Establishes a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender veteran's coordinator in order to support the unique needs of, advocate for, and celebrate the service of such veterans.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8057
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 22, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Veterans' Affairs
AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to establishing
a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender veteran's coordinator in
order to support the unique needs of and celebrate the service by such
veterans
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 19-a to read as follows:
3 § 19-a. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veteran's coordinator.
4 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms
5 shall have the following meanings:
6 (a) "veteran" shall have the same meaning as defined in section one of
7 this article; and
8 (b) "department" shall mean the state department of veterans'
9 services.
10 2. Establishment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veter-
11 ans coordinator. There is hereby established within the department, a
12 "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans coordinator" who shall
13 be a veteran appointed by and work under the direction of the commis-
14 sioner. Such coordinator's duties shall include, but not be limited to:
15 (a) identification, development, planning, organization and coordi-
16 nation of all statewide programs and services to meet the unique needs
17 of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans;
18 (b) making recommendations to the commissioner to ensure compliance
19 with all existing department policies and regulations pertaining to the
20 needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans on the state
21 and federal level and make recommendations regarding the improvement of
22 benefits and services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veter-
23 ans;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11647-01-5
A. 8057 2
1 (c) acting as a liaison between the department, state veterans nursing
2 homes, state agencies, community groups, advocates and other veterans
3 and military organizations and interested parties;
4 (d) advocating for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans
5 in the state;
6 (e) development and maintenance of a clearinghouse for information and
7 resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans;
8 (f) promote events and activities that recognize, educate and honor
9 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans, including but not
10 limited to veteran human rights conferences, veterans benefits and
11 resource events, and veterans cultural competence training;
12 (g) inclusion of the contributions lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-
13 gender veterans have made on behalf of the United States and this state
14 on the department's official website; and
15 (h) preparation of reports on topics including, but not limited to,
16 the demographics of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans, and
17 the unique needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans
18 population, to the extent such information is available, to the commis-
19 sioner on the status of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans
20 within New York state.
21 3. Reports. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans coor-
22 dinator shall submit a report to the commissioner each year after the
23 effective date of this section. Such report shall include, but not be
24 limited to, a description of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
25 veterans coordinator's activities for the calendar year and the programs
26 developed pursuant to the provisions of this section. The commissioner
27 shall submit the report of a synopsis of the report to the governor in
28 accordance with the provisions of section four of this article.
29 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
30 it shall have become a law.
