‘Critical Lifeline’: Advocates encourage Hochul to sign Rural Suicide Prevention Council Bill – The Post-Journal
By Sara Holthouse | August 7, 2026
Legislation to create a Rural Suicide Prevention Council is once again awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul's signature, after she vetoed similar legislation in 2024. This year's bill, largely championed by Steuben County legislator Joe Tobia, who lost his son to suicide in 2021, passed the Assembly 140-0 and passed the Senate unanimously. The council would work to identify barriers to mental health and substance use treatment in rural communities and recommend policies to help close those gaps. Rural Minds founder and chairman Jeff Winton noted that people in rural counties like Chautauqua are 50% more likely to die by suicide, and rural youth ages 15 to 19 are 74% more likely to take their own lives, underscoring why a rural-specific approach is so badly needed.
"What many people don't remember is that New York is largely a rural state," Winton said. "So, by putting a sharp focus on these rural aspects, our belief is we can better prepare and assist those people who live in rural areas."
(This article was also picked up by Observer Today.)