S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        6342--A
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   January 30, 2012
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen. HUNTLEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
         ty and Military Affairs -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
         reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
       AN ACT to amend the executive  law  and  the  social  services  law,  in
         relation  to  developing  plans  to adequately address military sexual
         trauma experienced by female veterans
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Section 353 of the executive law is amended by adding two
    2  new subdivisions 21 and 22 to read as follows:
    3    21. TO DEVELOP AND DIRECT GENDER  SPECIFIC  PROGRAMMING  AT  VETERANS'
    4  AFFAIRS  MEDICAL  FACILITIES  WHERE SUCH PROGRAMMING IS DEEMED NECESSARY
    5  AND APPLICABLE, AND WOULD BEST FACILITATE THE RECOVERY OF FEMALE  VETER-
    6  ANS  WHO  HAVE  EXPERIENCED  MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA. FOR THE PURPOSES OF
    7  THIS ARTICLE, MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA SHALL  MEAN  PSYCHOLOGICAL  TRAUMA,
    8  WHICH IN THE JUDGMENT OF A VETERANS' AFFAIRS MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL,
    9  RESULTED  FROM A PHYSICAL ATTACK OF A SEXUAL NATURE, BATTERY OF A SEXUAL
   10  NATURE OR SEXUAL HARASSMENT WHICH OCCURRED WHILE THE VETERAN WAS SERVING
   11  ON ACTIVE DUTY OR ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR TRAINING.
   12    22. TO ENSURE THAT ALL PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  EMPLOYED  AT  A  VETERANS'
   13  AFFAIRS  MEDICAL  FACILITY  IS  EDUCATED  AND PROPERLY TRAINED ABOUT THE
   14  EFFECTS OF MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA AND THE TREATMENT OF SUCH CONDITION.
   15    S 2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 179 to
   16  read as follows:
   17    S 179. ASSISTANCE TO FEMALE VETERANS. PURSUANT TO  SUBDIVISIONS  TWEN-
   18  TY-ONE AND TWENTY-TWO OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE OF THE EXECU-
   19  TIVE  LAW,  ANY  VETERAN  ORGANIZATION  DEFINED  IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF
   20  SECTION ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT OF THIS TITLE SHALL  PROVIDE  ASSISTANCE
   21  TO FEMALE VETERANS WHICH ADEQUATELY ADDRESS MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA EXPE-
   22  RIENCED BY SUCH VETERANS AS DEVELOPED BY THE STATE DIRECTOR OF VETERANS'
   23  AFFAIRS OR HIS OR HER AGENT.
   24    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD14203-02-2