Bill Text: NY S09258 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides that individuals requesting and obtaining a veteran notation on such individual's driver's license or non-driver identification card shall be advised that the department of veterans' services and local veterans' service agencies provide assistance to veterans regarding benefits under federal and state law.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-06 - SUBSTITUTED BY A9850 [S09258 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S09258-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9258

                    IN SENATE

                                       May 8, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sens. SCARCELLA-SPANTON, ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered
          printed,  and  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veter-
          ans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs

        AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law and the vehicle  and  traffic
          law, in relation to veterans receiving information on benefits

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

     1    Section 1. Section 7 of the veterans' services law is amended to  read
     2  as follows:
     3    §  7. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance.  Depart-
     4  ments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies of the state
     5  and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assistance, treatment,
     6  counseling, care, supervision or  custody  in  service  areas  involving
     7  health,  mental health, family services, criminal justice or employment,
     8  including but not limited  to  the  office  of  addiction  services  and
     9  supports,  office of mental health, office of probation and correctional
    10  alternatives, office of children and family services, office  of  tempo-
    11  rary  and  disability  assistance,  department  of health, department of
    12  labor, local workforce investment boards, office for people with  devel-
    13  opmental  disabilities,  and  department  of  corrections  and community
    14  supervision, shall request assisted persons to provide information  with
    15  regard  to  their  veteran  status and military experiences. Individuals
    16  identifying themselves as veterans, including individuals requesting and
    17  obtaining a veteran notation on such individual's  driver's  license  or
    18  non-driver  identification card pursuant to sections four hundred ninety
    19  and five hundred two of the vehicle and traffic law,  shall  be  advised
    20  that  the  department  of veterans' services and local veterans' service
    21  agencies established  pursuant  to  section  fourteen  of  this  article
    22  provide  assistance  to  veterans  regarding  benefits under federal and
    23  state law. Information regarding veterans status  and  military  service
    24  provided  by  assisted persons solely to implement this section shall be
    25  protected as personal confidential information under  article  six-A  of
    26  the public officers law against disclosure of confidential material, and
    27  used only to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15227-01-4
        S. 9258                             2

     1  of  the veteran's problems within the agency requesting such information
     2  and in referring the veteran to the department of veterans' services for
     3  information and assistance with  regard  to  benefits  and  entitlements
     4  under federal and state law.
     5    §  2.  Subdivision 6 of section 508 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
     6  added by chapter 602 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
     7    6. The commissioner, in consultation with the [director]  commissioner
     8  of  the  [division]  department  of  veterans'  services, is directed to
     9  establish a process by which the department shall refer driver's license
    10  and non-driver identification card applicants requesting and obtaining a
    11  notation upon such license or non-driver identification card that [he or
    12  she] such applicant is a veteran  of  the  United  States  armed  forces
    13  pursuant  to  subdivision  three  of section four hundred ninety of this
    14  chapter or subdivision one of section five hundred two of this  article,
    15  upon [his or her] such applicant's request, to the [division] department
    16  of  veterans' services, consistent with the provisions of section [three
    17  hundred fifty-four-a] seven of the [executive] veterans' services law.
    18    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.