Senate Bill S4717

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Authorizes the department 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

Sponsored By

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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2023-S4717 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A3149
Current Committee:
Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:
Veterans' Service Law
Laws Affected:
Add §29-b, Veterans' Services L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: S7568
2017-2018: S20
2019-2020: S7033
2021-2022: S6005, A7852

2023-S4717 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2023-S4717 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S4717 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4717
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 14, 2023
                                ___________
 
 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 veterans' services law, in relation  to  authorizing
   the department of veterans' services 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  veterans'  services  law  is amended by adding a new
 section 29-b to read as follows:
   § 29-B. 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 DEPARTMENT 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 DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE ELIGIBLE VETERANS RECEIV-
 ING 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 DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE ELIGIBLE VETERANS WITH  GRANT  ASSIST-
 ANCE  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.
                                                            LBD07812-01-3
              

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