Bill Text: NY A00080 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a program for the sharing of veteran contact information.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-08 - referred to veterans' affairs [A00080 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A00080-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           80

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. PHEFFER AMATO, BURDICK -- read once and referred
          to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

        AN ACT to amend 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 7 of the veterans' services  law,  as  amended  by
     2  chapter 449 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
     3    §  7.  Information on status of veterans receiving assistance.  1. The
     4  department shall establish and maintain a program  for  the  sharing  of
     5  veteran  contact  information  between  veteran related programs and the
     6  department. 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-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00347-01-5
        A. 80                               2

     1  tion; and (h) programs that provide postsecondary education benefits  to
     2  veterans  and veteran family members under the higher education services
     3  corporation.
     4    2.  Departments,  divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies
     5  of the state and political subdivisions thereof, which  provide  assist-
     6  ance,  treatment,  counseling,  care,  supervision or custody in service
     7  areas involving health, mental health, family services, criminal justice
     8  or employment, including but not limited  to  the  office  of  addiction
     9  services  and supports, office of mental health, office of probation and
    10  correctional alternatives,  office  of  children  and  family  services,
    11  office  of  temporary  and  disability assistance, department of health,
    12  department of labor,  local  workforce  investment  boards,  office  for
    13  people  with  developmental  disabilities, and department of corrections
    14  and community supervision, shall request  assisted  persons  to  provide
    15  information  with  regard  to  their veteran status and military experi-
    16  ences. Individuals identifying themselves as veterans,  including  indi-
    17  viduals requesting and obtaining a veteran notation on such individual's
    18  driver's  license or non-driver identification card pursuant to sections
    19  four hundred ninety and five hundred two of the vehicle and traffic law,
    20  shall be advised that the department of  veterans'  services  and  local
    21  veterans'  service  agencies established pursuant to section fourteen of
    22  this article provide assistance to  veterans  regarding  benefits  under
    23  federal  and  state law. Information regarding veterans status and mili-
    24  tary service provided by  assisted  persons  solely  to  implement  this
    25  section  shall  be  protected as personal confidential information under
    26  article six-A of the public officers law against disclosure of confiden-
    27  tial material, and used only to  assist  in  the  diagnosis,  treatment,
    28  assessment  and  handling  of  the  veteran's problems within the agency
    29  requesting such information and in referring the veteran to the  depart-
    30  ment of veterans' services for information and assistance with regard to
    31  benefits and entitlements under federal and state law.
    32    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    33  it shall have become a law.  Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
    34  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
    35  tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
    36  completed on or before such effective date.