S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8475
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. BERGER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the elder law, the mental hygiene law, and the state
   finance law, in relation to making technical corrections  relating  to
   the title of the commissioner of veterans' services

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 15 of section 202 of the elder law, as  amended
 by  section 1 of subpart J of part XX of chapter 55 of the laws of 2020,
 is amended to read as follows:
   15. to periodically, in consultation with the state [director] COMMIS-
 SIONER of veterans' services, review the programs operated by the office
 to ensure that the needs of the state's  aging  veteran  population  are
 being met and to develop improvements to programs to meet such needs;
   §  2.  Subdivision  (i) of section 19.07 of the mental hygiene law, as
 amended by section 31-a of part AA of chapter 56 of the laws of 2019, is
 amended to read as follows:
   (i) The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services]  ADDICTION
 SERVICES AND SUPPORTS shall periodically, in consultation with the state
 [director]  COMMISSIONER  of veterans' services: (1) review the programs
 operated by the office to ensure that the needs of the state's  veterans
 who  served in the U.S. armed forces and who are recovering from alcohol
 and/or substance abuse are being met  and  to  develop  improvements  to
 programs  to  meet  such  needs; and (2) in collaboration with the state
 [director] COMMISSIONER of veterans' services and  the  commissioner  of
 the  office of mental health, review and make recommendations to improve
 programs that provide treatment, rehabilitation, relapse prevention, and
 recovery services to veterans who have served in  a  combat  theatre  or
 combat  zone  of  operations  and  have a co-occurring mental health and
 alcoholism or substance abuse disorder.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13160-01-5
 A. 8475                             2
              

 
   § 3. Subdivisions 1 and 5 of section 99-v of the state finance law, as
 amended by section 17 of part AA of chapter 56 of the laws of 2019,  are
 amended to read as follows:
   1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the commission-
 er  of  taxation and finance, the New York state [director] COMMISSIONER
 of veterans' services and the comptroller, a special fund to be known as
 the "homeless veterans assistance fund".
   5. Moneys shall be paid out of the fund on the audit  and  warrant  of
 the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the New York state
 [director]  COMMISSIONER of veterans' services. Any interest received by
 the comptroller on moneys on deposit in the homeless veterans assistance
 fund shall be retained in and become part of such fund.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.