Alliance Alert: The Daniel’s Law Coalition thanks the New York State Legislature for including funding for Daniel’s Law start-up programs in their one-house budget proposals, along with key provisions of the Daniel’s Law legislation. This is a critical step toward creating a statewide, health-first response to mental health and substance use crises.
Now, we call on Governor Hochul and Legislative leaders to ensure that this funding remains in the final state budget. This investment represents Phase 1 of statewide implementation, moving us closer to a system where trained mental health responders are the default response to mental health crises. The Daniel’s Law Coalition continues to push for full passage of Daniel’s Law (A4617/S3670) to establish the long-term framework needed to ensure this model is implemented effectively across New York. Stay tuned for more ways you can join our advocacy efforts, including attending this month’s week of action events!
Join Us for a Week of Action – March 23rd-29th
To mark the 5-year anniversary of Daniel Prude’s death, the Daniel’s Law Coalition will be hosting a Week of Action across New York State, with in-person and virtual events focused on remembrance, education, and advocacy. We invite you to join us as we continue fighting for:
Inclusion of Daniel’s Law start-up funding in the final budget
Passage of Daniel’s Law to ensure full statewide implementation
RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAyLhtbOTrI0NHinS4wlyrNdVZ7SMqfLfS_k-dHtSY9yGnVw/viewform
This anniversary is a reminder of why we fight. Let’s honor Daniel Prude’s memory by demanding a future where every New Yorker has access to the compassionate, health-led crisis response they deserve!
See below to read the Daniel’s Law Coalition’s press release on the Legislative One House budget bills.
Contact: Stanley Martin, Daniel’s Law Coalition
585.210.2278
The Daniel’s Law Coalition Endorses Funding Allocation in Senate and Assembly 2025 One-House Bills to Establish Daniel’s Law Start-Up Programs as First Phase of Full Implementation
NEW YORK, NY – In response to the inclusion of funding for Daniel’s Law Start-Up Programs in the New York State Senate and Assembly One-House Budgets, the Daniel’s Law Coalition issues the following statement:
The Daniel’s Law Coalition wants to thank Senator Brouk, Assembly Member Bronson, and numerous other legislators, who fought to include funding for multiple Daniel’s Law start-up programs in the One-House Budgets. The Assembly budget includes $20 million for Daniel’s Law start-up programs and $2 million for a statewide technical assistance center, while the Senate budget includes $22 million for start-up programs and also fully advances the Daniel’s Law legislation, which establishes the technical assistance center and creates local and statewide oversight councils with 51% representation by peers – individuals with lived mental health experience.
The funding for these programs is a critical step toward implementing a peer-led, culturally competent response to mental health and substance use crises statewide. These programs will allow our state to finally address crisis calls with health-centered, peer-driven alternatives that prioritize care over criminalization. Securing this funding will be the first phase of statewide implementation, creating the structure of a health-led response system which the Legislature intends to expand in upcoming years until it covers the entire state.
As we mark the five-year anniversary of the death of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died of asphyxiation after being restrained by police officers during a mental health crisis in Rochester, the Daniel’s Law Coalition asks legislators to honor Daniel Prude by taking the first step towards establishing a statewide approach that centers peer-led and culturally competent responses to mental health and substance use crises.
We urge Governor Hochul and our state legislators to include $22 million for start-up crisis response programs, and to pass the full Daniel’s Law legislation in the final budget.
The Daniel’s Law Coalition will continue to support the full funding and passage of Daniel’s Law. for Individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis and in need of a peer-led health crisis response — not police.”
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About the Daniel’s Law Coalition
The Daniel’s Law Coalition seeks to pass legislation in New York State that would end our over-reliance on police as first responders to mental health and substance use crises. Daniel’s Law aims to provide better support and resources for individuals experiencing mental health crises by designating community-based teams as the first responders to mental health or substance use crises. These first responders will include those with lived mental health experience and/or lived experience with alcohol use or substance use disorders, in addition to emergency medical technicians. Daniel’s Law would also create a statewide council of mental health experts to develop training and rules for all crisis calls and provide resources for mental health emergencies. These rules and training would be fully integrated into existing 988 and other emergency dispatch services.
Members of the Coalition include:
- Alliance for Rights and Recovery (formerly NYAPRS)
- Community Access
- Correct Crisis Intervention Today – NYC (CCIT-NYC)
- East Flatbush Village Inc.
- Fountain House
- Free The People – Rochester
- Free The People Elders & Allies – Rochester
- Friends of Recovery – New York
- Long Island United to Transform Policing and Community Safety
- New York Civil Liberties Union
- National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York State (NAMI-NYS)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City, Inc. (NAMI-NYC)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness – Queens/Nassau
- New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
- NNLB
- Partnership for the Public Good
- Public Issues Committee of the Long Island Council of Churches
- Rochester City Wide Tenants Union
- Showing Up for Racial Justice – Rochester
- Showing Up for Racial Justice – NYC
- Social Justice Committee of the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock
- The Supportive Housing Network of New York (SHNNY)
- VOICE Buffalo
- Voices Of Community Activists And Leaders – NY