The New York State Senate

                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  9846

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             April 15, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. RUSSELL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee on Veterans' Affairs

AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation  to  creating  the  women
  veterans advisory committee

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative findings. Women  make  up  15  percent  of  the
veterans  of the armed forces of the United States and continue to be an
increasingly integral part of the operations of the armed forces of  the
United  States  around  the  world.  Few  studies have been conducted to
determine and understand the unique challenges that women  veterans  may
have,  both  post  deployment and following separation from active duty.
Many veterans who are women do not self-identify as  veterans  and  may,
therefore,  fail  to  consider  various  programs  and benefits that are
available to them as a result of their military service.
  S 2. The executive law is amended by adding a  new  section  361-c  to
read as follows:
  S  361-C.  WOMEN  VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.   1. THE WOMEN VETERANS
ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS HEREBY CREATED CONSISTING OF  FIVE  MEMBERS,  WITH
ONE  MEMBER  APPOINTED  BY EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:  (A) THE GOVERNOR; (B)
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; (C) THE SPEAKER OF THE  ASSEMBLY;
(D)  THE  MINORITY  LEADER OF THE SENATE; AND (E) THE MINORITY LEADER OF
THE ASSEMBLY.  ALL APPOINTED MEMBERS MUST BE WOMEN, AND MUST  BE  FORMER
MEMBERS  OF  THE  ARMED  FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, THE NEW YORK ARMY  NATIONAL  GUARD  AND  THE  NEW  YORK  AIR
NATIONAL  GUARD, WHO RECEIVED, UPON SEVERANCE FROM SERVICE, AN HONORABLE
DISCHARGE.
  2. IN MAKING APPOINTMENTS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION,
THE FOLLOWING SHALL BE CONSIDERED:
  (A) THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DIRECTOR OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS;
  (B) WHETHER THE APPOINTMENTS PROVIDE A  GEOGRAPHICAL  BALANCE  BETWEEN
THE  URBAN  AND  RURAL  AREAS  OF  THIS STATE AND REPRESENT THE CULTURAL
DIVERSITY OF THIS STATE; AND
  (C) THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY OF THE WOMAN IN THE VETERAN COMMUNITY.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD13709-08-6

A. 9846                             2

  3. THE COMMITTEE SHALL ELECT A CHAIR FROM AMONG ITS MEMBERS.
  4. AFTER THE INITIAL TERMS, EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE SERVES A TERM
OF FOUR YEARS.
  5.  A VACANCY ON THE COMMITTEE MUST BE FILLED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
UNEXPIRED TERM IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT.
  6. THE COMMITTEE SHALL MEET AT LEAST FOUR TIMES PER YEAR AT  THE  CALL
OF THE CHAIR.
  7.  A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED CONSTITUTES A
QUORUM FOR THE TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS.
  8. EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE:
  (A) SERVES WITHOUT COMPENSATION, EXCEPT THAT A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE
WHO IS A STATE OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE MAY RECEIVE HER REGULAR  COMPENSATION
WHILE ENGAGING IN THE BUSINESS OF THE COMMITTEE; AND
  (B)  WHILE  ENGAGED  IN  THE BUSINESS OF THE COMMITTEE, IS ENTITLED TO
RECEIVE THE PER DIEM ALLOWANCE AND TRAVEL EXPENSES  PROVIDED  FOR  STATE
OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES GENERALLY.
  9. THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
  (A) SUPPORT AND ASSIST THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS IN:
  (I)  LOCATING, EDUCATING AND ADVOCATING FOR ALL WOMEN VETERANS IN THIS
STATE;
  (II) DETERMINING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF WOMEN VETERANS;
  (III) CONDUCTING OUTREACH AND EDUCATION THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS, INCLUD-
ING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE ORGANIZATION OF  STATEWIDE  WOMEN  VETERANS
EVENTS,  THE  PROMOTION  OF  BENEFITS AND SUPERIOR HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN
VETERANS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAMS THAT  INFORM  PUPILS,  BUSINESS
LEADERS  AND  EDUCATORS ABOUT THE IMPORTANT ROLE WOMEN PLAY IN THE ARMED
FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES;
  (IV) EDUCATING WOMEN VETERANS AS TO BENEFITS  AND  PROGRAMS  THAT  ARE
AVAILABLE TO THEM;
  (V)  AT  LEAST  ANNUALLY, MAKING SUCH RECOMMENDATIONS AS MAY BE DEEMED
NECESSARY OR ADVISABLE TO  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE  STATE  LEGISLATURE,  THE
OFFICE  OF  THE  DIRECTOR  OF THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND SUCH
OTHER OFFICES OF THIS STATE AS MAY BE APPROPRIATE; AND
  (VI) ADVOCATING ON  BEHALF  OF  WOMEN  VETERANS  TO  ENSURE  THAT  THE
PROGRAMS  AND POLICIES OF THIS STATE AND OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS REMAIN OPEN TO WOMEN AND MINDFUL OF THE ELEMENTS OF
THE EXPERIENCE OF A VETERAN THAT ARE UNIQUE TO WOMEN.
  (B) SUBMIT A REPORT ON OR BEFORE  FEBRUARY  FIFTEENTH  OF  EACH  YEAR,
OUTLINING  THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE DURING THE PRECEDING CALENDAR
YEAR AND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE GOVERNOR AND LEGIS-
LATURE.  THE  REPORT  MUST  INCLUDE,  WITHOUT  LIMITATION,   INFORMATION
PERTAINING TO:
  (I) THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF WOMEN VETERANS;
  (II)  THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WOMEN VETERANS HAVE MADE ON BEHALF OF THE
UNITED STATES AND THIS STATE;
  (III) THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE POPULATION OF WOMEN VETERANS; AND
  (IV) STEPS TAKEN TO REDUCE  MISINFORMATION  AND  IMPROVE  SUPPORT  FOR
PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN VETERANS.
  10.  THE  DIVISION  OF  VETERANS' AFFAIRS SHALL PROVIDE THE PERSONNEL,
FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES REQUIRED BY THE COMMITTEE.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.