Assembly Bill A9602

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9602
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 21, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to  establishing
   a voluntary veterans' registry
 
   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-f to read as follows:
   §  29-F.  VOLUNTARY VETERANS' REGISTRY. 1. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTAB-
 LISH A VOLUNTARY VETERANS' REGISTRY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING  INFOR-
 MATION ON FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL BENEFITS, PROGRAMS, AND
 SERVICES AVAILABLE TO VETERANS, AND TO LINK VETERANS WITH RESOURCES THAT
 CAN PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.
   2.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE
 THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "STATE AGENCY" MEANS  ANY  DEPARTMENT,  BOARD,  BUREAU,  DIVISION,
 COMMISSION, COUNCIL, OR COMMITTEE WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THE STATE
 UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW YORK, THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, OR ANY PUBLIC
 AUTHORITY UNDER CONTROL OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW
 YORK.
   (B)  "VOLUNTARY  VETERANS' REGISTRY" OR "REGISTRY" MEANS THE VOLUNTARY
 VETERANS' REGISTRY ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS
 SECTION.
   (C)  "STATE  VETERANS' SERVICE AGENCY" MEANS A STATE VETERANS' SERVICE
 AGENCY ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION THIRTEEN OF THIS ARTICLE.
   (D) "LOCAL VETERANS' SERVICE AGENCY" MEANS A LOCAL  VETERANS'  SERVICE
 AGENCY ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION FOURTEEN OF THIS ARTICLE.
   3.  UPON  A VETERAN'S REGISTRATION WITH THE REGISTRY, IF PERMISSION IS
 GRANTED BY SUCH VETERAN, SUCH VETERAN'S INFORMATION SHALL BE SHARED WITH
 OTHER STATE AGENCIES, STATE VETERANS' SERVICE AGENCIES, AND LOCAL VETER-
 ANS' SERVICE AGENCIES.
   4. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COORDINATE WITH OTHER STATE AGENCIES THAT HAVE
 CONTACT WITH VETERANS TO ESTABLISH A PAPER AND ONLINE  VOLUNTARY  VETER-
 ANS'  REGISTRY FORM TO ENABLE STATE AGENCIES TO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT IN
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14495-01-6
 A. 9602                             2
 
 REGISTERING VETERANS WHO WISH  TO  BE  INCLUDED  IN  THE  REGISTRY.  THE
 DEPARTMENT  SHALL  PROVIDE  ACCESS  TO  SUCH  PAPER AND ONLINE VOLUNTARY
 VETERANS' REGISTRY FORM WHICH SHALL CONTAIN A STATEMENT  INDICATING  THE
 PURPOSE  OF THE REGISTRY AND THAT FILLING OUT SUCH FORM DOES NOT GUARAN-
 TEE THAT A VETERAN IS ELIGIBLE FOR ANY BENEFITS. SUCH FORM SHALL INCLUDE
 BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
   (A) NAME;
   (B) ADDRESS;
   (C) GENDER;
   (D) BRANCH OF MILITARY SERVICE;
   (E) DATES OF MILITARY SERVICE;
   (F) CONTACT INFORMATION, INCLUDING PHONE OR EMAIL;
   (G) A SIGNED STATEMENT, OR FOR THE  ONLINE  VERSION,  A  BOX  THAT  IS
 CHECKED, INDICATING THAT THE VETERAN GRANTS PERMISSION TO THE DEPARTMENT
 TO  STORE  AND SHARE SUCH VETERAN'S INFORMATION WITH THE LOCAL VETERANS'
 SERVICE AGENCIES' DIRECTORS AND WITH THE OTHER STATE AGENCIES TO  ENSURE
 THAT  THE  STATE  PROVIDES  SUCH  VETERAN ASSISTANCE IN RECEIVING EARNED
 BENEFITS; AND
   (H) ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAY REQUEST.
   5. EACH STATE AGENCY SHALL:
   (A) UTILIZE THE PAPER OR ONLINE VOLUNTARY VETERANS' REGISTRY  FORM  TO
 DEVELOP  A  MECHANISM  TO  IDENTIFY  VETERANS  THE AGENCY SERVES FOR THE
 PURPOSE OF EXPANDING THE REGISTRY;
   (B) FOR EACH VETERAN WHO WISHES TO BE INCLUDED IN THE VOLUNTARY VETER-
 ANS' REGISTRY, THE AGENCY SHALL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN  FILLING  OUT  THE
 PAPER OR ONLINE REGISTRY FORM FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO ADD EACH SUCH VETER-
 AN TO THE REGISTRY; AND
   (C)  SUBMIT  A  VETERAN'S PAPER REGISTRY FORM TO THE DEPARTMENT WITHIN
 SIXTY DAYS FROM THE DATE THE VETERAN OPTS IN TO THE VOLUNTARY  VETERANS'
 REGISTRY.
   6.  INFORMATION COLLECTED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE SOLD OR USED
 FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES OR USED FOR PURPOSES NOT  SPECIFIED  UNDER  THIS
 SECTION.  INFORMATION REGARDING A VETERAN'S STATUS SHALL BE PROTECTED AS
 PERSONAL CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL AND SHALL  ONLY  BE  USED  TO  ASSIST  IN
 PROVIDING  INFORMATION  ABOUT  BENEFITS  AND  ENTITLEMENTS  FOR VETERANS
 RESIDING IN THE STATE ON THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL.
 DATA COLLECTED UNDER THIS SECTION MAY  BE  USED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  TO
 ASSIST  IN  FORMULATING  FUTURE  POLICY  INITIATIVES AND SHARED WITH THE
 VETERANS' SERVICES COMMISSION PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE OF THIS  ARTICLE
 IN ITS ROLE OF ASSISTING THE COMMISSIONER IN THE FORMULATION OF POLICIES
 AFFECTING VETERANS.
   7.  ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN, AND
 ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, THE COMMISSIONER  SHALL  SUBMIT  A  REPORT  TO  THE
 GOVERNOR,  THE  SPEAKER  OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF
 THE SENATE. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE  TOTAL
 NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY VETERANS' REGISTRY FORMS THAT WERE COMPLETED FOR THE
 CALENDAR  YEAR  AND  A  BREAKDOWN  OF  REGISTERED VETERANS BY GENDER AND
 LOCATION.
   § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 3  of  the  veterans'  services  law  is
 amended to read as follows:
   5.  The  commission  shall  have  power,  and it shall be its duty, to
 assist the state commissioner in the formulation of  policies  affecting
 veterans,  INCLUDING  USING  DATA  COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-
 NINE-F OF THIS ARTICLE, and in the coordination  of  all  operations  of
 state agencies relating to veterans' services.
 A. 9602                             3
 
   §  3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
 law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any
 rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act  on  its
 effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
 effective date.