Provides that individuals requesting and obtaining a veteran notation on such individual's driver's license or non-driver identification card shall be advised that the department of veterans' services and local veterans' service agencies provide assistance to veterans regarding benefits under federal and state law.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9850
SPONSOR: Jean-Pierre TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the veterans' services law and the vehicle and traffic
law, in relation to veterans receiving information on benefits
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Chapter 56 Pt PP of the Laws of 2022 recodified Article 17 of the Execu-
tive Law into a new chapter of law, the Veterans' Services Law (VET)
effective April 1, 2023, at which time Article 17 of the Executive Law
was also repealed. Chapter 602 of the Laws of 2021 became effective on
May 10, 2022 and amended the Executive Law after Chapter 56 Pt PP of the
Laws of 2022 became law. This bill makes corrections to include the
changes made by the 2021 chapter in the Veterans' Services Law.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1; Amends Section 7 of the Veterans' Services Law
Section 2: Amends Subdivision 6 of Section 508 of the Vehicle and Traf-
fic Law
Section 3: Effective date
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill makes a technical amendment by amending the Veterans' Service
Law to include language from Chapter 602 of the Laws of 2021 that
relates to individuals requesting a notation on their driver's license
or non-drivers identification to receive information on veterans bene-
fits from the Department of Veterans' Services. It also amends the Vehi-
cle and Traffic Law to update cites in law and that the Division of
Veterans' Services is now a Department.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New legislation.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9850
IN ASSEMBLY
April 12, 2024
___________
Introduced by M. of A. JEAN-PIERRE -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law and the vehicle and traffic
law, in relation to veterans receiving information on benefits
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 is amended to read
2 as follows:
3 § 7. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance. Depart-
4 ments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies of the state
5 and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assistance, treatment,
6 counseling, care, supervision or custody in service areas involving
7 health, mental health, family services, criminal justice or employment,
8 including but not limited to the office of addiction services and
9 supports, office of mental health, office of probation and correctional
10 alternatives, office of children and family services, office of tempo-
11 rary and disability assistance, department of health, department of
12 labor, local workforce investment boards, office for people with devel-
13 opmental disabilities, and department of corrections and community
14 supervision, shall request assisted persons to provide information with
15 regard to their veteran status and military experiences. Individuals
16 identifying themselves as veterans, including individuals requesting and
17 obtaining a veteran notation on such individual's driver's license or
18 non-driver identification card pursuant to sections four hundred ninety
19 and five hundred two of the vehicle and traffic law, shall be advised
20 that the department of veterans' services and local veterans' service
21 agencies established pursuant to section fourteen of this article
22 provide assistance to veterans regarding benefits under federal and
23 state law. Information regarding veterans status and military service
24 provided by assisted persons solely to implement this section shall be
25 protected as personal confidential information under article six-A of
26 the public officers law against disclosure of confidential material, and
27 used only to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling
28 of the veteran's problems within the agency requesting such information
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15227-01-4
A. 9850 2
1 and in referring the veteran to the department of veterans' services for
2 information and assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements
3 under federal and state law.
4 § 2. Subdivision 6 of section 508 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
5 added by chapter 602 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
6 6. The commissioner, in consultation with the [director] commissioner
7 of the [division] department of veterans' services, is directed to
8 establish a process by which the department shall refer driver's license
9 and non-driver identification card applicants requesting and obtaining a
10 notation upon such license or non-driver identification card that [he or
11 she] such applicant is a veteran of the United States armed forces
12 pursuant to subdivision three of section four hundred ninety of this
13 chapter or subdivision one of section five hundred two of this article,
14 upon [his or her] such applicant's request, to the [division] department
15 of veterans' services, consistent with the provisions of section [three
16 hundred fifty-four-a] seven of the [executive] veterans' services law.
17 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
