Senate Bill S20

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    20
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- 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 executive law, in relation to authorizing the  divi-
   sion  of veterans' affairs to provide eligible veterans with financial
   assistance for purchasing, training and the upkeep of service dogs and
   emotional support dogs
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 368-a
 to read as follows:
   § 368-A. SERVICE DOG AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG GRANT ASSISTANCE.    1.
 FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "SERVICE DOG" SHALL HAVE THE
 SAME MEANING AS PROVIDED FOR IN SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF SECTION  FORTY-SEV-
 EN-B OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW.
   2.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG"
 SHALL MEAN A DOG PROVIDING THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT TO AN OWNER.
   3. THE DIVISION  SHALL  PROVIDE  ELIGIBLE  VETERANS  WITH:  (A)  GRANT
 ASSISTANCE OF UP TO SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE PURCHASE
 AND  TRAINING  OF  A  SERVICE DOG FROM AN ORGANIZATION PROVIDING SERVICE
 DOGS FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND/OR TRAUMATIC  BRAIN  INJURY;
 OR  (B) GRANT ASSISTANCE OF UP TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE PURCHASE
 AND TRAINING OF A SERVICE DOG FROM A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE DOG TRAINER OR
 AN OWNER-TRAINER. THE DIVISION SHALL PROVIDE ELIGIBLE VETERANS RECEIVING
 GRANT ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION WITH AN AMOUNT OF NOT LESS
 THAN FIFTY DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THE CONTINUED UPKEEP OF THE  SERVICE  DOG
 AS LONG AS THE ELIGIBLE VETERAN IS IN POSSESSION OF THE SERVICE DOG.
   4.  THE DIVISION SHALL PROVIDE ELIGIBLE VETERANS WITH GRANT ASSISTANCE
 OF UP TO FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS  FOR  THE  PURCHASE  AND  TRAINING  OF  AN
 EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG, AS WELL AS AN AMOUNT OF NOT LESS THAN THIRTY-FIVE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05680-01-7

 S. 20                               2
 
 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THE CONTINUED UPKEEP OF THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG AS
 LONG  AS  THE ELIGIBLE VETERAN IS IN POSSESSION OF THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
 DOG.
   5.  TO  BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE GRANT ASSISTANCE UNDER THIS SECTION, AN
 INDIVIDUAL MUST:
   (A) BE A VETERAN, WHICH, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, SHALL  MEAN
 RESIDENT  OF  THIS  STATE WHO SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE UNITED STATES
 ARMY, NAVY, MARINE CORPS, AIR FORCE, COAST GUARD OR THE RESERVES  COMPO-
 NENT, OR WHO SERVED IN ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES AS A
 MEMBER OF THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, AIR NATIONAL GUARD, NEW YORK GUARD OR
 NEW YORK NAVAL MILITIA, WHO WAS RELEASED FROM SUCH SERVICE OTHER THAN BY
 DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE;
   (B)  RECEIVE  A DIAGNOSIS FROM A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OR LICENSED MENTAL
 HEALTH PROFESSIONAL OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, A TRAUMATIC BRAIN
 INJURY, OR BOTH, CAUSING A DISABILITY AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN  SUBDI-
 VISION TWENTY-ONE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINETY-TWO OF THIS CHAPTER;
   (C)  RECEIVE  A  LETTER  FROM  A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OR LICENSED MENTAL
 HEALTH PROVIDER CERTIFYING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WOULD  BENEFIT  FROM  THE
 USE OF A SERVICE DOG OR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG; AND
   (D) HAVE AN ANNUAL INCOME OF FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS OR LESS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law; provided, however the division of veterans'
 affairs is authorized and directed to promulgate regulations  to  imple-
 ment the provisions of this act immediately.