S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7129
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               April 1, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
   ty and Military Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services  law,  in  relation  to  veterans
   health care
 
   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 18-a to read as follows:
   § 18-A. VETERAN HEALTH CARE REVIEW. 1. THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION
 WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHALL UNDERTAKE A STUDY REGARDING  VETER-
 AN  HEALTH    CARE  AS  PROVIDED  IN  THIS  SECTION. SUCH STUDY SHALL BE
 COMPLETED AND REPORTED TO THE LEGISLATURE ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER  THIRTY-
 FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN.
   2.  THE VETERAN HEALTH CARE REVIEW SHALL COMPREHENSIVELY STUDY EFFORTS
 THAT CAN BE MADE TO IMPROVE VETERANS' HEALTH CARE IN THE  STATE  INCLUD-
 ING, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A)  INCREASING  ACCESS  BY VETERANS AND   THEIR  FAMILIES  TO  HEALTH
 CARE COVERAGE AND SERVICES;
   (B) LEVERAGING EXISTING RESOURCES AND STRUCTURES IN AREAS WHERE VETER-
 ANS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO EASILY ACCESS SUCH RESOURCES;
   (C) ENSURING  THE NEEDS OF VETERANS AND THEIR  FAMILIES  ARE  INCORPO-
 RATED  IN  ALL STATE EFFORTS TO EXPAND  ACCESS  TO  AFFORDABLE,  QUALITY
 HEALTH CARE;
   (D) ENSURING   VETERANS   AND THEIR FAMILIES  HAVE  ACCESS  TO  MENTAL
 HEALTH   TREATMENT,   INCLUDING   FOR  POST-TRAUMATIC  STRESS  DISORDER,
 DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, MILITARY SEXUAL  TRAUMA,  REPRODUCTIVE  AND  MENTAL
 HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND SUICIDE PREVENTION;
   (E)  INCREASING  PRIMARY, REPRODUCTIVE AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES
 AND RESOURCES FOR WOMEN VETERANS;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04144-01-5
 S. 7129                             2
              

 
   (F) IDENTIFYING  ALL FEDERAL AND OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS, COVERAGE,  AND
 SERVICES AVAILABLE TO VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES; AND
   (G) MORE EFFECTIVELY COORDINATING WITH OTHER LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL
 DEPARTMENTS    AND AGENCIES, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND HEALTH INSURANCE
 PROGRAMS TO HELP VETERANS AND THEIR  BENEFICIARIES  APPLY  FOR  COVERAGE
 UNDER SUCH PROGRAMS, INCLUDING HELPING VETERANS OVERCOME BARRIERS WITHIN
 THE  HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, TO ENSURE ENROLLMENT IN HEALTH PLANS AND EFFEC-
 TIVE DELIVERY AND COORDINATION OF HEALTH SERVICES.
   3. AS PART OF THE STUDY, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALSO:
   (A) EVALUATE WHETHER THE NEEDS OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE  MET
 BY EXISTING HEALTH CARE AND VETERANS' PROGRAMS;
   (B) EXAMINE THE EXISTING HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND RESOURCES  AVAILABLE
 TO  WOMEN  VETERANS,  ASSESS  IF THE EXISTING SERVICES AND RESOURCES ARE
 SERVING THE NEEDS OF WOMEN  VETERANS,  AND  PROVIDE  RECOMMENDATIONS  TO
 FURTHER  EXPAND  ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND RESOURCES
 FOR WOMEN VETERANS;
   (C) PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STEPS THAT COULD BE TAKEN TO  INCREASE
 ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, QUALITY HEALTH CARE;
   (D)  CONSIDER  THE  EFFECTS  OF DESIGNATING HEALTH CARE NAVIGATORS WHO
 WOULD ASSIST VETERANS IN NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES OF ACCESSING HEALTH
 CARE BENEFITS AND SERVICES;
   (E) EVALUATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH VETERANS IN THE STATE ARE  EXPERIENC-
 ING  DELAYS  IN  THE RECEIPT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND WAYS TO PROVIDE
 ASSISTANCE TO THOSE  VETERANS  HAVING  DIFFICULTY  RECEIVING  TIMELY  OR
 ADEQUATE CARE; AND
   (F)  EVALUATE  THE  POTENTIAL  EFFECTIVENESS  OF  HEALTH  CARE  CHOICE
 ACCOUNTS, DEPOSITS INTO WHICH SHALL BE  DEDUCTIBLE  FROM  THE  VETERAN'S
 STATE PERSONAL INCOME TAX, FOR VETERAN MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZED MILITIA,
 PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN A COMBAT ZONE DESIGNATED
 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND HAVE A CURRENT DISABILITY THAT
 WAS INCURRED OR AGGRAVATED AS A RESULT OF SUCH SERVICE.  FOR PURPOSES OF
 THIS  SECTION  THE TERM "HEALTH CARE CHOICE ACCOUNT" SHALL MEAN AN INDI-
 VIDUAL SAVINGS ACCOUNT, OWNED BY A VETERAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF  OBTAINING
 HEALTH  CARE FROM THE PROVIDER OF THEIR CHOICE, WHEN AFTER MAKING APPLI-
 CATION TO OR ATTEMPTING TO  SCHEDULE  AN  APPOINTMENT  FOR  HEALTH  CARE
 SERVICES  THROUGH THE FEDERAL VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION THE VETERAN
 HAS BEEN UNABLE TO RECEIVE SUCH SERVICES IN A TIMELY MANNER.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.