A10145 Summary:

BILL NOA10145
 
SAME ASNo same as
 
SPONSORRules (Benedetto)
 
COSPNSRLupardo, Russell, Barrett, DenDekker, Lavine, Ryan, Skoufis
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add SS368-a & 368-b, Exec L
 
Establishes the New York state veteran's assistance program to coordinate mental health and substance abuse counseling, employment and job training, housing assistance, and any other related information or services to veterans. Establishes the New York state veteran's village pilot program to identify veterans that are homeless or may soon be homeless and provide housing in a dormitory type housing until permanent housing can be provided to such veteran; provides mental health and substance abuse counseling, employment and job training programs, financial literacy, and any other assistance necessary.
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A10145 Actions:

BILL NOA10145
 
06/17/2014referred to veterans' affairs
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A10145 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          10145
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      June 17, 2014
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Benedetto,
          Lupardo, Russell, Barrett, DenDekker, Lavine, Ryan, Skoufis)  --  read
          once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
 
        AN  ACT  to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the New
          York state veterans assistance program and the New York state veterans
          village pilot program
 

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.  Legislative findings. New York state is home to more than
     2  900,000 veterans, seventy-two percent of whom have served during periods
     3  of conflict.   The state is home to  approximately  30,000  active  duty
     4  military personnel and another 30,000 National Guard and reserve person-
     5  nel.
     6    The  legislature  finds  that  transitioning  from  active military to
     7  civilian life has proven difficult for many veterans. Studies have indi-
     8  cated that two-thirds of transitioning veterans experience  a  difficult
     9  transition  from  military  to  civilian life with nearly half not fully
    10  ready to make the transition at the time of deactivation.  Of  the  two-
    11  thirds  of  veterans not ready to transition, many indicated they needed

    12  more time to determine what to do next or  simply  decompress  from  the
    13  stress  inherent  in  active  duty military service.   While the federal
    14  government has recognized the difficulty of  transitioning  to  civilian
    15  life  and developed the Transition Assistance Program with the intent to
    16  help veterans make this transition, less than half of veterans  say  the
    17  program  helped  them reintegrate to civilian life.  Furthermore, recent
    18  veterans returning home are less likely to have family  that  served  in
    19  the  military,  meaning fewer networks between the military and civilian
    20  world exist for veterans to connect within the transition process.
    21    The legislature finds homelessness, depression, mental health disease,
    22  and drug abuse are problems encountered  by  veterans  more  often  than
    23  their  civilian,  non-military  counterparts and, the anxiety and uncer-

    24  tainty of transitioning to the civilian world is frequently  exacerbated
    25  by,  or a direct result of, unhealed mental and physical wounds borne on
    26  the battlefield. In honor of the service, commitment, and  sacrifice  on
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15539-03-4

        A. 10145                            2
 
     1  behalf  of  our Nation, the legislature declares it is the public policy
     2  of New York state to promote and  encourage  the  successful  transition
     3  from  military  to  civilian  life for our returning veterans. The state
     4  aims to assist veterans in post service, reintegration into local commu-
     5  nities  and  workforces, and provision of basic necessities and services

     6  crucial to civilian transition.
     7    § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a  new  section  368-a  to
     8  read as follows:
     9    §  368-a.  New York state veterans assistance program. 1. For purposes
    10  of this section the term "veteran" means a person, male or female, resi-
    11  dent of this state, who has served in the active military, naval service
    12  or air service of the United States during a war  in  which  the  United
    13  States  engaged,  or  was  a recipient of the armed expeditionary medal,
    14  marine corps expeditionary medal, or global war on terrorism expedition-
    15  ary medal, and who has been released from such service with an honorable
    16  or general discharge.
    17    2. The state director, in consultation with the  adjutant  general  of

    18  the  division  of  military  and  naval affairs, the commissioner of the
    19  department of labor, the commissioner of education, the commissioner  of
    20  mental health, the commissioner of health, and the New York state office
    21  of alcoholism and substance abuse services, or any other entity that the
    22  state director deems necessary shall establish and maintain a program to
    23  assist  veterans  in  their  transition  out  of  military service. Such
    24  program shall be known  as  "The  New  York  state  veterans  assistance
    25  program".  Such  program  shall  provide  coordinated  mental health and
    26  substance abuse counseling, employment and job training, housing assist-
    27  ance, and any other related information or services  to  veterans.  Such

    28  program  shall  be available throughout the state. Where practical, such
    29  program shall offer all its services in a certain area in one facility.
    30    3. The New York state veterans assistance program shall  be  available
    31  to  veterans, who have received an honorable or general discharge, docu-
    32  mented by a copy of the veteran's certificate of  release  or  discharge
    33  from  active  duty  also  known as a DD-214 form or an honorable service
    34  certificate/report of casualty from the  department  of  defense.    The
    35  program  shall  be  available  from  the  date on which such veteran was
    36  discharged from the active military service.
    37    4. In establishing and carrying out the  veterans  assistance  program
    38  pursuant to this section, the state director shall:

    39    (i)  Provide  information concerning federal, state, and local assist-
    40  ance programs, programs of military and veterans' service  organizations
    41  or other organizations, that may be of assistance to veterans;
    42    (ii) Provide, in consultation with the commissioner of labor, informa-
    43  tion  about employment opportunities, instruction in resume preparation,
    44  job analysis, search, and interview techniques, analysis of the  current
    45  labor  market,  the  cost  of living in specific geographic areas of the
    46  state including, to the extent practicable, the cost and availability of
    47  housing, child care and education. The state director  shall  also  work
    48  with  military  and  veterans'  service  organizations,  local  veterans

    49  service organizations, and other appropriate organizations in  promoting
    50  and publicizing job fairs and current job opportunities for veterans;
    51    (iii)  Provide analysis or verification, to the extent practicable, of
    52  job skills and experience acquired while on active duty for use in seek-
    53  ing civilian employment and in obtaining job search skills;
    54    (iv) Evaluate the educational assistance benefits to which the  member
    55  is  entitled under the Federal Montgomery GI Bill, post 911 GI Bill, and
    56  other educational assistance programs;

        A. 10145                            3
 
     1    (v) Provide financial literacy and planning resources including infor-
     2  mation on budgeting, saving, credit, loans, and taxes, including assist-

     3  ance to such members in their efforts to obtain loans  and  grants  from
     4  the  Small  Business  Administration and other federal, state, and local
     5  agencies;
     6    (vi)  Provide  resources on small business development, disability-re-
     7  lated employment opportunities, and opportunities for the procurement of
     8  state contracts including contracts set aside pursuant to  article  17-B
     9  of this chapter;
    10    (vii)   Information  concerning  the  availability  of  mental  health
    11  services and the treatment of post-traumatic  stress  disorder,  anxiety
    12  disorders,  depression,  suicidal  ideations, military sexual trauma, or
    13  other mental health conditions associated  with  service  in  the  armed
    14  forces;

    15    (viii) Provide assistance in preparing applications for various feder-
    16  al,  state,  and local veterans' benefits including, but not limited to,
    17  federal VA medical services; and
    18    (ix) Promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the provisions  of
    19  this section.
    20    §  3.  The  executive  law is amended by adding a new section 368-b to
    21  read as follows:
    22    § 368-b. New York state veterans village pilot program. 1.   Beginning
    23  June  thirtieth, two thousand sixteen the state director shall establish
    24  a New York state veterans village pilot program.  Such program,  subject
    25  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the state director, shall identify
    26  veterans that are homeless or may soon be homeless and  provide  housing

    27  in  a  dormitory type housing until permanent housing can be provided to
    28  such veteran. Such program shall also provide, in  such  dormitory  type
    29  housing,  mental  health  and substance abuse counseling, employment and
    30  job training programs, financial literacy, assistance provided  pursuant
    31  to  section  three  hundred  sixty-eight-a of this article, or any other
    32  assistance the veteran may  need.  Such  program  shall  coordinate  any
    33  assistance that such veteran receives.
    34    2. The state director shall promulgate rules and regulations to effec-
    35  tuate the provisions of this section.
    36    3. By December thirty-first, two thousand seventeen and annually ther-
    37  eafter,  the  state  director shall submit a report to the governor, the

    38  speaker of the assembly, and the temporary president of the senate which
    39  shall include, but not be limited to, evaluation of the effectiveness of
    40  the program and recommendations for improvements as necessary.
    41    4. The state director, in consultation with the commissioner of  homes
    42  and  community  renewal,  and  the commissioner of the office of general
    43  services, and any other agency the state director deems necessary, shall
    44  conduct a statewide study to determine if there are existing facilities,
    45  owned by or available to the state, that can be used to  house  veterans
    46  in  need of housing. Such report shall be delivered to the governor, the
    47  speaker of the assembly, and the temporary president of  the  senate  by

    48  December  thirty-first, two thousand fifteen.  Such study shall include,
    49  but not be limited to:
    50    (a) The number of military personnel currently stationed in  New  York
    51  state  including  their  locations, and the number of military personnel
    52  stating New York state as their home of record, including their  current
    53  geographic location;
    54    (b) The estimated number of homeless veterans statewide;

        A. 10145                            4
 
     1    (c)  Current  temporary or transitional housing facilities or programs
     2  operated by any private or non-profit company, or any federal, state, or
     3  local government entity currently open to veterans in New York state;

     4    (d)  Existing properties owned by or available to the state that could
     5  be used to create housing facilities for veterans in need;
     6    (e) The estimated costs of opening, operating, and maintaining housing
     7  for veterans in need throughout the state; and
     8    (f) Recommendations or legislative proposals based upon  the  findings
     9  of the study.
    10    § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    11  it shall have become a law.
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