Establishes a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender veterans coordinator in order to support the unique needs of, advocate for, and celebrate the service of such veterans.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8057--A
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 -- recommitted to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to establishing
a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender veterans 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. Section 4 of the veterans' services law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 40 to read as follows:
3 40. To encourage the development of and to provide for the establish-
4 ment of a state lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender veterans coordi-
5 nator, as provided in section nineteen-a of this article.
6 § 2. The veterans' services law is amended by adding a new section
7 19-a to read as follows:
8 § 19-a. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans coordinator.
9 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms
10 shall have the following meanings:
11 (a) "veteran" shall have the same meaning as defined in section one of
12 this article and shall also include an individual who served on active
13 duty in the uniformed services and has a "qualifying condition", as
14 defined in section one of this article, and has received a discharge
15 other than bad conduct or dishonorable, or is a "discharged LGBT veter-
16 an", as defined in section one of this article, and has received a
17 discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable; and
18 (b) "active duty" shall have the same meaning as used in section twen-
19 ty-six of this article.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11647-02-6
A. 8057--A 2
1 2. Establishment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veter-
2 ans coordinator. There is hereby established within the department, a
3 "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans coordinator" who shall
4 be a veteran appointed by and work under the direction of the commis-
5 sioner. Such coordinator's duties shall include, but not be limited to:
6 (a) identification, development, planning, organization and coordi-
7 nation of all statewide programs and services to meet the unique needs
8 of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans;
9 (b) making recommendations to the commissioner to ensure compliance
10 with all existing department policies and regulations pertaining to the
11 needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans on the state
12 and federal level and make recommendations regarding the improvement of
13 benefits and services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veter-
14 ans;
15 (c) acting as a liaison between the department, state veterans nursing
16 homes, state agencies, community groups, advocates and other veterans
17 and military organizations and interested parties;
18 (d) advocating for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans
19 in the state;
20 (e) development and maintenance of a clearinghouse for information and
21 resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans;
22 (f) promote events and activities that recognize, educate and honor
23 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans, including but not
24 limited to veteran human rights conferences, veterans benefits and
25 resource events, and veterans cultural competence training;
26 (g) inclusion of the contributions lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-
27 gender veterans have made on behalf of the United States and this state
28 on the department's official website; and
29 (h) preparation of reports on topics including, but not limited to,
30 the demographics of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans, and
31 the unique needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans
32 population, to the extent such information is available, to the commis-
33 sioner on the status of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans
34 within New York state.
35 3. Reports. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans coor-
36 dinator shall submit a report to the commissioner each year after the
37 effective date of this section. Such report shall include, but not be
38 limited to, a description of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
39 veterans coordinator's activities for the calendar year and the programs
40 developed pursuant to the provisions of this section. The commissioner
41 shall include a synopsis of such report in the annual report to the
42 governor and the legislature required under subdivision seventeen of
43 section four of this article.
44 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
45 it shall have become a law.
