Bill Text: NY S07708 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Establishes a veterans' bill of rights; provides sample language for such bill of rights; requires the department of veterans' services to establish and distribute a veterans' bill of rights and to make such bill of rights available on the department's website.

Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2026-06-02 - SUBSTITUTED BY A6559C [S07708 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S07708-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7708

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       May 1, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- 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 veterans' services law, in relation to the estab-
          lishing a veterans' bill of rights

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  The  veterans'  services  law  is amended by adding a new
     2  section 29-e to read as follows:
     3    § 29-e. Veterans' bill of rights. 1. The department  shall  establish,
     4  print,  publish  and distribute a veterans' bill of rights. Such bill of
     5  rights shall include the following or substantially similar text:
     6  "VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS
     7  You as a veteran have a right:
     8    1. To apply for veterans' benefits;
     9    2. To receive assistance from your local state veterans' service agen-
    10  cy and all offices  of  the  New  York  state  department  of  veterans'
    11  services;
    12    3.  To  receive  an explanation of the services and benefits available
    13  under federal and New York state laws, rules and regulations;
    14    4. To receive written notice and an explanation  of  the  approval  or
    15  denial  of  your application for benefits available under New York state
    16  law;
    17    5. To be treated with dignity and respect;
    18    6. To appeal any adverse determination or denial of  your  application
    19  for services or benefits available under New York state law;
    20    7. To expect confidentiality;
    21    8.  To  receive  fair and equal treatment without regard to sex, race,
    22  religion, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or national origin; and
    23    9. To be informed of assistance provided to veterans in the  state  of
    24  New  York  including  but  not  limited  to: legal services; educational

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09703-02-5
        S. 7708                             2

     1  opportunities; tax benefits, including real property and personal taxes;
     2  and New  York  state  driver's  license  and  non-driver  identification
     3  cards."
     4    2. The department shall make the veterans' bill of rights available on
     5  the department's website.
     6    §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
     7  have become a  law.  Effective  immediately,  the  addition,  amendment,
     8  and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
     9  of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are  authorized  to be made and
    10  completed on or before such effective date.