Senate Bill S4218

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4218
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 3, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  PARKER, ADDABBO, BAILEY, COMRIE -- read twice and
   ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
   Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
 
 AN  ACT to amend the veterans' services law, the social services law and
   the mental hygiene law, in relation to providing veterans' housing

   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 6-a to read as follows:
   § 6-A. VETERANS' HOUSING. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOW-
 ING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   A. "TRANSITIONAL HOUSING" MEANS TEMPORARY  HOUSING  FOR  VETERANS  AND
 SHALL INCLUDE BRIDGE HOUSING AND SERVICE-INTENSIVE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.
   B.  "BRIDGE HOUSING" MEANS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING IN WHICH A VETERAN MAY
 AWAIT PERMANENT HOUSING PLACEMENT. NO VETERAN SHALL BE REQUIRED TO SPEND
 MORE THAN NINETY DAYS IN BRIDGE HOUSING.
   C. "SERVICE-INTENSIVE HOUSING" MEANS  TRANSITIONAL  HOUSING  IN  WHICH
 VETERANS  ARE  PROVIDED SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO ACTIVELY SEEK PERMANENT
 HOUSING.  SERVICE-INTENSIVE HOUSING SHALL PROVIDE VETERANS WITH GENERAL-
 IZED CASE-MANAGEMENT, CLINICALLY APPROPRIATE CARE, AND JOB TRAINING.
   D. "PERMANENT HOUSING" MEANS LONG-TERM HOUSING AND SHALL  NOT  INCLUDE
 BRIDGE  HOUSING  OR  SERVICE-INTENSIVE HOUSING. PERMANENT HOUSING MAY BE
 SUPPORTED THROUGH A LOCAL, STATE, OR FEDERAL HOUSING PROGRAM.
   E. "HOMELESS" MEANS A PERSON WHO IS UNDOMICILED OR UNSHELTERED, AND IS
 UNABLE TO SECURE PERMANENT OR STABLE HOUSING WITHOUT SPECIAL ASSISTANCE,
 AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   F. "HOUSING FIRST PRINCIPLES" MEANS THE APPROACH  ARTICULATED  BY  THE
 UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT THAT PRIOR-
 ITIZES PLACEMENT OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN  HOUSING  WITHOUT  PRECONDI-
 TIONS  AND  BARRIERS  TO  ENTRY,  SUCH AS SOBRIETY, TREATMENT OR SERVICE
 PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07847-01-5
              

 S. 4218                             2
 
   2. IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL,
 THE OFFICE FOR TEMPORARY DISABILITY ASSISTANCE,  THE  OFFICE  OF  MENTAL
 HEALTH,  AND  THE OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, THE DEPART-
 MENT SHALL ENSURE THAT HOMELESS VETERANS ARE HOUSED ACCORDING TO FEDERAL
 HOUSING FIRST PRINCIPLES.
   3.  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL PROVIDE IMMEDIATE HOUSING TO EVERY HOMELESS
 VETERAN WHO REQUESTS TO BE HOUSED.  SUCH  HOUSING  MAY  BE  TRANSITIONAL
 HOUSING  OR  PERMANENT  HOUSING AND SHALL NOT BE CONTINGENT ON SOBRIETY,
 MINIMUM INCOME REQUIREMENTS, ABSENCE OF A CRIMINAL RECORD, OR ANY  OTHER
 CONDITIONS  DEEMED UNNECESSARY BY THE STATE DIRECTOR. LONG-TERM SERVICE-
 INTENSIVE HOUSING SHALL ONLY BE PROVIDED IN LIMITED INSTANCES  AND  ONLY
 WHEN  THE  VETERAN  SPECIFICALLY  CHOOSES TO REMAIN IN SERVICE-INTENSIVE
 HOUSING DESPITE THE AVAILABILITY OF PERMANENT HOUSING. ANY  VETERAN  WHO
 CHOOSES  LONG-TERM SERVICE-INTENSIVE HOUSING SHALL BE PROVIDED A MONTHLY
 REVIEW OF ALL AVAILABLE SERVICES AND HOUSING OPTIONS. ABSENT A VETERAN'S
 CHOICE TO REMAIN IN SERVICE-INTENSIVE  HOUSING,  ALL  HOMELESS  VETERANS
 SHALL  BE PLACED IN PERMANENT HOUSING AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY
 USING FEDERAL HOUSING FIRST PRINCIPLES.
   4. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PREPARE AND PUBLISH AN ANNUAL  REPORT  ON  ITS
 WEBSITE DETAILING THE RESOURCES, PLANS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND SYSTEM CAPACI-
 TY  FOR HOUSING HOMELESS VETERANS. THE REPORT SHALL IDENTIFY ALL SOURCES
 OF DATA UPON WHICH IT RELIED AND SHALL CONTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO
 BETTER PROVIDE HOUSING AND RELATED SERVICES TO HOMELESS VETERANS.
   § 2. Section 20 of the social services law is amended by adding a  new
 subdivision 9 to read as follows:
   9.  THE  OFFICE  OF  TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE SHALL CONSULT
 WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF VETERANS' SERVICES,  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE
 DIVISION  OF  HOUSING  AND  COMMUNITY  RENEWAL,  THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
 OFFICE OF TEMPORARY  DISABILITY  ASSISTANCE,  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE
 OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, AND THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF ADDICTION
 SERVICES  AND  SUPPORTS TO PROVIDE HOUSING SERVICES TO HOMELESS VETERANS
 PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX-A OF THE VETERANS' SERVICES LAW.
   § 3. Section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision (i) to read as follows:
   (I) THE OFFICE  SHALL  CONSULT  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  VETERANS'
 SERVICES,  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY
 RENEWAL, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY DISABILITY  ASSIST-
 ANCE,  AND  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND
 SUPPORTS TO PROVIDE HOUSING SERVICES TO HOMELESS  VETERANS  PURSUANT  TO
 SECTION SIX-A OF THE VETERANS' SERVICES LAW.
   §  4.  Section  19.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision (o) to read as follows:
   (O) THE OFFICE  SHALL  CONSULT  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  VETERANS'
 SERVICES,  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY
 RENEWAL, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY DISABILITY  ASSIST-
 ANCE,  AND  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH TO PROVIDE
 HOUSING SERVICES TO HOMELESS VETERANS PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX-A  OF  THE
 VETERANS' SERVICES LAW.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.