New York State Assembly

 
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A05931 Summary:

A05931 Actions:

A05931 Committee Votes:

Committee:VETERANS' AFFAIRS   Chair:DenDekker      
DATE:03/22/2017AYE/NAY:19/0  Action: Favorable refer to committee Ways and Means        
DenDekker
Aye
Morinello
Aye
Nolan
Aye
Hawley
Aye
Cusick
Aye
McDonough
Aye
Jenne
Aye
Lalor
Aye
Miller
Aye
Blankenbush
Aye
Barrett
Aye
Santabarbara
Aye
Skoufis
Aye
Blake
Aye
Hunter
Aye
Mosley
Aye
D'Urso
Aye
Pheffer Amato
Aye
Wallace
Aye

Committee:WAYS AND MEANS   Chair:Farrell      
DATE:05/02/2017AYE/NAY:34/0  Action: Favorable         
Farrell
Aye
Oaks
Aye
Lentol
Aye
Crouch
Aye
Schimminger
Aye
Barclay
Aye
Gantt
Excused
Fitzpatrick
Aye
Weinstein
Aye
Hawley
Aye
Glick
Aye
Malliotakis
Aye
Nolan
Aye
Walter
Aye
Pretlow
Aye
Montesano
Aye
Perry
Aye
Curran
Aye
Colton
Aye
Ra
Aye
Cook
Aye
Cahill
Aye
Aubry
Aye
Hooper
Aye
Thiele
Aye
Cusick
Aye
Ortiz
Aye
Benedetto
Aye
Moya
Aye
Weprin
Aye
Rodriguez
Aye
Ramos
Aye
Braunstein
Aye
McDonald
Aye
Rozic
Aye

A05931 Floor Votes:

A05931 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
 submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)



 
BILL NUMBER: A5931A
 
SPONSOR: Ramos (MS)

 
TITLE OF BILL:
 
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the New
York state interagency coordinating council for service-disabled veter-
ans, defining the powers and duties of the council and requiring an
annual report by the council to the governor, the temporary president of
the senate and the speaker of the assembly
 
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
 
This bill would establish a New York State Interagency coordinating
Council for Service Disabled Veterans to provide accessible, coordi-
nated, and specialized services to service disabled veterans from multi-
ple state and local agencies.
 
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
 
This bill amends the Executive Law by adding a new section 368-a to
create the New York State Interagency Coordinating Council for Service-
Disabled Veterans.
 
The Council will include ten agency heads or their designees from the
following agencies: the director of the NYS Division of Veterans'
Affairs who will also serve as chair of this council, the NYS Division
of Military and Naval Affairs, the Division of Housing & Community
Renewal, the Offices of Mental Health, Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Services, Aging and the Departments of Health, Labor, Education and
Transportation.
 
In addition to the agency representatives, the council will include nine
service-disabled veteran representatives appointed by the Governor and
the state Legislature.
 
Functions of the council would include:

(a) promoting the implementation of a comprehensive statewide program of
coordinated services for service-disabled veterans that includes:
 
(1) matters pertaining to educational training and retraining services
and facilities, (2) health, medical and rehabilitation services and
facilities, (3) employment and re-employment services, including small
business opportunities, (4) housing options, (5) transportation options,
6) long term care, (7) personal care, (8) day program services, (9)
family outreach and (10) other essential services that maximize existing
resources and administrative mechanisms;
 
(b) disseminating general information about available services to
service-disabled veterans and how such services can be accessed. Such
information shall be posted on the division's website or be available in
printed form;
 
(c) receiving complaints in matters affecting service-disabled veterans
and to refer such complaints to the appropriate regulatory agencies
where it deems necessary or appropriate; and
 
 
(d) conducting an ongoing evaluation of the needs of service-disabled
veterans.
 
The Council shall meet quarterly and shall seek to consult with the
federal department of veterans' affairs, specifically with the network
directors of VISN 2 & 3. The Council shall report to the Governor and
State Legislature beginning on or before September 1, 2017 with advise-
ment on policy, legislative recommendations and any other recommenda-
tions improving service delivery and coordination, reducing duplication
and fragmentation and facilitating the most efficient use of existing
resources.
 
 
JUSTIFICATION:
 
There are many veterans returning home from active military duty with
service-related disabilities. This bill would create an interagency
collaboration to identify the needs and services that service-disabled
veterans require and a more efficient matching of these needs to State
resources. New York State must provide additional assistance and support
to service-disabled veterans to better inform them of available services
and how such services can be accessed.
 
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
 
2016 A4789A: Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security, and Military
Affairs
2015 A4789/S4362: Passed in Assembly-REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND
SECURITY, AND MILITARY AFFAIRS (in Senate)
2014 A6213-B:Passed in Assembly - REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURI-
TY, AND MILITARY AFFAIRS (in Senate)
2013: A.6213-A Passed Assembly
2012: A.726C-A/S.3594 - Passed Assembly
2011: A.726C/S.3594 - Reported to Ways and Means/Referred to Veterans,
Homeland Security and Military Affairs
2010: A3296-A/S.7112 - Vetoed Memo 6757
2009: A.8296 - Passed Assembly
 
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
 
None.
 
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition,
amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the
implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and
directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

A05931 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         5931--A
                                                                Cal. No. 426
 
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 17, 2017
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  RAMOS,  ORTIZ,  CUSICK, MAGNARELLI, LUPARDO,
          TITONE, AUBRY, WEPRIN, McDONALD -- Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M.  of  A.
          PERRY,  SIMON  -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans'
          Affairs -- ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered  reprinted,
          retaining its place on the order of third reading
 
        AN  ACT  to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the New
          York  state  interagency  coordinating  council  for  service-disabled
          veterans,  defining the powers and duties of the council and requiring
          an annual report by the council to the governor, the temporary  presi-
          dent of the senate and the speaker of the assembly
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby recognizes  that
     2  New  York  state's veterans, particularly those who suffered service-re-
     3  lated disabilities, have unique needs as a result of the sacrifices they
     4  made during their military service. It is also  hereby  acknowledged  by
     5  the legislature that due to the complexity of their needs, such individ-
     6  uals  require  accessible,  coordinated, and specialized services within
     7  their communities from multiple state and local agencies.  The  legisla-
     8  ture finds that there is an immediate need for a statewide comprehensive
     9  program to coordinate such services.
    10    §  2.  The  executive  law is amended by adding a new section 368-a to
    11  read as follows:
    12    § 368-a. New York state interagency coordinating council for  service-
    13  disabled veterans. There is hereby established the New York state inter-
    14  agency  coordinating council for service-disabled veterans in the execu-
    15  tive department to have and exercise the functions,  powers  and  duties
    16  provided  by  the  provisions of this section and any other provision of
    17  law.
    18    1. As used in this section the following terms shall mean:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00716-10-8
        A. 5931--A                          2
 
     1    (a) "council" means the New York state interagency coordinating  coun-
     2  cil for service-disabled veterans;
     3    (b)  "veteran" means a person, male or female, resident of this state,
     4  who has served in the active military, naval,  or  air  service  of  the
     5  United  States  during  a war in which the United States engaged and who
     6  has been released from  such  service  otherwise  than  by  dishonorable
     7  discharge, or who has been furloughed to the reserve; and
     8    (c)  "service-disabled veteran" means a veteran with a disability that
     9  was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in the  active  military,
    10  naval, or air service.
    11    2.  The  council  shall  consist  of the following ten agency heads or
    12  their designees: director of the  division  of  veterans'  affairs,  who
    13  shall  serve  as chair of the council, the commissioner of the office of
    14  general services, the commissioner of  the  department  of  health,  the
    15  commissioner  of  the  office  of mental health, the commissioner of the
    16  office of alcoholism and substance abuse services, the  commissioner  of
    17  the department of labor, the commissioner of the division of housing and
    18  community  renewal,  the  commissioner  of the education department, the
    19  commissioner of the department of transportation, and  the  director  of
    20  the office for the aging. In addition, the council shall consist of nine
    21  service-disabled veterans, three to be appointed by the governor, two to
    22  be  appointed  by  the  temporary  president  of  the  senate, two to be
    23  appointed by the speaker of the assembly, one to  be  appointed  by  the
    24  minority  leader  of  the senate and one to be appointed by the minority
    25  leader of the assembly. The members of the council shall serve terms  of
    26  two  years;  provided, however, that of the members first appointed, the
    27  members appointed by the governor shall serve for terms of  three  years
    28  and  the  remaining members, appointed by the legislative leaders, shall
    29  serve for terms of two years. Members of the council  shall  receive  no
    30  compensation  for  their  services but shall be allowed their actual and
    31  necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their functions  here-
    32  under.
    33    3. The council shall have the following powers and duties:
    34    (a) to promote the implementation of a comprehensive statewide program
    35  of coordinated services for service-disabled veterans that includes: (1)
    36  matters  pertaining  to educational training and retraining services and
    37  facilities, (2) health, medical and rehabilitation services and  facili-
    38  ties, (3) employment and re-employment services including small business
    39  opportunities, (4) housing options, (5) transportation options, (6) long
    40  term  care,  (7)  personal  care,  (8)  day program services, (9) family
    41  outreach and  (10)  other  essential  services  that  maximize  existing
    42  resources and administrative mechanisms;
    43    (b)  to  disseminate  general  information about available services to
    44  service-disabled veterans and how such services can  be  accessed.  Such
    45  information shall be posted on the division's website or be available in
    46  printed form;
    47    (c) to receive complaints in matters affecting service-disabled veter-
    48  ans  and to refer such complaints to the appropriate regulatory agencies
    49  where it deems necessary or appropriate; and
    50    (d) to conduct an ongoing evaluation of the needs of  service-disabled
    51  veterans.
    52    4.  The  council  shall  meet as necessary to carry out its functions,
    53  powers and duties, but such meetings shall  occur  at  least  once  each
    54  quarter. Furthermore, the council shall seek to consult with the network
    55  directors  of  the veterans integrated service networks, VISN 2 and VISN
    56  3.
        A. 5931--A                          3
 
     1    5. The council shall provide a report to the governor,  the  temporary
     2  president  of  the  senate  and the speaker of the assembly on or before
     3  April first of each year, beginning in two thousand twenty. Such  report
     4  shall  summarize  the council's activity during the previous fiscal year
     5  and  detailing legislative recommendations appropriate to effectuate the
     6  purposes of this section, and any other  recommendations  for  improving
     7  service  delivery  and coordination, reducing duplication and fragmenta-
     8  tion and facilitating the most efficient use of existing resources. Such
     9  report shall also include  a  proposed  agenda  consisting  of  specific
    10  issues that the council plans to address during the current fiscal year.
    11    §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
    12  have become a law; provided, however, that  effective  immediately,  the
    13  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
    14  for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
    15  and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

A05931 LFIN:

 
NO LFIN