NY State Senate Bill 2023-S1409

Senate Bill S1409

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Directs the department of veterans' services to establish and operate an electronic database of the number of openings in each of the 4 state veterans' homes and the number of persons on the waiting lists

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Current 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 03, 2024	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Jan 11, 2023	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

co-Sponsors

2023-S1409 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5743
Current Committee:: Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:: Veterans' Service Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §4, Veterans' Services L; add §2636, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S7480
2017-2018: S307
2019-2020: S4108
2021-2022: S3641

2023-S1409 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S1409 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1409

SPONSOR: ORTT
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the veterans' services law and the public health law, in
relation to directing the department of veterans' services to establish
and operate a publicly accessible electronic database of the availabili-
ty of openings for admission to state veterans' homes

 
PURPOSE:

This bill directs the Division of Veterans' Affairs to establish and
operate an electronic database of the number of available openings in
each of the state-run veterans' homes operated by the Department of
Health and the number of persons on each waiting list, and describe
requirements pertinent to admission.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 353 of the executive law, to require the Divi-
sion of Veterans Affairs, in cooperation with the Department of Health,

to establish and operate an electronic database, accessible to the
public, which provides the number of available openings or eligible
individuals at each state run veterans' home. The database shall also
provide the number of eligible individuals who are on the waiting list
for admission. This webpage shall also include information on related
eligibility requirements that include but are not limited to military
service history, honorable discharge, service connected disability, and
skilled nursing needs.

Section 2 establishes a new section 2636 of the public health law which
directs the Department of Health to fully cooperate with the Division of
Veterans' Affairs to establish and operate the electronic database, and
provide information relating to the state veterans' homes operated by
the Department.

Section 3 establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

According to 2014 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, New York State
has the fifth largest veterans population in the country, with more than
half of those veterans being sixty-five years of age and older.  With
such a large aging veterans population it is imperative that the proper
services are available in order to care for these individuals in their
later years. The state run veterans' homes are experts in providing such
care; however, oftentimes it is difficult to navigate the state run
system. This bill seeks to aid the aging veteran population and their
caregivers by providing a simple mechanism to allow individuals to check
available space, or the extent of the waitlist, at each of the five
state run veterans' homes. With this information elderly veterans, and
their caregivers, can make more informed decisions regarding long-term
care options. Providing this information is just a small step the State
can take in helping our aging veteran population secure the health care
services they have valiantly earned.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: S. 3641 Referred to Veterans

2019-2020: S4108A Amended and Recommitted to Veterans, Homeland Security
and Military Affairs

2016: A10692/S.7480

 
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 that, effective immediately,
any actions necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its
effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before
such date.

2023-S1409 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1409
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 11, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ORTT  --  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 veterans' services law and the public health law, in
   relation to directing the department of veterans' services  to  estab-
   lish  and  operate  a  publicly  accessible electronic database of the
   availability of openings for admission to state veterans' homes
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  4  of  the  veterans' services law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 38 to read as follows:
   38. TO, IN CONSULTATION AND COOPERATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,
 ESTABLISH AND OPERATE AN INTERNET WEBSITE ELECTRONIC DATABASE,  ACCESSI-
 BLE  TO  THE PUBLIC, WHICH PROVIDES THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE OPENINGS FOR
 ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AT EACH STATE VETERANS' HOME OPERATED  PURSUANT  TO
 ARTICLE  TWENTY-SIX-A  OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW. IN ADDITION, SUCH ELEC-
 TRONIC DATABASE SHALL, FOR EACH SUCH VETERANS' HOME, PROVIDE THE  NUMBER
 OF ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ON THE WAITING LIST FOR ADMISSION TO THE
 STATE VETERANS' HOME AND INFORMATION ON THE ADMISSION PROCESS INCLUDING,
 BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  ELIGIBILITY  REQUIREMENTS  RELATING  TO MILITARY
 SERVICE HISTORY, HONORABLE DISCHARGE, SERVICE CONNECTED DISABILITY,  AND
 SKILLED NURSING NEEDS. THE DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHALL
 JOINTLY  ENSURE  THAT  THE INFORMATION POSTED ON THE ELECTRONIC DATABASE
 ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION IS MAINTAINED AND UPDATED ON  A
 REAL TIME BASIS AS SUCH INFORMATION CHANGES.
   §  2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2636 to
 read as follows:
   § 2636. STATE VETERANS' HOME ELECTRONIC DATABASE. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
 FULLY COOPERATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES  TO  ESTABLISH
 AND  OPERATE THE ELECTRONIC DATABASE PROVIDED FOR IN SUBDIVISION THIRTY-
 EIGHT OF SECTION FOUR OF THE VETERANS' SERVICES LAW, AND PROVIDE  INFOR-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04985-01-3

 S. 1409                             2
 
 MATION  RELATING  TO THE STATE VETERANS' HOMES OPERATED PURSUANT TO THIS
 ARTICLE TO SUCH DIVISION ON A REAL TIME BASIS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall  have become a law except that if part PP of chapter 56 of the
 laws of 2022 shall not have taken effect then this act shall take effect
 on the same date and in the same manner as such  chapter  takes  effect,
 and  provided  further that effective immediately, any actions necessary
 to implement the provisions of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are
 authorized to be completed on or before such date.

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Senate Bill S1409

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Sponsored By

Robert G. Ortt