Bill Text: NY A02726 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a program for the sharing of veteran contact information.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to veterans' affairs [A02726 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A02726-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2726 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 27, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PHEFFER AMATO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs AN ACT to amend the executive law and the veterans' services law, in relation to establishing a program for the sharing of veteran contact information The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 354-a of the executive law, as amended by chapter 2 602 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 354-a. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance. 1. 4 The division shall establish and maintain a program for the sharing of 5 veteran contact information between veteran related programs and the 6 division. Such program shall consist of any veteran related program 7 under any department, division, bureau, board, commission and agency of 8 the state and political subdivisions thereof including, but not limited 9 to: (a) programs that offer property tax exemptions, income tax 10 exemptions, and/or tax credits to veterans under the department of taxa- 11 tion and finance; (b) programs that offer discounts to state parks, 12 historic sites, and recreational facilities to veterans under the office 13 of parks, recreation and historic preservation; (c) programs that deliv- 14 er career services to veterans under the department of labor; (d) 15 programs that facilitate long term services and supports for veteran 16 seniors under the department for the aging; (e) programs that provide 17 financial assistance to veterans with disabilities, programs that facil- 18 itate the creation of affordable housing specifically for veterans, and 19 programs that support veteran home ownership under the department of 20 housing and community renewal; (f) programs that facilitate the creation 21 of affordable housing specifically for veterans under the office of 22 temporary and disability assistance and/or the office of mental health; 23 (g) programs that provide free or reduced fee sporting license and/or 24 privileges to veterans under the department of environmental conserva- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05694-01-3A. 2726 2 1 tion; and (h) programs that provide postsecondary education benefits to 2 veterans and veteran family members under the higher education services 3 corporation. 4 2. Departments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies 5 of the state and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assist- 6 ance, treatment, counseling, care, supervision or custody in service 7 areas involving health, mental health, family services, criminal justice 8 or employment, including but not limited to the office of addiction 9 services and supports, office of mental health, office of probation and 10 correctional alternatives, office of children and family services, 11 office of temporary and disability assistance, department of health, 12 department of labor, local workforce investment boards, office for 13 people with developmental disabilities, and department of corrections 14 and community supervision, shall request assisted persons to provide 15 information with regard to their veteran status and military experi- 16 ences. Individuals identifying themselves as veterans, including indi- 17 viduals requesting and obtaining a veterans notation on their driver's 18 license or non-driver identification card pursuant to sections four 19 hundred ninety and five hundred two of the vehicle and traffic law, 20 shall be advised that the division of veterans' services and local 21 veterans' service agencies established pursuant to section three hundred 22 fifty-seven of this article provide assistance to veterans regarding 23 benefits under federal and state law. Information regarding veterans 24 status and military service provided by assisted persons solely to 25 implement this section shall be protected as personal confidential 26 information under article six-A of the public officers law against 27 disclosure of confidential material, and used only to assist in the 28 diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling of the veteran's problems 29 within the agency requesting such information and in referring the 30 veteran to the division of veterans' services for information and 31 assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements under federal and 32 state law. 33 § 2. Section 7 of the veterans' services law is amended to read as 34 follows: 35 § 7. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance. 1. The 36 department shall establish and maintain a program for the sharing of 37 veteran contact information between veteran related programs and the 38 department. Such program shall consist of any veteran related program 39 under any department, division, bureau, board, commission and agency of 40 the state and political subdivisions thereof including, but not limited 41 to: (a) programs that offer property tax exemptions, income tax 42 exemptions, and/or tax credits to veterans under the department of taxa- 43 tion and finance; (b) programs that offer discounts to state parks, 44 historic sites, and recreational facilities to veterans under the office 45 of parks, recreation and historic preservation; (c) programs that deliv- 46 er career services to veterans under the department of labor; (d) 47 programs that facilitate long term services and supports for veteran 48 seniors under the department for the aging; (e) programs that provide 49 financial assistance to veterans with disabilities, programs that facil- 50 itate the creation of affordable housing specifically for veterans, and 51 programs that support veteran home ownership under the department of 52 housing and community renewal; (f) programs that facilitate the creation 53 of affordable housing specifically for veterans under the office of 54 temporary and disability assistance and/or the office of mental health; 55 (g) programs that provide free or reduced fee sporting license and/or 56 privileges to veterans under the department of environmental conserva-A. 2726 3 1 tion; and (h) programs that provide postsecondary education benefits to 2 veterans and veteran family members under the higher education services 3 corporation. 4 2. Departments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies 5 of the state and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assist- 6 ance, treatment, counseling, care, supervision or custody in service 7 areas involving health, mental health, family services, criminal justice 8 or employment, including but not limited to the office of addiction 9 services and supports, office of mental health, office of probation and 10 correctional alternatives, office of children and family services, 11 office of temporary and disability assistance, department of health, 12 department of labor, local workforce investment boards, office for 13 people with developmental disabilities, and department of corrections 14 and community supervision, shall request assisted persons to provide 15 information with regard to their veteran status and military experi- 16 ences. Individuals identifying themselves as veterans shall be advised 17 that the department of veterans' services and local veterans' service 18 agencies established pursuant to section fourteen of this article 19 provide assistance to veterans regarding benefits under federal and 20 state law. Information regarding veterans status and military service 21 provided by assisted persons solely to implement this section shall be 22 protected as personal confidential information under article six-A of 23 the public officers law against disclosure of confidential material, and 24 used only to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling 25 of the veteran's problems within the agency requesting such information 26 and in referring the veteran to the department of veterans' services for 27 information and assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements 28 under federal and state law. 29 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 30 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that: 31 (a) that the amendments to section 354-a of the executive law made by 32 section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and 33 shall be deemed repealed therewith; 34 (b) if section 2 of part PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022 shall 35 not have taken effect on or before such date then section two of this 36 act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as such 37 chapter of the laws of 2022, takes effect; and 38 (c) effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of 39 any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on 40 its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before 41 such effective date.
