NY State Senate Bill 2015-S7568

Senate Bill S7568

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Authorizes the division of veterans' affairs to provide eligible veterans with financial assistance for purchasing, training and the upkeep of service dogs and emotional support dogs

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 10, 2016	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

2015-S7568 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10589
Current Committee:: Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §368-a, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S20
2019-2020: S7033
2021-2022: S6005
2023-2024: S4717

2015-S7568 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes the division of veterans' affairs to provide eligible veterans with financial assistance for purchasing, training and the upkeep of service dogs and emotional support dogs.

2015-S7568 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S7568

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the executive law, in relation to
authorizing the division of veterans' affairs to provide eligible
veterans with financial assistance for purchasing, training and the
upkeep of service dogs and emotional support dogs

 PURPOSE OF BILL :

This bill will establish a program within the New York State Division
of Veterans' Affairs to provide grant assistance to veterans with
post-traumatic stress disorder and/or traumatic brain injuries for the
purchase, training, and upkeep of service dogs or emotional support
dogs.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1: Adds a new section 368-a to the executive law that: defines
the terms "service dog" and "emotional support dog" for the purposes
of this new section; directs the Division of Veterans' Affairs to
provide grant assistance to eligible veterans for up to $7,500 for the
purchase and training of a service dog from an organization providing
service dogs, or up to $5,000 for the purchase and training of a
service dog from a professional service dog trainer or an
owner-trainer, as well as up to $50 a month for the continued upkeep
of the service dog; directs the Division of Veterans' Affairs to

provide grant assistance of up to $500 for the purchase and training
of an emotional support dog, as well as up to $35 a month for the
continued upkeep of the emotional support dog; and establish
eligibility for these grants as veterans who are residents of New York
State who have received a diagnosis from a licensed physician or
licensed mental health professional of post-traumatic stress disorder,
a traumatic brain injury, or both, and have an annual income of
$50,000 or less.

Section 2: Establishes the effective date of 180 days after the law
shall have taken effect.

 JUSTIFICATION :

According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, reports
of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans have
skyrocketed in recent years, with an estimated 11-20% of veterans
employed during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and/or Operation
Enduring Freedom (OEF) suffering from PTSD. A factsheet published by
the VA states that "with respect to OIF/OEF Veterans, PTSD has been
found to be a risk factor for suicidal ideation," and that "a recent
study found that among OIF/OEF Veterans, those with subthreshold PTSD
were 3 times more likely to report hopelessness or suicidal ideation
than those without PTSD.

The National Center for PTSD notes that for many people suffering from
PTSD, having exposure to dogs can be beneficial complement to
evidence-based treatment. This legislation would connect low-income
veterans who are suffering from PTSD or traumatic brain injury with
grant assistance to connect them with trained service dogs or
emotional support animals.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law; provided, however the division of veterans'
affairs is authorized and directed to promulgate regulations to
implement the provisions of this act immediately.

2015-S7568 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7568

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 10, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- 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 executive law, in relation to authorizing the  divi-
  sion  of veterans' affairs to provide eligible veterans with financial
  assistance for purchasing, training and the upkeep of service dogs and
  emotional support dogs

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 368-a
to read as follows:
  S 368-A. SERVICE DOG AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG GRANT ASSISTANCE.    1.
FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "SERVICE DOG" SHALL HAVE THE
SAME MEANING AS PROVIDED FOR IN SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF SECTION  FORTY-SEV-
EN-B OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW.
  2.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG"
SHALL MEAN A DOG PROVIDING THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT TO AN OWNER.
  3. THE DIVISION  SHALL  PROVIDE  ELIGIBLE  VETERANS  WITH:  (A)  GRANT
ASSISTANCE OF UP TO SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE PURCHASE
AND  TRAINING  OF  A  SERVICE DOG FROM AN ORGANIZATION PROVIDING SERVICE
DOGS FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND/OR TRAUMATIC  BRAIN  INJURY;
OR  (B) GRANT ASSISTANCE OF UP TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE PURCHASE
AND TRAINING OF A SERVICE DOG FROM A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE DOG TRAINER OR
AN OWNER-TRAINER. THE DIVISION SHALL PROVIDE ELIGIBLE VETERANS RECEIVING
GRANT ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION WITH AN AMOUNT OF NOT LESS
THAN FIFTY DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THE CONTINUED UPKEEP OF THE  SERVICE  DOG
AS LONG AS THE ELIGIBLE VETERAN IS IN POSSESSION OF THE SERVICE DOG.
  4.  THE DIVISION SHALL PROVIDE ELIGIBLE VETERANS WITH GRANT ASSISTANCE
OF UP TO FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS  FOR  THE  PURCHASE  AND  TRAINING  OF  AN
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG, AS WELL AS AN AMOUNT OF NOT LESS THAN THIRTY-FIVE
DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THE CONTINUED UPKEEP OF THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG AS
LONG  AS  THE ELIGIBLE VETERAN IS IN POSSESSION OF THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
DOG.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD15301-02-6

S. 7568                             2

  5. TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE GRANT ASSISTANCE UNDER THIS  SECTION,  AN
INDIVIDUAL MUST:
  (A)  BE A VETERAN, WHICH, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, SHALL MEAN
RESIDENT OF THIS STATE WHO SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN  THE  UNITED  STATES
ARMY,  NAVY, MARINE CORPS, AIR FORCE, COAST GUARD OR THE RESERVES COMPO-
NENT, OR WHO SERVED IN ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES AS A
MEMBER OF THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, AIR NATIONAL GUARD, NEW YORK GUARD OR
NEW YORK NAVAL MILITIA, WHO WAS RELEASED FROM SUCH SERVICE OTHER THAN BY
DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE;
  (B) RECEIVE A DIAGNOSIS FROM A LICENSED PHYSICIAN OR  LICENSED  MENTAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, A TRAUMATIC BRAIN
INJURY,  OR BOTH, CAUSING A DISABILITY AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN SUBDI-
VISION TWENTY-ONE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINETY-TWO OF THIS CHAPTER;
  (C) RECEIVE A LETTER FROM A  LICENSED  PHYSICIAN  OR  LICENSED  MENTAL
HEALTH  PROVIDER  CERTIFYING  THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE
USE OF A SERVICE DOG OR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG; AND
  (D) HAVE AN ANNUAL INCOME OF FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS OR LESS.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law; provided, however the division of  veterans'
affairs  is  authorized and directed to promulgate regulations to imple-
ment the provisions of this act immediately.

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