Help Save Lives and Reduce Suicide
Tell the New York State Senate Judiciary Committee to Support
The Extreme Risk Protection Orders Bill

In March, we informed you on how NAMI-NYS had joined a broad coalition advocating for Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), which would remove guns from the homes of those deemed by a court to be a danger to themselves or others. NAMI-NYS strongly supports this initiative that has the power to save lives and reduce suicide. Tomorrow morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee will be voting on the bill. NAMI-NYS will be participating in a press conference alongside bill sponsor Brian Kavanagh outside of the committee meeting room to call for the passage of the bill onto the Senate floor. Below is our statement for the press release, we need your voice to join us in advocating for this live-saving measure.
 
"The National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York State (NAMI-NYS) firmly believes that our leaders should use their power and influence to help keep the one in four New Yorkers living with a mental illness and their families safe as well as do all they can to advance their recovery. While most major causes of death in the U.S. are in decline, tragically suicide rates continue to increase. For a long time we have worked towards our goal of zero suicide and have consistently called on our leaders to do more to address the prevention of suicide. We are tremendously grateful to Senator Brian Kavanagh for hearing our pleas and introducing the Extreme Risk Protection Orders bill. This bill presents an opportunity to save lives and reduce suicide. We urge Senator Bonacic and the members of the Senate Judiciary not to squander this opportunity and vote this life-saving bill out of committee and on to the Senate floor for a vote." 

TAKE ACTION!!!
Call Judiciary Committee Chair Senator John Bonacic 
and Tell Him to Pass the Bill

If You Are a Constituent of one of the Judiciary Committee Members Call Them as Well
We need to let Judiciary Committee Chair John Bonacic hear the broad support for this bill and the impact it has to save lives. We must also urge him to vote the bill onto the Senate and not to another committee, so it can be voted on this session.
 
Call Senator Bonacic's office at 518-455-3181 and use this script:
 
I am calling Senator Bonacic as someone who is impacted by mental illness and is very concerned about the rise in suicide rates across the state. More than half of completed suicides involve guns. This is why I urge the Senator to support the Extreme Risk Protection Order bill, which the Judiciary committee is voting on tomorrow. A yes vote on the bill has the power to save lives and reduce suicide. I also urge the committee to move the bill to a floor vote, so we can start saving lives as soon as possible. Thank you!
 
If You are a Constituent of One of the Committee Members Call Them As Well
 
A list of the full judiciary committee is below; it is imperative that they hear that this issue is important to their constituents. If your Senator is listed below please call them as well and use this script:
 
I am a constituent of Senator __________ who is impacted by mental illness and is very concerned about the rise in suicide rates across the state. More than half of completed suicides involve guns. Senator____________ has the opportunity to address this and save lives by supporting the Extreme Risk Protection Order bill, which the Judiciary committee is voting on tomorrow. A yes vote on the bill has the power to save lives and reduce suicide and I hope Senator ________ uses this opportunity to help families like mine. Thank you!
 
Members of the NYS Senate Judiciary Committee:
 
First Name
Last Name
District
Phone
Brad
Hoylman
Manhattan (midtown-upper west side)
518-455-2451
George
Amedore
All of Montgomery and Greene Counties, and portions of Schenectady, Albany, and Ulster Counties.
518-455-2350
Jamaal
Bailey
The Bronx
518-455-2061
Phil
Boyle
Nassau County
518-455-3411
Neil
Breslin
Capital District
518-455-2225
Thomas
Croci
Suffolk County
518-455-3570
Martin
Brooklyn
518-455-2177
Jesse
Hamilton
Brooklyn
518-455-2431
Kemp
Hannon
Central Nassau County
518-455-2200
Chris
Jacobs
Buffalo, W. Hamburg, Lake Erie Beach
518 455-3240
Todd
Kaminsky
Nassau County
518-455-3401
Andrew
Lanza
Staten Island
518-455-3215
Kenneth
LaValle
Eastern Suffolk
518-455-3121
Velmanette
Montgomery
Brooklyn
518-455-3451
Thomas
O'Mara
Elmira, Watkins Glen
518-455-2091
Elaine
Phillips
Nassau County
518-455-3265
Michael
Ranzenhofer
Batavia, Williamsville
518-455-3161
Diane
Savino
Brooklyn, Staten Island
518-455-2437
Luis
Sepulveda
The Bronx
518-455-2511
Sue
Serino
Dutchess County
518-455-2945
Toby Ann
Stavisky
Queens
518-455-3461



NAMI-NYS
99 Pine St. Suite 105, Albany, NY 12207
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