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Senate Bill S7708B

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes a veterans' bill of rights

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee

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Bill Amendments

2025-S7708 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6559
Current Committee:
Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:
Veterans' Service Law
Laws Affected:
Add §29-f, Veterans' Services L

2025-S7708 - Summary

Establishes a veterans' bill of rights; provides sample language for such bill of rights; requires the department of veterans' services to establish and distribute a veterans' bill of rights and to make such bill of rights available on the department's website.

2025-S7708 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7708 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7708
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 1, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- 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 the estab-
   lishing a veterans' bill of rights

   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-e to read as follows:
   § 29-E. VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS. 1. THE DEPARTMENT  SHALL  ESTABLISH,
 PRINT,  PUBLISH  AND DISTRIBUTE A VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS. SUCH BILL OF
 RIGHTS SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING OR SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TEXT:
 "VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS
 YOU AS A VETERAN HAVE A RIGHT:
   1. TO APPLY FOR VETERANS' BENEFITS;
   2. TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM YOUR LOCAL STATE VETERANS' SERVICE AGEN-
 CY AND ALL OFFICES  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  DEPARTMENT  OF  VETERANS'
 SERVICES;
   3.  TO  RECEIVE  AN EXPLANATION OF THE SERVICES AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE
 UNDER FEDERAL AND NEW YORK STATE LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS;
   4. TO RECEIVE WRITTEN NOTICE AND AN EXPLANATION  OF  THE  APPROVAL  OR
 DENIAL  OF  YOUR APPLICATION FOR BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER NEW YORK STATE
 LAW;
   5. TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT;
   6. TO APPEAL ANY ADVERSE DETERMINATION OR DENIAL OF  YOUR  APPLICATION
 FOR SERVICES OR BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER NEW YORK STATE LAW;
   7. TO EXPECT CONFIDENTIALITY;
   8.  TO  RECEIVE  FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT WITHOUT REGARD TO SEX, RACE,
 RELIGION, DISABILITY, ETHNICITY, GENDER IDENTITY OR NATIONAL ORIGIN; AND
   9. TO BE INFORMED OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO VETERANS IN THE  STATE  OF
 NEW  YORK  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO: LEGAL SERVICES; EDUCATIONAL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09703-02-5

2025-S7708A - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6559
Current Committee:
Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:
Veterans' Service Law
Laws Affected:
Add §29-f, Veterans' Services L

2025-S7708A - Summary

Establishes a veterans' bill of rights; provides sample language for such bill of rights; requires the department of veterans' services to establish and distribute a veterans' bill of rights and to make such bill of rights available on the department's website.

2025-S7708A - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7708A - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7708--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 1, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
   ty and Military Affairs -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the veterans' services law, in relation to the estab-
   lishing a veterans' bill of rights
 
   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-e to read as follows:
   § 29-E. VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS. 1. THE DEPARTMENT  SHALL  ESTABLISH,
 PRINT,  PUBLISH  AND DISTRIBUTE A VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS. SUCH BILL OF
 RIGHTS  SHALL  INCLUDE  THE  FOLLOWING  OR  SUBSTANTIALLY  SIMILAR  TEXT
 DESCRIBING THE EXISTING RIGHTS OF VETERANS UNDER CURRENT LAW:
 "VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS
 YOU AS A VETERAN HAVE A RIGHT:
   1. TO APPLY FOR VETERANS' BENEFITS FOR WHICH YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE;
   2. TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM YOUR LOCAL STATE VETERANS' SERVICE AGEN-
 CY  AND  ALL  OFFICES  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS'
 SERVICES;
   3. TO RECEIVE, UPON REQUEST, AN EXPLANATION OF ANY SERVICES AND  BENE-
 FITS  AVAILABLE  UNDER  FEDERAL AND NEW YORK STATE LAWS, RULES AND REGU-
 LATIONS;
   4. TO RECEIVE WRITTEN NOTICE AND AN EXPLANATION  OF  THE  APPROVAL  OR
 DENIAL  OF  YOUR APPLICATION FOR BENEFITS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE NEW YORK
 STATE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES;
   5. TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT;
   6. TO APPEAL, SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAW, AN ADVERSE  DETERMINATION  OR
 DENIAL  OF  YOUR  APPLICATION FOR SERVICES OR BENEFITS AVAILABLE THROUGH
 THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES;
   7. TO EXPECT CONFIDENTIALITY TO THE EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09703-05-5

2025-S7708B (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6559
Current Committee:
Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:
Veterans' Service Law
Laws Affected:
Add §29-f, Veterans' Services L

2025-S7708B (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a veterans' bill of rights; provides sample language for such bill of rights; requires the department of veterans' services to establish and distribute a veterans' bill of rights and to make such bill of rights available on the department's website.

2025-S7708B (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7708B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7708--B
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 1, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
   ty and Military Affairs -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted  as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted
   to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and  Military  Affairs
   in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill
   amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
   tee
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation  to  the  estab-
   lishing a veterans' bill of rights
 
   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.  VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS. 1. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH,
 PRINT, PUBLISH AND DISTRIBUTE A VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS. SUCH  BILL  OF
 RIGHTS  SHALL  INCLUDE  THE  FOLLOWING  OR  SUBSTANTIALLY  SIMILAR  TEXT
 DESCRIBING THE EXISTING RIGHTS OF VETERANS UNDER CURRENT LAW:
 "VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS
 YOU AS A VETERAN HAVE A RIGHT:
   1. TO APPLY FOR VETERANS' BENEFITS FOR WHICH YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE;
   2. TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM YOUR LOCAL STATE VETERANS' SERVICE AGEN-
 CY AND ALL OFFICES  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  DEPARTMENT  OF  VETERANS'
 SERVICES;
   3.  TO RECEIVE, UPON REQUEST, AN EXPLANATION OF ANY SERVICES AND BENE-
 FITS AVAILABLE UNDER FEDERAL AND NEW YORK STATE LAWS,  RULES  AND  REGU-
 LATIONS;
   4.  TO  RECEIVE  WRITTEN  NOTICE AND AN EXPLANATION OF THE APPROVAL OR
 DENIAL OF YOUR APPLICATION FOR BENEFITS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE  NEW  YORK
 STATE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES;
   5. TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09703-07-6

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