What's happening
This bill requires state and local agencies to identify veterans and families for benefits referrals.
Why it matters
Statewide reach. Covers state and local agencies providing health, mental health, family, criminal justice or employment services.
Required outreach. Agencies must ask about veteran or veteran-family status, and new forms must include military-service questions. Those identifying a military connection must receive information about veterans benefits assistance.
Limited information use. Military-status information supplied solely for this purpose may be used only to help refer veterans or family members for benefits information and assistance.
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Who cares
Veterans receiving government services
They would be told about state and local assistance with federal and state veterans benefits.
Veterans’ family members
They would be asked about family military service and connected with information about benefits assistance.
State and local service agencies
They would need to ask military-service questions, update new forms and limit how they use the resulting information.
Division of Veterans’ Affairs and local veterans service agencies
Their benefits assistance would be highlighted to veterans and family members using other government services.
Headline styles
Connect Veterans With Benefits Help
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4614
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 15, 2019
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, ADDABBO, BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to personal information obtained from veterans or family members of veterans receiving services from the state and political subdivisions thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 354-f to read as follows:
§ 354-f. Use of personal information obtained from veterans or family members of veterans receiving services from the state and political subdivisions thereof. 1. Departments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies of the state and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assistance, treatment, counseling, care, supervision or custody in service areas involving health, mental health, family services, criminal justice or employment shall be required to solicit information on whether their customer or client is a veteran as defined in section eighty-five of the civil service law or family member of a veteran. Any new forms created after the effective date of this section shall contain the following questions: "Have you served in the United States Armed Forces?" "Has someone in your family served in the United States military?"
2. Individuals identifying themselves as having served in the military or a family member shall be advised that the division of veterans' affairs and local veterans service agencies established pursuant to section three hundred fifty-seven of this article provide assistance to veterans regarding benefits under federal and state law. Information regarding veterans and military status provided by assisted persons solely to implement this section shall be used only to assist in referring the veteran or family member to the division of veterans' affairs
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10709-01-9
S. 4614 2
for information and assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements under federal and state law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, that effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to personal information obtained from veterans or family members of veter- ans receiving services from the state and political subdivisions thereof
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this legislation is to inform veterans and their families of the many services and opportunities provided by the Division of Veteran's Affairs.
Summary of specific provisions
Section one requires all subdivisions of the state to, when dealing with a client or customer, inquire as to whether or not he/she or a family member is a veteran.
This information will be private, and will be used only for the sake of informing the veteran or his/her family member that veterans are enti- tled to additional assistance and other benefits through the Division of Veteran's affairs.
Section two is the effective date.
Justification
Pursuant to Executive Order 412, "Establishing the New York State Coun- cil on Returning Veterans and their Families" a report was issued with its results and recommendations. Among the recommendations to the Gover- nor was agencies at all levels of state and local government must better identify and track veterans within their programs and ensure that appro- priate services are being offered. Uniform methods of identifying veter- ans and their families should be developed. This bill is one step in that direction.
Veterans and their families often deal with numerous subdivisions of the state, from the DMV to Social Services. Often, they are not aware that in addition to the services they receive from these agencies, they are entitled to assistance through the Division of Veterans Affairs.
This bill will make sure that veterans and their families are notified whenever dealing with state agencies that they also have a tremendous additional resource in the Division of Veterans Affairs.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: S.3599 - referred to veterans' affairs 2015-16: S.2793A - Amend and Recommit to Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs 2009-10: S.8075/A.11154 - Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs 2011-12: S.3968/A.2920 - Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs 2013-14: S.6277/A.3348 - Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become law; provided that any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.