STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1140--A 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 7, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WALLACE -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Veterans' Affairs -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to creating the women veterans advisory committee The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings. Women make up 15 percent of the 2 veterans of the armed forces of the United States and continue to be an 3 increasingly integral part of the operations of the armed forces of the 4 United States around the world. Few studies have been conducted to 5 determine and understand the unique challenges that women veterans may 6 have, both post deployment and following separation from active duty. 7 Many veterans who are women do not self-identify as veterans and may, 8 therefore, fail to consider various programs and benefits that are 9 available to them as a result of their military service. 10 § 2. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 3 of section 361-b of the executive 11 law, as amended by chapter 480 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read 12 as follows: 13 (c) liaison between the division, the United States department of 14 veterans affairs center for women veterans, the United States department 15 of veterans affairs advisory committee on women veterans, state veterans 16 nursing homes, state agencies, community groups, women veterans advisory 17 committee pursuant to section three hundred sixty-one-c of this article, 18 advocates and other veterans and military organizations and interested 19 parties; 20 § 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 361-c to 21 read as follows: 22 § 361-c. Women veterans advisory committee. 1. The women veterans 23 advisory committee is hereby created consisting of eight members, with 24 members appointed as follows: (a) two members by the governor; (b) two EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00707-02-1A. 1140--A 2 1 members by the temporary president of the senate; (c) two members by the 2 speaker of the assembly; and (d) one member each by the minority leader 3 of the senate and the minority leader of the assembly. All appointed 4 members must be women, and veterans who served in the United States 5 armed forces including members of the reserve component. Each veteran 6 shall have received an honorable discharge or have a qualifying condi- 7 tion as defined in section three hundred fifty of this article. 8 2. In making appointments pursuant to subdivision one of this section, 9 the following shall be considered: 10 (a) whether the appointments provide a geographical balance between 11 the urban and rural areas of this state and represent the cultural 12 diversity of this state; and 13 (b) the level of activity of the woman in the veteran community. 14 3. The committee shall elect a chair from among its members. 15 4. Each member of the committee shall serve a term of four years. 16 5. A vacancy on the committee shall be filled for the remainder of the 17 unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. 18 6. The committee shall meet at least four times per year at the call 19 of the chair. 20 7. A majority of the members of the committee appointed constitutes a 21 quorum. 22 8. Each member of the committee: 23 (a) serves without compensation, except that a member of the committee 24 who is a state officer or employee may receive her regular compensation 25 while engaging in the business of the committee; and 26 (b) while engaged in the business of the committee, is entitled to 27 receive the per diem allowance and travel expenses provided for state 28 officers and employees generally. 29 9. The committee shall: 30 (a) support and assist the division of veterans' services and the 31 women veterans coordinator pursuant to section three hundred sixty-one-b 32 of this article in: 33 (i) locating, educating and advocating for all women veterans in this 34 state; 35 (ii) identifying the unique needs of women veterans; 36 (iii) conducting outreach and education through various means, includ- 37 ing, without limitation, the organization of statewide women veterans 38 events, the promotion of benefits and health care for women veterans and 39 the development of programs that inform students, business leaders and 40 educators about the important role women play in the armed forces of the 41 United States; 42 (iv) educating women veterans as to benefits and programs that are 43 available to them; 44 (v) at least annually, making such recommendations as may be deemed 45 necessary or advisable to the governor, the state legislature, the 46 office of the director of the division of veterans' services and such 47 other offices of this state as may be appropriate; 48 (vi) making information available regarding job and career opportu- 49 nities; 50 (vii) providing outreach regarding available resources for veterans 51 with a qualifying condition as defined in section three hundred fifty of 52 this article; and 53 (viii) advocating on behalf of women veterans to ensure that the 54 programs and policies of this state and of the United States department 55 of veterans' affairs remain open to women and mindful of the elements of 56 the experience of a veteran that are unique to women.A. 1140--A 3 1 (b) submit a report on or before February fifteenth of each year, 2 outlining the activities of the committee during the preceding calendar 3 year and any recommendations of the committee to the governor and legis- 4 lature. The report must include, without limitation, information 5 pertaining to: 6 (i) the demographics of women veterans; 7 (ii) the current contributions that women veterans have made on behalf 8 of the United States and this state; 9 (iii) the unique needs of the population of women veterans; 10 (iv) recommendations regarding what steps should be taken to reduce 11 misinformation and improve support for programs for women veterans; and 12 (v) outreach activities undertaken by the committee. 13 10. The division of veterans' services shall help support the commit- 14 tee's activities. 15 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 16 it shall have become a law.