Bill Text: NY A02331 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Enables veterans and reservists to receive benefit information upon applying for or renewing a driver's license.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 26-2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-07-20 - amended on third reading 2331a [A02331 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A02331-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2331--A Cal. No. 99 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 22, 2019 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, DenDEKKER, M. G. MILLER, BRONSON, MOSLEY, CYMBROWITZ, BENEDETTO, SIMOTAS, CUSICK, GUNTHER, GOTTFRIED, PICHARDO, BARRON, COOK, GALEF, COLTON, ARROYO, HUNTER, PERRY, BUCHWALD, BUTTENSCHON, BYRNE, NORRIS, CRUZ, BARRETT, GRIFFIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation -- ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the executive law, in relation to enabling veterans and reservists to receive benefit infor- mation upon applying for or renewing a driver's license The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 508 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by 2 adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows: 3 6. The commissioner, in consultation with the director of the division 4 of veterans' affairs, is directed to establish a process by which the 5 department shall refer driver's license and non-driver identification 6 card applicants requesting and obtaining a notation upon such license or 7 non-driver identification card that he or she is a veteran of the United 8 States armed forces pursuant to subdivision three of section four 9 hundred ninety of this chapter or subdivision one of section five 10 hundred two of this article, upon his or her request, to the division of 11 veterans' affairs, consistent with the provisions of section three 12 hundred fifty-four-a of the executive law. 13 § 2. Section 354-a of the executive law, as amended by section 8 of 14 part AA of chapter 56 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as 15 follows: 16 § 354-a. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance. 17 Departments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies of the 18 state and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assistance, 19 treatment, counseling, care, supervision or custody in service areas EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00712-07-0A. 2331--A 2 1 involving health, mental health, family services, criminal justice or 2 employment, including but not limited to the office of [alcoholism and3substance abuse services] addiction services and supports, office of 4 mental health, office of probation and correctional alternatives, office 5 of children and family services, office of temporary and disability 6 assistance, department of health, department of labor, local workforce 7 investment boards, office for people with developmental disabilities, 8 and department of corrections and community supervision, shall request 9 assisted persons to provide information with regard to their veteran 10 status and military experiences. Individuals identifying themselves as 11 veterans, including individuals requesting and obtaining a veterans 12 notation on their driver's license or non-driver identification card 13 pursuant to sections four hundred ninety and five hundred two of the 14 vehicle and traffic law, shall be advised that the division of veterans' 15 services and local veterans' service agencies established pursuant to 16 section three hundred fifty-seven of this article provide assistance to 17 veterans regarding benefits under federal and state law. Information 18 regarding veterans status and military service provided by assisted 19 persons solely to implement this section shall be protected as personal 20 confidential information under article six-A of the public officers law 21 against disclosure of confidential material, and used only to assist in 22 the diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling of the veteran's prob- 23 lems within the agency requesting such information and in referring the 24 veteran to the division of veterans' services for information and 25 assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements under federal and 26 state law. 27 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 28 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 29 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 30 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 31 completed on or before such effective date.