Joe Tobia, Bloomfield Superintendent Andy Doell and other rural advocates.
Bailey said rural residents may have to travel long distances and contend with limited transportation, fewer providers and fewer treatment resources. Zellers said a trip to a meeting or mental health professional can require a 45-minute drive each way, creating a difficult choice for farmers, parents and people working multiple jobs.
Tobia called for removing barriers that prevent people from reaching care. Helming's office said the Mental Health Association in New York State, Veterans Outreach Center and Finger Lakes Area Counseling & Recovery Agency submitted letters urging Hochul to sign the bill.
The measure has also drawn support from mental health, suicide-prevention, agricultural-health and rural-community organizations, including the New York State Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health.
Anyone experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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