Assembly Bill A8057A

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8057--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Veterans' Affairs -- recommitted to the Committee on  Veterans'
   Affairs  in  accordance  with  Assembly  Rule  3,  sec. 2 -- committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to  establishing
   a  lesbian,  gay,  bisexual,  and  transgender veterans coordinator in
   order to support the unique needs of and celebrate the service by such
   veterans
 
   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 40 to read as follows:
   40. TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE  ESTABLISH-
 MENT OF A STATE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS COORDI-
 NATOR, AS PROVIDED IN SECTION NINETEEN-A OF THIS ARTICLE.
   §  2.  The  veterans'  services law is amended by adding a new section
 19-a to read as follows:
   § 19-A. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER  VETERANS  COORDINATOR.
 1.  DEFINITIONS.  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS
 SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "VETERAN" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF
 THIS ARTICLE AND SHALL ALSO INCLUDE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO SERVED  ON  ACTIVE
 DUTY  IN  THE  UNIFORMED  SERVICES  AND HAS A "QUALIFYING CONDITION", AS
 DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THIS ARTICLE, AND  HAS  RECEIVED  A  DISCHARGE
 OTHER  THAN BAD CONDUCT OR DISHONORABLE, OR IS A "DISCHARGED LGBT VETER-
 AN", AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF  THIS  ARTICLE,  AND  HAS  RECEIVED  A
 DISCHARGE OTHER THAN BAD CONDUCT OR DISHONORABLE; AND
   (B) "ACTIVE DUTY" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS USED IN SECTION TWEN-
 TY-SIX OF THIS ARTICLE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11647-02-6
 A. 8057--A                          2
              

 
   2.  ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETER-
 ANS COORDINATOR. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED WITHIN  THE  DEPARTMENT,  A
 "LESBIAN,  GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS COORDINATOR" WHO SHALL
 BE A VETERAN APPOINTED BY AND WORK UNDER THE DIRECTION  OF  THE  COMMIS-
 SIONER. SUCH COORDINATOR'S DUTIES SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A)  IDENTIFICATION,  DEVELOPMENT,  PLANNING, ORGANIZATION AND COORDI-
 NATION OF ALL STATEWIDE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO MEET THE  UNIQUE  NEEDS
 OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS;
   (B)  MAKING  RECOMMENDATIONS  TO THE COMMISSIONER TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE
 WITH ALL EXISTING DEPARTMENT POLICIES AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO  THE
 NEEDS  OF  LESBIAN,  GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS ON THE STATE
 AND FEDERAL LEVEL AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE IMPROVEMENT  OF
 BENEFITS  AND  SERVICES TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETER-
 ANS;
   (C) ACTING AS A LIAISON BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT, STATE VETERANS NURSING
 HOMES, STATE AGENCIES, COMMUNITY GROUPS, ADVOCATES  AND  OTHER  VETERANS
 AND MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS AND INTERESTED PARTIES;
   (D) ADVOCATING FOR ALL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS
 IN THE STATE;
   (E) DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR INFORMATION AND
 RESOURCES FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS;
   (F)  PROMOTE  EVENTS  AND ACTIVITIES THAT RECOGNIZE, EDUCATE AND HONOR
 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL  AND  TRANSGENDER  VETERANS,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO  VETERAN  HUMAN  RIGHTS  CONFERENCES,  VETERANS BENEFITS AND
 RESOURCE EVENTS, AND VETERANS CULTURAL COMPETENCE TRAINING;
   (G) INCLUSION OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL  AND  TRANS-
 GENDER  VETERANS HAVE MADE ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES AND THIS STATE
 ON THE DEPARTMENT'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE; AND
   (H) PREPARATION OF REPORTS ON TOPICS INCLUDING, BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,
 THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS, AND
 THE  UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS
 POPULATION, TO THE EXTENT SUCH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, TO THE  COMMIS-
 SIONER  ON THE STATUS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS
 WITHIN NEW YORK STATE.
   3. REPORTS. THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS  COOR-
 DINATOR  SHALL  SUBMIT  A REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER EACH YEAR AFTER THE
 EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE
 LIMITED  TO, A DESCRIPTION OF THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER
 VETERANS COORDINATOR'S ACTIVITIES FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR AND THE PROGRAMS
 DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.  THE  COMMISSIONER
 SHALL  INCLUDE  A  SYNOPSIS  OF  SUCH REPORT IN THE ANNUAL REPORT TO THE
 GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE REQUIRED  UNDER  SUBDIVISION  SEVENTEEN  OF
 SECTION FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.