Bill Text: NY A08641 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Amended

New York Assembly Bill 8641 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Requires the department of social services and not-for-profit corporations to inquire into whether applicants for financial assistance have engaged in military service.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-5)

Status: (Passed) 2016-11-04 - signed chap.407 [A08641 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A08641-Amended.html

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         8641--A
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                     January 7, 2016
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on  Veterans'  Affairs  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
        AN ACT to amend the social services law, the not-for-profit  corporation
          law and the executive law, in relation to inquiring into past military
          service on applications for public welfare
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 20 of the social services  law  is
     2  amended by adding a new paragraph (j) to read as follows:
     3    (j)  to  ensure the provision, on any form required to be completed at
     4  application or recertification for the purpose  of  obtaining  financial
     5  assistance  pursuant to this chapter, the form shall contain the follow-
     6  ing questions: "Have you served in the United States Armed Forces?"  and
     7  "Has  someone in your family served in the United States military?" When
     8  affirmative answers to such questions are indicated by the applicant  or
     9  recipient, the individual will be advised that the local social services
    10  district shall provide the division of veterans' affairs with their name
    11  and contact information unless such individual objects to the sharing of
    12  such  information.  Information  regarding  veterans and military status
    13  shall be protected as personal confidential material, and used  only  to
    14  assist  in  the  diagnosis,  treatment,  assessment  and handling of the
    15  veteran's or family member's problems within the agency requesting  such
    16  information  and  in referring the veteran or family member to the divi-
    17  sion of veterans' affairs for the information and assistance with regard
    18  to benefits and entitlements under federal and state law.
    19    § 2. Section 202 of the not-for-profit corporation law is  amended  by
    20  adding a new paragraph (g) to read as follows:
    21    (g) Every corporation receiving any kind of state funding shall ensure
    22  the  provision  on  any  form required to be completed at application or
    23  recertification for the purpose of obtaining financial assistance pursu-
    24  ant to this chapter, that the application form shall contain the follow-
    25  ing questions: "Have you served in the United States Armed Forces?"  and
    26  "Has  someone in your family served in the United States military?" When
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13367-02-6

        A. 8641--A                          2
     1  affirmative answers to such questions are indicated by the applicant  or
     2  recipient, the individual will be advised that the not-for-profit corpo-
     3  ration shall furnish to the division of veterans' affairs their name and
     4  contact  information  unless  such  individual objects to the sharing of
     5  such information. Information regarding  veterans  and  military  status
     6  shall  be  protected as personal confidential material, and used only to
     7  assist in the diagnosis,  treatment,  assessment  and  handling  of  the
     8  veteran's or family member's problems, within the agency requesting such
     9  information  and  in referring the veteran or family member to the divi-
    10  sion of veterans' affairs for the information and assistance with regard
    11  to benefits and entitlements under federal and state law.
    12    § 3. Section 353 of the executive law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
    13  subdivision 23 to read as follows:
    14    23.  To receive, retain and consider personal confidential material to
    15  be used to provide information and  assistance  regarding  benefits  and
    16  entitlements  under  federal and state law, local services districts and
    17  corporation shall forward:(a) from the office of temporary and disabili-
    18  ty assistance, records of individuals who apply for financial assistance
    19  pursuant to the social services law, as reported by the office of tempo-
    20  rary and disability assistance  in  accordance  with  paragraph  (j)  of
    21  subdivision  three of section twenty of the social services law; and (b)
    22  from not-for-profit corporations, records of individuals who  apply  for
    23  financial  assistance from such corporations, as reported by such corpo-
    24  rations in accordance with paragraph (g) of section two hundred  two  of
    25  the not-for-profit corporation law.
    26    §  4.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    27  have become a law.