What's happening
This bill requires local veterans' service agencies to assist veterans with applying for discharge upgrades in addition to their current duties.
Why it matters
Expands direct support to veterans who received less-than-honorable discharges. By requiring local veterans' service agencies to help veterans apply for discharge upgrades, the bill targets a group that may currently face barriers to federal and state benefits, healthcare, and employment due to their discharge status.
Could improve access to crucial benefits and services. Veterans with upgraded discharges may newly qualify for VA healthcare, educational benefits, housing assistance, and other supports. This change could significantly impact their quality of life and reintegration into civilian society.
Standardizes and formalizes assistance statewide. Embedding this duty into law ensures that all local veterans' service agencies, regardless of county or municipality, are responsible for helping veterans navigate the complex discharge upgrade process, reducing disparities in service and awareness.
Recognizes and addresses historic inequities. Many veterans with “bad paper” discharges received them for reasons later recognized as unjust, such as untreated PTSD, mental health issues, or discrimination. This amendment helps address those past injustices by making assistance in rectifying discharge status more accessible.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Veterans Service Agency Duties
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 23
History
- Signed chap.482
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 51–11
- 3rd reading cal.1733
- Substituted for S6527
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.304
- Rules report cal.304
- Reported
Show 2 earlier actions
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to veterans' affairs
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Expand Veterans Services Powers
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Rachel May
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8096
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 31, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PHEFFER AMATO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the powers and duties of local veterans' service agencies
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 358 of the executive law, as amended by chapter 106 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
1. A local veterans' service agency shall have power under the direction of the state veterans' service agency, and it shall be its duty to inform military and naval authorities of the United States and assist members of the armed forces and veterans, who are residents of this state, and their families, in relation to (1) matters pertaining to educational training and retraining services and facilities, (2) health, medical and rehabilitation services and facilities, (3) provisions of federal, state and local laws and regulations affording special rights and privileges to members of the armed forces and war veterans and their families, (4) employment and re-employment services, [and] (5) the process of submitting an application for a discharge upgrade to the discharge upgrade advisory board, and (6) other matters of similar, related or appropriate nature. The local veterans' service agency may also assist families of members of the reserve components of the armed forces and the organized militia ordered into active duty to ensure that they are made aware of and are receiving all appropriate support available to them and are placed in contact with the agencies responsible for such support, including, but not limited to, the division of military and naval affairs and other state agencies responsible for providing such support. The local veterans' service agency also shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the state director.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13162-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.