Requires reports to the legislature concerning the number of veterans and families of active duty members who are homeless and the number of veterans who receive food stamps.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9356
IN ASSEMBLY
February 22, 2012
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to providing certain
benefits to veterans; and to amend the social services law, in
relation to requiring certain reports relating to veterans
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 353-a
2 to read as follows:
3 § 353-a. Identifying homelessness among veterans. 1. Local social
4 services districts and shelters run by non-for-profit organizations in
5 each county, shall collect information identifying veterans and spouses
6 of veterans who are in a homeless facility. Such data shall be collected
7 quarterly and submitted to the division. The division shall transmit
8 such information to state counselors for review and potential linkage to
9 applicable benefits. State counselors shall work with county and city
10 veterans' agencies staff or any accredited service officers of an organ-
11 ization chartered by the congress of the United States and/or recognized
12 by the department of veterans affairs for claim representation as neces-
13 sary and where appropriate. Such information shall be protected as
14 personal confidential information under article six-A of the public
15 officers law against disclosure of confidential material, and shall be
16 used only to assist in providing linkage to applicable benefits and
17 entitlements under federal and state law.
18 2. The division shall include within the annual report as required by
19 subdivision eleven of section three hundred fifty-three of this article,
20 an accounting of information received from local social services
21 districts and shelters run by not-for-profit organizations and the
22 specific number of veterans and spouses of veterans linked to applicable
23 benefits.
24 § 2. Section 95 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
25 subdivision 12 to read as follows:
26 12. The office of temporary and disability assistance shall collect
27 data on the number of veterans, as defined in section eighty-five of the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14611-01-2
A. 9356 2
1 civil service law, number of military personnel deployed for active
2 military service as defined in section one of the military law, and
3 members of their family who are in receipt of food stamps or who are
4 participating in a food assistance program under this section. Such
5 data should be included in an annual report to the legislature, no later
6 than December thirty-first of each year. Such report shall include but
7 be not limited to the following information: a breakdown of veterans and
8 servicemembers by branch, the period of service, and if applicable, the
9 type of discharge.
10 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
11 it shall have become a law; provided, that any rules and regulations
12 necessary for the timely implementation of this act on its effective
13 date shall be promulgated on or before such date.
