Enacts the Veterans Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Act

BILL NUMBER:S4157

Title of bill

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to enacting the "Veterans Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Act"

Purpose or general idea of bill

The purpose of the bill is to require the New York State Veterans' Affairs Commission to develop and update, in consultation with the office of mental health, the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, department of health and department of labor, a New York state interagency plan to improve outreach, assessment, and care for veterans and their families who are experiencing mental health and/or substance abuse problems.

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1 - Legislative findings and intent.

Section 2 - This act shall be known as the 'Veterans Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Act.'

Section 3 - Two new subdivisions are added to Section 352 of the executive law. This section of law deals with the powers and duties of the New York State Veterans' Affairs Commission.

Section 4 - The effective date.

Justification

Combat-related mental illness has been and still is a critical issue for American war veterans. Veterans who have served during World War II, Korea and Vietnam are still dealing with the aftermath of war. More than 85,000 New Yorkers have participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or both, since September 11, 2001, According to the, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, at least one in three Iraq veterans and one in nine Afghanistan veterans will face mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or post traumatic stress disorder. Multiple tours have increased the stress of combat. Unfortunately, the existing service-delivery system lacks the capacity to meet their needs and those of their families. The lack of integrated services is a longstanding problem in the mental health service-delivery system, but with so many veterans returning home with both mental illness and chemical dependency, it is nothing short of a crisis.

This legislation is based on testimony that was offered at a joint hearing with the Assembly Standing Committees on Veterans' Affairs, Mental Health and Alcohol & Drugs on co-occurring disorders. This proposal calls for an annual state interagency planning effort, which will hopefully

begin to address the lack of integrated mental health and substance-abuse services. The proposed planning process recognizes the need to develop services outside the federal Department of Veterans Affairs system to meet the needs of veterans and their families who are either ineligible or choose not to use them.

Prior legislative history

A.11098 of 2010.

Fiscal implications for state and local governments

The New York State Veterans' Affairs Commission is already established in law. This legislation expands their duties. Members appointed to the Commission receive no salary or other compensation.

Effective date

This act shall effect thirty days after it shall have become a law, however, the first New York state interagency plan as described in subdivision 6 of section 352 of the executive law, as added by section three of this act, shall be completed not later than one year after such effective date.