STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10252
IN ASSEMBLY
May 13, 2022
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A.
Pheffer Amato) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
AN ACT to amend the executive law and the veterans' services law, in
relation to establishing a program for the sharing of veteran contact
information
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 354-a of the executive law, as amended by chapter
2 602 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 354-a. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance. 1.
4 The division shall establish and maintain a program for the sharing of
5 veteran contact information between veteran related programs and the
6 division. Such program shall consist of any veteran related program
7 under any department, division, bureau, board, commission and agency of
8 the state and political subdivisions thereof including, but not limited
9 to: (a) programs that offer property tax exemptions, income tax
10 exemptions, and/or tax credits to veterans under the department of taxa-
11 tion and finance; (b) programs that offer discounts to state parks,
12 historic sites, and recreational facilities to veterans under the office
13 of parks, recreation and historic preservation; (c) programs that deliv-
14 er career services to veterans under the department of labor; (d)
15 programs that facilitate long term services and supports for veteran
16 seniors under the department for the aging; (e) programs that provide
17 financial assistance to veterans with disabilities, programs that facil-
18 itate the creation of affordable housing specifically for veterans, and
19 programs that support veteran home ownership under the department of
20 housing and community renewal; (f) programs that facilitate the creation
21 of affordable housing specifically for veterans under the office of
22 temporary and disability assistance and/or the office of mental health;
23 (g) programs that provide free or reduced fee sporting license and/or
24 privileges to veterans under the department of environmental conserva-
25 tion; and (h) programs that provide postsecondary education benefits to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14890-03-2
A. 10252 2
1 veterans and veteran family members under the higher education services
2 corporation.
3 2. Departments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies
4 of the state and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assist-
5 ance, treatment, counseling, care, supervision or custody in service
6 areas involving health, mental health, family services, criminal justice
7 or employment, including but not limited to the office of addiction
8 services and supports, office of mental health, office of probation and
9 correctional alternatives, office of children and family services,
10 office of temporary and disability assistance, department of health,
11 department of labor, local workforce investment boards, office for
12 people with developmental disabilities, and department of corrections
13 and community supervision, shall request assisted persons to provide
14 information with regard to their veteran status and military experi-
15 ences. Individuals identifying themselves as veterans, including indi-
16 viduals requesting and obtaining a veterans notation on their driver's
17 license or non-driver identification card pursuant to sections four
18 hundred ninety and five hundred two of the vehicle and traffic law,
19 shall be advised that the division of veterans' services and local
20 veterans' service agencies established pursuant to section three hundred
21 fifty-seven of this article provide assistance to veterans regarding
22 benefits under federal and state law. Information regarding veterans
23 status and military service provided by assisted persons solely to
24 implement this section shall be protected as personal confidential
25 information under article six-A of the public officers law against
26 disclosure of confidential material, and used only to assist in the
27 diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling of the veteran's problems
28 within the agency requesting such information and in referring the
29 veteran to the division of veterans' services for information and
30 assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements under federal and
31 state law.
32 § 2. Section 7 of the veterans' services law is amended to read as
33 follows:
34 § 7. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance. 1. The
35 department shall establish and maintain a program for the sharing of
36 veteran contact information between veteran related programs and the
37 department. Such program shall consist of any veteran related program
38 under any department, division, bureau, board, commission and agency of
39 the state and political subdivisions thereof including, but not limited
40 to: (a) programs that offer property tax exemptions, income tax
41 exemptions, and/or tax credits to veterans under the department of taxa-
42 tion and finance; (b) programs that offer discounts to state parks,
43 historic sites, and recreational facilities to veterans under the office
44 of parks, recreation and historic preservation; (c) programs that deliv-
45 er career services to veterans under the department of labor; (d)
46 programs that facilitate long term services and supports for veteran
47 seniors under the department for the aging; (e) programs that provide
48 financial assistance to veterans with disabilities, programs that facil-
49 itate the creation of affordable housing specifically for veterans, and
50 programs that support veteran home ownership under the department of
51 housing and community renewal; (f) programs that facilitate the creation
52 of affordable housing specifically for veterans under the office of
53 temporary and disability assistance and/or the office of mental health;
54 (g) programs that provide free or reduced fee sporting license and/or
55 privileges to veterans under the department of environmental conserva-
56 tion; and (h) programs that provide postsecondary education benefits to
A. 10252 3
1 veterans and veteran family members under the higher education services
2 corporation.
3 2. Departments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies
4 of the state and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assist-
5 ance, treatment, counseling, care, supervision or custody in service
6 areas involving health, mental health, family services, criminal justice
7 or employment, including but not limited to the office of addiction
8 services and supports, office of mental health, office of probation and
9 correctional alternatives, office of children and family services,
10 office of temporary and disability assistance, department of health,
11 department of labor, local workforce investment boards, office for
12 people with developmental disabilities, and department of corrections
13 and community supervision, shall request assisted persons to provide
14 information with regard to their veteran status and military experi-
15 ences. Individuals identifying themselves as veterans shall be advised
16 that the department of veterans' services and local veterans' service
17 agencies established pursuant to section fourteen of this article
18 provide assistance to veterans regarding benefits under federal and
19 state law. Information regarding veterans status and military service
20 provided by assisted persons solely to implement this section shall be
21 protected as personal confidential information under article six-A of
22 the public officers law against disclosure of confidential material, and
23 used only to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling
24 of the veteran's problems within the agency requesting such information
25 and in referring the veteran to the department of veterans' services for
26 information and assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements
27 under federal and state law.
28 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
29 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that:
30 (a) if chapter 602 of the laws of 2021 shall not have taken effect on
31 or before such date then this act shall take effect on the same date and
32 in the same manner as such chapter of the laws of 2021, takes effect;
33 (b) that the amendments to section 354-a of the executive law made by
34 section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and
35 shall be deemed repealed therewith;
36 (c) if section 2 of part PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022 shall
37 not have taken effect on or before such date then section two of this
38 act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as such
39 chapter of the laws of 2022, takes effect; and
40 (d) effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of
41 any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on
42 its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before
43 such effective date.