Bill Text: NY S04524 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to providing a help/crisis line to assist veterans.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-06-12 - referred to veterans' affairs [S04524 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S04524-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          4524
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    February 16, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
          ty and Military Affairs
        AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to providing  a  help
          line/crisis line to assist veterans
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision  2  of  section  3803  of  the
     2  public  health  law,  as  amended by chapter 743 of the laws of 2006, is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    (b) establishment of a toll-free telephone hotline to provide informa-
     5  tion regarding health care providers and treatment centers  with  exper-
     6  tise  in  illnesses  associated with military duty and a toll-free tele-
     7  phone number for use as (i) a clearinghouse by veterans, active  members
     8  of  the  armed  forces  in this state, including the national guard, and
     9  their families to obtain, in response to their requests  about  benefits
    10  or  services  that  may  be available to such veterans, members or their
    11  families, referrals to entities that provide such benefits or  services,
    12  and (ii) a crisis line to respond to requests for assistance from veter-
    13  ans  that is modeled on the federal veterans' crisis line. The toll-free
    14  telephone number shall be staffed by employees of or trained  volunteers
    15  working  at the division of veterans' affairs on weekdays during regular
    16  business hours, and on weekends and holidays from nine o'clock  a.m.  to
    17  five o'clock p.m.; and
    18    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02302-01-7