Amid a recent surge in headline-grabbing subway violence, Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed on Friday to take action to make it easier for authorities to involuntarily hospitalize severely mentally ill individuals often linked to such incidents.
In a statement, the governor announced plans to include legislation in her Executive Budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year aimed at expanding the state’s criteria for involuntary hospitalization. However, details on the specific changes she seeks remain unclear. Currently, the law allows authorities to commit individuals whose mental illness poses a “risk of serious harm” to themselves or others.
