The New York State Senate

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

                                  2738

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 29, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  KAPLAN -- 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  directing  the  state
  director of veterans' affairs to submit a plan relating to coordinated
  services  for  service-disabled  veterans  to  the  veterans'  affairs
  commission

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

  Section  1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby recognizes that
New York state's veterans, particularly those who  suffered  service-re-
lated disabilities, have unique needs as a result of the sacrifices they
made  during  their  military service. It is also hereby acknowledged by
the legislature that due to the complexity of their needs, such individ-
uals require accessible, coordinated, and  specialized  services  within
their  communities  from multiple state and local agencies. The legisla-
ture finds that there is an immediate need for a statewide comprehensive
program to coordinate such services.
  § 2. Section 352 of the executive law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subdivision 6 to read as follows:
  6.  THE  STATE  DIRECTOR SHALL SUBMIT A PLAN TO THE COMMISSION BY JULY
FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY, AND EVERY FIVE YEARS THEREAFTER, WITH  FIND-
INGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO:
  (A) PROMOTE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE PROGRAM OF
COORDINATED SERVICES FOR SERVICE-DISABLED VETERANS THAT INCLUDES:
  (I) MATTERS PERTAINING TO EDUCATIONAL TRAINING AND RETRAINING SERVICES
AND FACILITIES;
  (II) HEALTH, MEDICAL AND REHABILITATION SERVICES;
  (III) EMPLOYMENT AND RE-EMPLOYMENT SERVICES;
  (IV) HOUSING OPTIONS;
  (V) TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS;

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

                                                           LBD05493-01-9

S. 2738                             2

  (VI) LONG TERM CARE OPTIONS;
  (VII) PERSONAL CARE;
  (VIII) DAY PROGRAM SERVICE OPTIONS;
  (IX) FAMILY OUTREACH; AND
  (X) OTHER ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT MAXIMIZE EXISTING RESOURCES;
  (B)  DISSEMINATE  GENERAL  INFORMATION  ABOUT  AVAILABLE  SERVICES  TO
SERVICE-DISABLED VETERANS AND HOW SUCH SERVICES MAY BE ACCESSED; AND
  (C) CONDUCT AN ONGOING EVALUATION ON THE  NEEDS  OF  SERVICE  DISABLED
VETERANS.
  UPON  RECEIPT  OF  SUCH  PLAN  FROM THE STATE DIRECTOR, THE COMMISSION
SHALL VOTE WITHIN NINETY DAYS ON WHETHER TO APPROVE,  MODIFY  OR  REJECT
THE  PLAN;  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, IF THE COMMISSION MODIFIES OR REJECTS THE
PLAN, THE STATE DIRECTOR SHALL RESUBMIT THE PLAN TO THE COMMISSION WITH-
IN SIX MONTHS FOR APPROVAL.
  UPON APPROVAL OF THE PLAN BY THE COMMISSION, THE STATE DIRECTOR  SHALL
SUBMIT  WITHIN  THIRTY  DAYS  OF SUCH APPROVAL A COPY OF THE PLAN TO THE
GOVERNOR, TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY.
  § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.