What's happening
This bill requires New York intake forms for hospitals, nursing homes, and similar facilities to ask "Have you ever served in the military?" instead of "Are you a veteran?".
Why it matters
Broader Identification of Military Service. By asking "Have you ever served in the military?" instead of "Are you a veteran?", the bill aims to capture a wider range of individuals with military experience—including those who may not consider themselves veterans due to length or type of service, discharge status, or lack of formal recognition.
Improved Access to Benefits and Services. This change could help more people with military backgrounds get connected to resources, healthcare options, and benefits specifically available to those who have served, but who might previously have been overlooked due to how the question was worded.
Potential for Better Data Collection. The new question wording will likely generate more accurate data about the number of people with military experience using hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or homeless shelters, informing future policy and resource allocation.
Standardization Across Agencies. The bill mandates uniform language across all relevant state intake forms, reducing confusion and ensuring consistency in how military service is identified and recorded by various departments and facilities.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Change Veteran Intake Questions
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military 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.
Change Veteran Intake Question
In Assembly Committee · Veterans' Affairs · Sponsor Michael Cusick
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7042
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2020
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- 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 certain questions regarding veterans on intake forms for admission and residency
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 368-a to read as follows:
§ 368-a. Intake forms for admission and residency. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the division, in cooperation with the department of health, the office of temporary and disability assistance, the office of mental health and any other state department, office, division or agency the division deems necessary, shall require that all intake forms for admission or residency to any hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility or homeless shelter that require information regarding an applicant's military status state the question to obtain such information in the following manner: "Have you ever served in the military?". In addition, the division, in cooperation with such departments, offices, divisions or agencies, shall no longer use the following language, or any language similar thereto: "Are you a veteran?".
2. The state director is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. 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.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13992-01-9
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 certain questions regarding veterans on intake forms for admission and residency
Purpose
The purpose of this bill to require that all intake forms for admission or residency to any hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility or homeless shelter that requires information regarding an applicant's military status state the question to obtain such information in the following manner: "Have you ever served in the military?" and no longer use "Are you a veteran?".
Summary of provisions
Section 1 - Amends the law by adding section 268-a Section 2 - provides the effective date.
Justification
The American Academy of Nursing's (AAN) Military and Veterans Expert Panel has recognized that war wounds can go undetected, this is partly due to less than one third of veterans seeking care in Veteran's health administration and similarly those who served with National Guard and reserve components receive healthcare from private sectors. Changing the language of intake forms to "Have you ever served in the military?" opens the lines of communication between providers and clients to ensure that no one falls between the gaps and everyone receives the specialized care they may require.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act should take effect on the 120 days after it becomes a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec- tive date are authorized to be made and completed 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.