What's happening
This bill establishes a Veterans' Gerontological Advisory Committee to advise on policies affecting New York's aging veteran population.
Why it matters
Brings specialized expertise to veterans’ aging issues. By requiring members from fields like geriatric medicine, psychiatry, social work, economics, and eldercare planning, the committee ensures state policy is informed by diverse, relevant professional perspectives—not just general veteran or aging advocates.
Prioritizes representation of older adults. The stipulation that 60% of committee members be age 60 or older ensures that the lived experience of aging is directly reflected in the group advising on these policies, potentially leading to more practical and empathetic recommendations.
Creates a formal mechanism for ongoing input. By meeting at least annually and providing advice directly to the state’s director on a range of topics affecting aging veterans, the committee can help the state stay responsive to emerging needs and trends, rather than relying on ad-hoc input.
Reduces barriers to participation. Members serve without salary and are not considered to be holding official state office, allowing a broader range of experts and veterans to participate without concerns about conflicts with other employment or the need for official oaths.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Veterans Aging Committee
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to aging
- Referred to aging
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3953
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 21, 2019
Introduced by Sens. RANZENHOFER, FELDER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to establishing a veterans' gerontological advisory committee
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a new section 225 to read as follows:
§ 225. Veterans' gerontological advisory committee. 1. There is hereby established within the office a veterans' gerontological advisory committee which shall consist of no more than nineteen members to be appointed pursuant to this subdivision. Members shall be appointed for a term of six years and may serve until their successors are chosen. Members shall serve without salary. Any member chosen to fill a vacancy created otherwise than by expiration of term shall be appointed for the unexpired term of the member he or she is to succeed. A chairperson and vice-chairperson shall be appointed by the director, and the committee shall be comprised of:
(a) Two members appointed by the governor, both of whom shall be veterans;
(b) Nine members appointed by the director, including:
(1) at least one of whom shall be a physician in the field of primary care geriatric medicine;
(2) at least one of whom shall be a researcher in the field of social gerontology;
(3) at least one of whom shall be certified as a geriatric nurse practitioner;
(4) at least one of whom shall be a clinical practitioner of geriatric psychiatry;
(5) at least one of whom shall be a facility or health care system veterans' home-based primary care program director as defined by the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01643-01-9
S. 3953 2
United States department of veterans' affairs veterans' health administration directive eleven hundred forty-one;
(6) at least one of whom shall be a caregiver in the field of veterans' respite care;
(7) at least one of whom shall be an expert in the field of eldercare planning and management from the New York state veterans' home established pursuant to article twenty-six-A of the public health law;
(8) at least one of whom shall be an expert in the field of gerontological social work who specializes in services for aging veterans; and
(9) at least one of whom shall be an economist with a focus in the fields of aging, household saving, pensions, social security, taxation, and housing markets;
(c) Three members appointed by the governor upon the nomination of the temporary president of the senate, each of whom shall be veterans;
(d) Three members appointed by the governor upon the nomination of the speaker of the assembly, each of whom shall be veterans;
(e) One member appointed by the governor upon the nomination of the minority leader of the senate who shall be a veteran; and
(f) One member appointed by the governor upon the nomination of the minority leader of the assembly who shall be a veteran.
2. Sixty percent of the members of the advisory committee appointed on and after the effective date of this subdivision shall be sixty years of age or over.
3. The committee shall provide advice, comments and recommendations to advise the director on policies, programs, services and trends impacting the state's aging veteran population and the larger context of veterans' healthcare systems, and such other matters as the director may request in relation to this article.
4. The advisory committee shall meet at least once annually at times and places set by the chairperson.
5. The director may ask other individuals to attend the committee's meetings or work with it on an occasional or regular basis.
6. Membership on the committee shall not constitute the holding of an office, and members of the committee shall not be required to take and file oaths of office before serving on the committee. The committee shall not have the right to exercise any portion of the sovereign powers of the state.
7. No member of the committee shall be disqualified from holding any public office or employment, nor shall he or she forfeit any such office or employment, by reason of his or her appointment hereunder, notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or local law, ordinance or city charter.
8. For the purposes of this section, the term "veteran" means a person, male or female, resident of this state, who has served in the active military or naval service of the United States during a war in which the United States engaged and who has been released from such service by any means other than by dishonorable discharge, or who has been furloughed to the reserve.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the elder law, in relation to establishing a veterans' gerontological advisory committee
Purpose or general idea of bill
Establishes a Veterans Gerontological Advisory Committee.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: The elder law is amended by adding a new section 224 which states that a Veterans Gerontological Advisory Committee is established in the Office of the Aging, consisting of no more than nineteen members, who shall serve six-year terms without remuneration. At least sixty-per- cent of the members of the committee shall be age sixty or older.
Read the full memo (742 words)
At least ten of the members shall be veterans, two of whom shall be appointed by the governor, three of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, three of whom shall be appointed by the Tempo- rary President of the Senate, one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Assembly, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate. Nine of the members shall be appointed by the Director of the Office of the Aging, at least one of whom shall be a physician in the field of primary care geriatric medi- cine, at least one of whom shall be a researcher in the field of social gerontology, at least one of whom shall be certified as a geriatric nurse practitioner, at least one of whom shall be a clinical practition- er of geriatric psychiatry, at least one of whom shall be a facility or health care system veterans home based primary care program director, at least one of whom shall be a caregiver in the field of veterans respite care, at least one of whom shall be an expert in the field of elder care planning and management from the New York State Veterans' home, at least one of whom shall be an expert in the field of gerontological social work who specializes in services for aging veterans, and at least one of whom shall be an economist with a focus in the fields of aging, house- hold saving, pensions, social security, taxation, and housing markets.
The committee shall meet at least once annually at times and places set by the commissioner and provide advice, comments and recommendations to advise the director on policies, programs, services and trends impacting the state's aging veteran population and the larger context of veterans health care systems, and such other matters as the director may request.
The director may ask other individuals to attend the committee's meet- ings or work with it on an occasional or regular basis. Membership on the committee shall not constitute the holding of an office, and the committee shall not have the right to exercise any portion of the sover- eign powers of the state. No member of the committee shall be disquali- fied from holding any public office or employment, nor shall he or she forfeit any such office or employment, by reason of his or her appoint- ment.
Section 2: States the effective date.
Justification
New York has the second highest veteran population in the United States, and older veterans represent a population whose needs and problems pervade multiple geriatrics and gerontology disciplines. This legis- lation establishes a Veterans Gerontological Advisory Committee, which will advise the Director of the Office of the Aging on policies, programs, services and trends affecting New York's aging veteran popu- lation.
At no cost to the taxpayers, the advisory committee will be able to provide crucial recommendations aimed at improving the care and support available to aging Veterans. The membership will be drawn from the ranks of New York's finest experts on aging, seniors' and veterans' issues, representing medical researchers, practitioners, academia, and veterans' organizations.
Their mission will be to share information and challenges associated with caring for aging veterans, and their families, providing the Office of the Aging with guidance on pressing concerns including caregiver initiatives, alternative housing trends for Veterans, long term and continuing care, health promotion and rehabilitation, departmental research and dementia research. The committee can also play a role in educating staff and the public on a wide range of issues affecting veterans and seniors.
Prior legislative history
2010 - S.7959/A.11306 -- AGING/Rules 2011-2012 - S.3337/A.1128 - PASSED SENATE/Aging 2013-14 - S.1862/A.6966 - PASSED SENATE/Aging 2015-16 - S.877/A.4945 - PASSED SENATE/Aging 2017-18 - S.3709/A.5147 - PASSED SENATE/Aging
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.