S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9850
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              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:

   Section 1. Section 7 of the veterans' services law is amended to  read
 as follows:
   §  7. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance.  Depart-
 ments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies of the state
 and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assistance, treatment,
 counseling, care, supervision or  custody  in  service  areas  involving
 health,  mental health, family services, criminal justice or employment,
 including but not limited  to  the  office  of  addiction  services  and
 supports,  office of mental health, office of probation and correctional
 alternatives, office of children and family services, office  of  tempo-
 rary  and  disability  assistance,  department  of health, department of
 labor, local workforce investment boards, office for people with  devel-
 opmental  disabilities,  and  department  of  corrections  and community
 supervision, shall request assisted persons to provide information  with
 regard  to  their  veteran  status and military experiences. Individuals
 identifying themselves as veterans, INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS REQUESTING AND
 OBTAINING A VETERAN NOTATION ON SUCH INDIVIDUAL'S  DRIVER'S  LICENSE  OR
 NON-DRIVER  IDENTIFICATION CARD PURSUANT TO SECTIONS FOUR HUNDRED NINETY
 AND FIVE HUNDRED TWO OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW,  shall  be  advised
 that  the  department  of veterans' services and local veterans' service
 agencies established  pursuant  to  section  fourteen  of  this  article
 provide  assistance  to  veterans  regarding  benefits under federal and
 state law. Information regarding veterans status  and  military  service
 provided  by  assisted persons solely to implement this section shall be
 protected as personal confidential information under  article  six-A  of
 the public officers law against disclosure of confidential material, and
 used only to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling
 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
 
 and in referring the veteran to the department of veterans' services for
 information and assistance with  regard  to  benefits  and  entitlements
 under federal and state law.
   §  2.  Subdivision 6 of section 508 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
 added by chapter 602 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
   6. The commissioner, in consultation with the [director]  COMMISSIONER
 of  the  [division]  DEPARTMENT  of  veterans'  services, is directed to
 establish a process by which the department shall refer driver's license
 and non-driver identification card applicants requesting and obtaining a
 notation upon such license or non-driver identification card that [he or
 she] SUCH APPLICANT is a veteran  of  the  United  States  armed  forces
 pursuant  to  subdivision  three  of section four hundred ninety of this
 chapter or subdivision one of section five hundred two of this  article,
 upon [his or her] SUCH APPLICANT'S request, to the [division] DEPARTMENT
 of  veterans' services, consistent with the provisions of section [three
 hundred fifty-four-a] SEVEN of the [executive] VETERANS' SERVICES law.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.