NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A4945
SPONSOR: Walter
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the elder law, in relation to estab-
lishing a veterans' gerontological advisory committee
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: Establishes a veterans gerontological
advisory committee
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section 1: The elder law is amended by
adding a new section 224 which states that a veterans gerontological
advisory committee is established in the office of the aging, consisting
of no more than nineteen members, who shall serve six-year terms without
remuneration. At least sixty-percent of the members of the committee
shall be age sixty or older.
At least ten of the members shall be veterans, two of whom shall be
appointed by the governor, three of whom shall be appointed by the
speaker of the assembly, three of whom shall be appointed by the tempo-
rary president of the senate, one of whom shall be appointed by the
minority leader of the assembly, and one of whom shall be appointed by
the minority leader of the senate.
Nine of the members shall be appointed by the director of the office of
the aging, at least one of whom shall be a physician in the field of
primary care geriatric medicine, at least one of whom shall be a
researcher in the field of social gerontology, at least one of whom
shall be certified as a geriatric nurse practitioner, at least one of
whom shall be a clinical practitioner of geriatric psychiatry, at least
one of whom shall be a facility or health care system veterans home-
based primary care program director, at least one of whom shall be a
caregiver in the field of veterans respite care, at least one of whom
shall be an expert in the field of eldercare planning and management
from the New York State Veterans' home, at least one of whom shall be an
expert in the field of gerontological social work who specializes in
services for aging veterans, and at least one of whom shall be an econo-
mist with a focus in the fields of aging, household saving, pensions,
social security, taxation, and housing markets.
The committee shall meet at least once annually at times and places set
by the commissioner and provide advice, comments and recommendations to
advise the director on policies, programs, services and trends impacting
the state's aging veteran population and the larger context of veterans
healthcare systems, and such other matters as the director may request.
The director may ask other individuals to attend the committee's meet-
ings or work with it on an occasional or regular basis. Membership on
the committee shall not constitute the holding of an office, and the
committee shall not have the right to exercise any portion of the sover-
eign powers of the state. No member of the committee shall be disquali-
fied from holding any public office or employment, nor shall he or she
forfeit any such office or employment, by reason of his or her appoint-
ment.
Section 2: States the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION: New York has the second highest Veteran population in
the United States, and older Veterans represent a population whose needs
and problems pervade multiple geriatrics and gerontology disciplines.
This legislation establishes a Veterans Gerontological Advisory Commit-
tee, which will advise the Director of the Office of the Aging on poli-
cies, programs, services and trends affecting New York's aging Veteran
population.
At no cost to the taxpayers, the advisory committee will be able to
provide crucial recommendations aimed at improving the care and support
available to aging Veterans. The membership will be drawn from the ranks
of New York's finest experts on aging, seniors' and Veterans' issues,
representing medical researchers, practitioners, academia, and Veterans'
organizations.
Their mission will be to share information and challenges associated
with caring for aging veterans, and their families, providing the Office
of the Aging with guidance on pressing concerns including caregiver
Initiatives, alternative housing trends for Veterans, longterm and
continuing care, health promotion and rehabilitation, departmental
research and dementia research.
The committee can also play a role in educating staff and the public on
a wide range of issues affecting veterans and seniors.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: A6966 2013-2014 A1128 of 2011-2012:
referred to Rules A11306 of 2010: referred to Rules
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4945
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 9, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WALTER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Aging
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to establishing a veterans'
gerontological advisory committee
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a new section 224 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 224. Veterans' gerontological advisory committee. 1. There is hereby
4 established within the office a veterans' gerontological advisory
5 committee which shall consist of no more than nineteen members to be
6 appointed pursuant to this subdivision. Members shall be appointed for a
7 term of six years and may serve until their successors are chosen.
8 Members shall serve without salary. Any member chosen to fill a vacancy
9 created otherwise than by expiration of term shall be appointed for the
10 unexpired term of the member he or she is to succeed. A chairperson and
11 vice-chairperson shall be appointed by the director, and the committee
12 shall be comprised of:
13 (a) Two members appointed by the governor, both of whom shall be
14 veterans;
15 (b) Nine members appointed by the director, including:
16 (1) at least one of whom shall be a physician in the field of primary
17 care geriatric medicine;
18 (2) at least one of whom shall be a researcher in the field of social
19 gerontology;
20 (3) at least one of whom shall be certified as a geriatric nurse prac-
21 titioner;
22 (4) at least one of whom shall be a clinical practitioner of geriatric
23 psychiatry;
24 (5) at least one of whom shall be a facility or health care system
25 veterans' home-based primary care program director as defined by the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02136-01-5
A. 4945 2
1 United States department of veterans' affairs veterans' health adminis-
2 tration directive eleven hundred forty-one;
3 (6) at least one of whom shall be a caregiver in the field of veter-
4 ans' respite care;
5 (7) at least one of whom shall be an expert in the field of eldercare
6 planning and management from the New York state veterans' home estab-
7 lished pursuant to article twenty-six-A of the public health law;
8 (8) at least one of whom shall be an expert in the field of geronto-
9 logical social work who specializes in services for aging veterans; and
10 (9) at least one of whom shall be an economist with a focus in the
11 fields of aging, household saving, pensions, social security, taxation,
12 and housing markets;
13 (c) Three members appointed by the governor upon the nomination of the
14 temporary president of the senate, each of whom shall be veterans;
15 (d) Three members appointed by the governor upon the nomination of the
16 speaker of the assembly, each of whom shall be veterans;
17 (e) One member appointed by the governor upon the nomination of the
18 minority leader of the senate who shall be a veteran; and
19 (f) One member appointed by the governor upon the nomination of the
20 minority leader of the assembly who shall be a veteran.
21 2. Sixty percent of the members of the advisory committee appointed on
22 and after the effective date of this subdivision shall be sixty years of
23 age or over.
24 3. The committee shall provide advice, comments and recommendations to
25 advise the director on policies, programs, services and trends impacting
26 the state's aging veteran population and the larger context of veterans'
27 healthcare systems, and such other matters as the director may request
28 in relation to this article.
29 4. The advisory committee shall meet at least once annually at times
30 and places set by the chairperson.
31 5. The director may ask other individuals to attend the committee's
32 meetings or work with it on an occasional or regular basis.
33 6. Membership on the committee shall not constitute the holding of an
34 office, and members of the committee shall not be required to take and
35 file oaths of office before serving on the committee. The committee
36 shall not have the right to exercise any portion of the sovereign powers
37 of the state.
38 7. No member of the committee shall be disqualified from holding any
39 public office or employment, nor shall he or she forfeit any such office
40 or employment, by reason of his or her appointment hereunder, notwith-
41 standing the provisions of any general, special or local law, ordinance
42 or city charter.
43 8. For the purposes of this section, the term "veteran" means a
44 person, male or female, resident of this state, who has served in the
45 active military or naval service of the United States during a war in
46 which the United States engaged and who has been released from such
47 service by any means other than by dishonorable discharge, or who has
48 been furloughed to the reserve.
49 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.