Provides that the "Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Flag" shall be the official state flag for the raising of awareness of veteran suicide; directs the commissioner of general services to establish a protocol for the flying of such flag.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7657
SPONSOR: Lavine TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the state law, in relation to a state flag for raising
awareness of veteran suicide
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new section 92 to state law to establish the *Suicide
Awareness and Remembrance Flag" as the official state flag for the rais-
ing of awareness of veteran suicide. The commissioner of general
services shall establish a protocol for the flying of such flag.
Section 2 is the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Veterans continue to be at the greatest risk of committing suicide among
the U.S. population. An average of approximately 6,000 veterans commit
suicide every year in the United. States, with a 6.1 increase from to
2017. Within the veteran population, younger veterans, ages 1-24, are
taking their lives at a higher rate than older veterans. Raising aware-
ness and breaking the stigma of suicide are key steps to preventing this
unnecessary loss of life. This bill would establish the Suicide Aware-
ness and. Remembrance Flag as the official state flag to raise, aware-
ness of veteran suicide, and remember and honor those who have served
this country and have fallen victim to this epidemic.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-20: S8283 INVESTIGATIONS & GOVT OPS
03/30/22 - S5148 referred to governmental operations
2023-24 A5116 government operations 51290 Passed Senate
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Undetermined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7657
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE, GIBBS -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the state law, in relation to a state flag for raising
awareness of veteran suicide
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The state law is amended by adding a new section 93 to read
2 as follows:
3 § 93. State flag for raising awareness of veteran suicide. The
4 "Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Flag" shall be the official state
5 flag for the raising of awareness of veteran suicide. The commissioner
6 of general services shall establish a protocol for the flying of such
7 flag.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05451-01-5
