S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7786
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. ADDABBO -- 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  availability
   of information on home care services

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 37 of section 4 of the veterans' services  law,
 as  amended  by  chapter  447 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as
 follows:
   37. To develop collaborative relationships among state,  federal,  and
 local  agencies,  veterans' liaisons pursuant to section [twenty nine-b]
 TWENTY-NINE-B of this article, and private organizations, including  but
 not  limited to the office of mental health, state office for the aging,
 and office of addiction services and supports, to help facilitate access
 to services by members of the uniformed services and  veterans  who  are
 residents  of  the  state  and their families.   THE DEPARTMENT MAY ALSO
 COLLABORATE WITH RELEVANT OFFICES OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF  HEALTH  TO
 DEVELOP  EDUCATIONAL  RESOURCES ON THE AVAILABILITY OF AND ACCESSIBILITY
 TO HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES FOR VETERANS  AND  THEIR  FAMILIES.
 SUCH  RESOURCES  MAY INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF DEDICATED WEBSITES, WEBLINKS
 TO HOME CARE RESOURCES, AND/OR PRINTED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. TO  EFFEC-
 TUATE  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  THE  DEPARTMENT MAY ALSO
 CONSULT WITH OR SEEK INPUT FROM VARIOUS HOME CARE STAKEHOLDERS,  INCLUD-
 ING  HOME  CARE  PROVIDERS  AND  PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, PARTICULARLY
 THOSE WITH EXPERTISE OR EXPERIENCE WITH SERVING VETERANS AND THEIR FAMI-
 LIES.
   § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 15 of the  veterans'  services  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  445  of  the  laws  of 2024, is amended to read as
 follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11096-01-5
 S. 7786                             2
              

 
   1. A local veterans' service agency shall have power under the  direc-
 tion  of the state veterans' service agency, and it shall be its duty to
 inform military and naval authorities of the United  States  and  assist
 members  of  the  uniformed  services and veterans, who are residents of
 this state, and their families, in relation to (1) matters pertaining to
 educational training and retraining services and facilities, (2) health,
 medical  and  rehabilitation  services and facilities, (3) provisions of
 federal, state and local laws and regulations affording  special  rights
 and  privileges  to  members  of the uniformed services and veterans and
 their families, (4) employment and re-employment services, (5) the proc-
 ess of  submitting  an  application  for  a  discharge  upgrade  to  the
 discharge  upgrade  advisory  board,  and  (6) other matters of similar,
 related or appropriate nature.  The local veterans' service  agency  may
 also  assist  families  of  members  of  the  reserve  components of the
 uniformed services and the organized militia ordered into active duty to
 ensure that they are made aware of and  are  receiving  all  appropriate
 support  available  to  them and are placed in contact with the agencies
 responsible for such support, including, but not limited to,  the  divi-
 sion  of military and naval affairs and other state agencies responsible
 for providing such support.  THE LOCAL VETERANS' SERVICE AGENCY MAY ALSO
 POST ON ITS WEBSITE AND/OR MAKE AVAILABLE AT ITS OFFICE LOCATION  EDUCA-
 TIONAL  MATERIALS  RELATING  TO THE AVAILABILITY OF AND ACCESSIBILITY TO
 HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED  SERVICES  THAT  HAVE  BEEN  DEVELOPED  BY  THE
 DEPARTMENT  PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THIRTY-SEVEN OF SECTION FOUR OF THIS
 ARTICLE. The local veterans' service  agency  also  shall  perform  such
 other duties as may be assigned by the state commissioner.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.