NY State Senate Bill 2021-S6005

Senate Bill S6005

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Authorizes the division of veterans' affairs to provide eligible veterans with financial assistance for purchasing, training and the upkeep of service dogs and emotional support dogs

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Mar 25, 2021	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

2021-S6005 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7852
Current Committee:: Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §368-a, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S7568
2017-2018: S20
2019-2020: S7033
2023-2024: S4717, A3149

2021-S6005 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes the division of veterans' affairs to provide eligible veterans with financial assistance for purchasing, training and the upkeep of service dogs and emotional support dogs.

2021-S6005 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6005

SPONSOR: SANDERS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

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

 
PURPOSE OF BILL:

This bill will establish a program within the New York State Division of
Veterans' Affairs to provide grant assistance to veterans with post-
traumatic stress disorder and/or traumatic brain injuries for the
purchase, training, and upkeep of service dogs or emotional support
dogs.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Adds a new section 368-a to the executive law that: defines

the terms "service dog" and "emotional support dog" for the purposes of
this new section; directs the Division of Veterans' Affairs to provide
grant assistance to eligible veterans for up to $7,500 for the purchase
and training of a service dog from an organization providing service
dogs, or up to $5,000 for the purchase and training of a service dog
from a professional service dog trainer or an owner-trainer, as well as
up to $50 a month for the continued upkeep of the service dog; directs
the Division of Veterans' Affairs to provide grant assistance of up to
$500 for the purchase and training of an emotional support dog, as well
as.up to $35 a month for the continued upkeep of the emotional support
dog; and establish eligibility for these grants as veterans who are
residents of New York State who have received a diagnosis from a
licensed physician or licensed mental health professional of post-trau-
matic stress disorder, a traumatic brain injury, or both, and have an
annual income of $50,000 or less. Section 2: Establishes the effective
date of 180 days after the law shall have taken effect.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, reports
of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans have skyrocketed
in recent years, with an estimated 11-20k of veterans employed during
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and/or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
suffering from PTSD. A factsheet published by the VA states that "with
respect to OIF/OEF Veterans, PTSD has been found to be a risk factor for
suicidal ideation," and that "a recent study found that among OIF/OEF
Veterans, those with subthreshold PTSD were 3 times more likely to
report hopelessness or suicidal ideation than those without PTSD.

The National Center for PTSD notes that for many people suffering from
PTSD, having exposure to dogs can be beneficial complement to evidence-
based treatment. This legislation would connect low-income veterans who
are suffering from PTSD or traumatic brain injury with grant assistance
to connect them with trained service dogs or emotional support animals.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2016 S7568 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
2016 A10589 referred to veterans' affairs

2017 S7568 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

2018 S7568 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

2019 S20 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

2020 57033 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
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.

2021-S6005 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6005
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 25, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- 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
 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THE CONTINUED UPKEEP OF THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG AS
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD05893-01-1

 S. 6005                             2
 
 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. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.

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