Assembly Bill A4987

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4987
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. RAGA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to enacting  the
   "New York veteran digital navigator program act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "New York veteran digital navigator program act".
   §  2.  The  veterans'  services law is amended by adding a new section
 29-c to read as follows:
   § 29-C. NEW YORK VETERAN  DIGITAL  NAVIGATOR  PROGRAM.  1.  THE  STATE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO PROMOTE DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP,
 THROUGH WHICH THE STATE COMMISSIONER  SHALL  AWARD  GRANTS  TO  ELIGIBLE
 ENTITIES  TO  ENABLE THOSE ELIGIBLE ENTITIES TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITIES
 DESCRIBED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION.
   2. AN ELIGIBLE ENTITY SEEKING A GRANT UNDER THE  PROGRAM  REQUIRED  BY
 SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF THIS SECTION SHALL SUBMIT TO THE STATE COMMISSIONER
 AN APPLICATION THEREFOR AT SUCH TIME, IN  SUCH  MANNER,  AND  CONTAINING
 SUCH  INFORMATION AS THE STATE COMMISSIONER MAY REQUIRE, INCLUDING, AT A
 MINIMUM THE FOLLOWING:
   (A) A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES THE  ELIGIBLE  ENTITY  INTENDS  TO
 CARRY OUT WITH THE GRANT FUNDS;
   (B) AN ESTIMATE OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH ACTIVITIES; AND
   (C)  SUCH  OTHER  INFORMATION AND ASSURANCES AS THE STATE COMMISSIONER
 MAY REQUIRE.
   3. AN ELIGIBLE ENTITY SHALL USE THE AMOUNT OF A  GRANT  AWARDED  UNDER
 THE PROGRAM REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION TO CARRY OUT ONE
 OR  MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE CYBERSECURITY BEST PRAC-
 TICES AND INCREASE DIGITAL LITERACY AMONG VETERANS:
   (A) DEVELOP COMPETENCIES IN CYBERSECURITY BEST PRACTICES; AND
   (B) DEVELOP DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP COMPETENCIES BY PROMOTING VETERANS':
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02540-01-5
              

 A. 4987                             2
 
   (1) RESEARCH AND INFORMATION FLUENCY;
   (2) CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS;
   (3) TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS AND CONCEPTS;
   (4) INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY;
   (5) CONCEPTS OF DIGITAL REPRESENTATION AND STEREOTYPING;
   (6) UNDERSTANDING OF EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT DIGITAL MESSAGES;
   (7)  UNDERSTANDING  OF VALUES AND POINTS OF VIEW THAT ARE INCLUDED AND
 EXCLUDED IN DIGITAL CONTENT;
   (8) UNDERSTANDING OF HOW  DIGITAL  CONTENT  MAY  INFLUENCE  IDEAS  AND
 BEHAVIORS;
   (9)  UNDERSTANDING HOW INFORMATION ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS CAN BE ALTERED
 THROUGH ALGORITHMS, EDITING, AND AUGMENTED REALITY;
   (10) ABILITY TO CREATE  DIGITAL  CONTENT  IN  CIVICALLY  AND  SOCIALLY
 RESPONSIBLE WAYS; AND
   (11)  UNDERSTANDING OF INFLUENCE CAMPAIGNS CONDUCTED BY FOREIGN ADVER-
 SARIES AND THE TACTICS EMPLOYED BY FOREIGN  ADVERSARIES  FOR  CONDUCTING
 INFLUENCE CAMPAIGNS.
   4.  (A) EACH RECIPIENT OF A GRANT UNDER THE PROGRAM REQUIRED BY SUBDI-
 VISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL, NOT LATER THAN ONE YEAR AFTER THE DATE
 ON WHICH THE RECIPIENT FIRST  RECEIVES  FUNDS  PURSUANT  TO  THE  GRANT,
 SUBMIT  TO THE STATE COMMISSIONER A REPORT DESCRIBING THE ACTIVITIES THE
 RECIPIENT CARRIED OUT USING GRANT FUNDS AND THE EFFECTIVENESS  OF  THOSE
 ACTIVITIES.
   (B)  NOT  LATER  THAN  NINETY  DAYS  AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH THE STATE
 COMMISSIONER RECEIVES THE LAST REPORT THE STATE COMMISSIONER EXPECTS  TO
 RECEIVE  UNDER PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE STATE COMMISSIONER
 SHALL SUBMIT TO THE  LEGISLATURE  A  REPORT  DESCRIBING  THE  ACTIVITIES
 CARRIED  OUT  UNDER  THIS  SECTION AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THOSE ACTIV-
 ITIES.
   5. THE STATE COMMISSIONER SHALL:
   (A) ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A LIST OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES THAT RECEIVE  A
 GRANT UNDER THE PROGRAM REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, AND
 INDIVIDUALS DESIGNATED BY THOSE ELIGIBLE ENTITIES AS PARTICIPATING INDI-
 VIDUALS; AND
   (B)  MAKE  THAT  LIST AVAILABLE TO THOSE ELIGIBLE ENTITIES AND PARTIC-
 IPATING INDIVIDUALS  IN  ORDER  TO  PROMOTE  COMMUNICATION  AND  FURTHER
 EXCHANGE  OF  INFORMATION  REGARDING SOUND DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP PRACTICES
 AMONG RECIPIENTS OF GRANTS UNDER THE PROGRAM REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION ONE
 OF THIS SECTION.
   6. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A) "CYBERSECURITY BEST PRACTICES"  MEANS  PRACTICES  AND  STEPS  THAT
 USERS OF COMPUTERS AND OTHER INTERNET CONNECTED DEVICES TAKE TO MAINTAIN
 AND  IMPROVE ONLINE SECURITY, MAINTAIN THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF COMPUT-
 ERS DEVICES, AND PROTECT COMPUTERS AND  DEVICES  FROM  CYBERATTACKS  AND
 UNAUTHORIZED USE;
   (B) "DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP" MEANS THE ABILITY TO:
   (1)  SAFELY, RESPONSIBLY, AND ETHICALLY USE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
 AND DIGITAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TOOLS AND PLATFORMS;
   (2) CREATE AND SHARE MEDIA CONTENT  USING  PRINCIPLES  OF  SOCIAL  AND
 CIVIC  RESPONSIBILITY AND WITH AWARENESS OF THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES
 INVOLVED; AND
   (3) PARTICIPATE IN  THE  POLITICAL,  ECONOMIC,  SOCIAL,  AND  CULTURAL
 ASPECTS  OF  LIFE RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND THE DIGITAL
 WORLD BY CONSUMING AND CREATING DIGITAL CONTENT, INCLUDING MEDIA;
   (C) "ELIGIBLE ENTITY" MEANS:
 A. 4987                             3
 
   (1) A CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING COMMUNITY GROUPS,  NONGOV-
 ERNMENTAL  ORGANIZATIONS,  NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, LABOR ORGANIZATIONS,
 INDIGENOUS GROUPS, CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, PROFESSIONAL  ASSOCIATIONS,
 AND FOUNDATIONS; AND
   (2) CONGRESSIONALLY CHARTERED VETERANS' SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.