The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  1140--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 7, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. WALLACE -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on  Veterans'  Affairs  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 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.
   §  2. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 3 of section 361-b of the executive
 law, as amended by chapter 480 of the laws of 2019, is amended  to  read
 as follows:
   (c)  liaison  between  the  division,  the United States department of
 veterans affairs center for women veterans, the United States department
 of veterans affairs advisory committee on women veterans, state veterans
 nursing homes, state agencies, community groups, WOMEN VETERANS ADVISORY
 COMMITTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE-C OF THIS ARTICLE,
 advocates and other veterans and military organizations  and  interested
 parties;
   §  3.  The  executive  law is amended by adding a new section 361-c to
 read as follows:
   § 361-C. WOMEN VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.   1.  THE  WOMEN  VETERANS
 ADVISORY  COMMITTEE  IS HEREBY CREATED CONSISTING OF EIGHT MEMBERS, WITH
 MEMBERS APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS:  (A) TWO MEMBERS BY THE GOVERNOR; (B)  TWO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD00707-02-1

 A. 1140--A                          2
 
 MEMBERS BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; (C) TWO MEMBERS BY THE
 SPEAKER  OF THE ASSEMBLY; AND (D) ONE MEMBER EACH BY THE MINORITY LEADER
 OF THE SENATE AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY.    ALL  APPOINTED
 MEMBERS  MUST  BE  WOMEN,  AND  VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES
 ARMED FORCES INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE  COMPONENT.  EACH  VETERAN
 SHALL  HAVE  RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE OR HAVE A QUALIFYING CONDI-
 TION AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THIS ARTICLE.
   2. IN MAKING APPOINTMENTS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION,
 THE FOLLOWING SHALL BE CONSIDERED:
   (A) 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
   (B) THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY OF THE WOMAN IN THE VETERAN COMMUNITY.
   3. THE COMMITTEE SHALL ELECT A CHAIR FROM AMONG ITS MEMBERS.
   4. EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL SERVE A TERM OF FOUR YEARS.
   5. A VACANCY ON THE COMMITTEE SHALL 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.
   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' SERVICES AND THE
 WOMEN VETERANS COORDINATOR PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE-B
 OF THIS ARTICLE IN:
   (I) LOCATING, EDUCATING AND ADVOCATING FOR ALL WOMEN VETERANS IN  THIS
 STATE;
   (II) IDENTIFYING 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 HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN VETERANS AND
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAMS THAT INFORM STUDENTS, 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'  SERVICES  AND  SUCH
 OTHER OFFICES OF THIS STATE AS MAY BE APPROPRIATE;
   (VI)  MAKING  INFORMATION  AVAILABLE REGARDING JOB AND CAREER OPPORTU-
 NITIES;
   (VII) PROVIDING OUTREACH REGARDING AVAILABLE  RESOURCES  FOR  VETERANS
 WITH A QUALIFYING CONDITION AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF
 THIS ARTICLE; AND
   (VIII)  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.

 A. 1140--A                          3
 
   (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 CURRENT 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;
   (IV)  RECOMMENDATIONS  REGARDING  WHAT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO REDUCE
 MISINFORMATION AND IMPROVE SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN VETERANS; AND
   (V) OUTREACH ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE.
   10. THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' SERVICES SHALL HELP SUPPORT THE  COMMIT-
 TEE'S ACTIVITIES.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.