STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4524
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 16, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
ty and Military Affairs
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to providing a help
line/crisis line to assist veterans
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 3803 of the
2 public health law, as amended by chapter 743 of the laws of 2006, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 (b) establishment of a toll-free telephone hotline to provide informa-
5 tion regarding health care providers and treatment centers with exper-
6 tise in illnesses associated with military duty and a toll-free tele-
7 phone number for use as (i) a clearinghouse by veterans, active members
8 of the armed forces in this state, including the national guard, and
9 their families to obtain, in response to their requests about benefits
10 or services that may be available to such veterans, members or their
11 families, referrals to entities that provide such benefits or services,
12 and (ii) a crisis line to respond to requests for assistance from veter-
13 ans that is modeled on the federal veterans' crisis line. The toll-free
14 telephone number shall be staffed by employees of or trained volunteers
15 working at the division of veterans' affairs on weekdays during regular
16 business hours, and on weekends and holidays from nine o'clock a.m. to
17 five o'clock p.m.; and
18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02302-01-7
