S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3144--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 4, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  KAPLAN -- 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 executive law, in relation  to  creating  the  women
   veterans advisory committee
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Legislative findings. Women  make  up  15  percent  of  the
 veterans  of the armed forces of the United States and continue to be an
 increasingly integral part of the operations of the armed forces of  the
 United  States  around  the  world.  Few  studies have been conducted to
 determine and understand the unique challenges that women  veterans  may
 have,  both  post  deployment and following separation from active duty.
 Many veterans who are women do not self-identify as  veterans  and  may,
 therefore,  fail  to  consider  various  programs  and benefits that are
 available to them as a result of their military service.
   § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a  new  section  361-c  to
 read as follows:
   §  361-C.  WOMEN  VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.   1. THE WOMEN VETERANS
 ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS HEREBY CREATED CONSISTING OF  FIVE  MEMBERS,  WITH
 ONE  MEMBER  APPOINTED  BY EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:  (A) THE GOVERNOR; (B)
 THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; (C) THE SPEAKER OF THE  ASSEMBLY;
 (D)  THE  MINORITY  LEADER OF THE SENATE; AND (E) THE MINORITY LEADER OF
 THE ASSEMBLY.  ALL APPOINTED MEMBERS MUST BE WOMEN, AND MUST  BE  FORMER
 MEMBERS  OF  THE  ARMED  FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT
 LIMITATION, THE NEW YORK ARMY  NATIONAL  GUARD  AND  THE  NEW  YORK  AIR
 NATIONAL  GUARD, WHO RECEIVED, UPON SEVERANCE FROM SERVICE, AN HONORABLE
 DISCHARGE, OR OTHER DISCHARGE UNDER HONORABLE CONDITIONS, INCLUDING, BUT
 NOT LIMITED TO, A GENERAL DISCHARGE.
   2. IN MAKING APPOINTMENTS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION,
 THE FOLLOWING SHALL BE CONSIDERED:
   (A) THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DIRECTOR OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS;
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05748-02-9

 S. 3144--A                          2
 
   (B) WHETHER THE APPOINTMENTS PROVIDE A  GEOGRAPHICAL  BALANCE  BETWEEN
 THE  URBAN  AND  RURAL  AREAS  OF  THIS STATE AND REPRESENT THE CULTURAL
 DIVERSITY OF THIS STATE; AND
   (C) THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY OF THE WOMAN IN THE VETERAN COMMUNITY.
   3. THE COMMITTEE SHALL ELECT A CHAIR FROM AMONG ITS MEMBERS.
   4. AFTER THE INITIAL TERMS, EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE SERVES A TERM
 OF FOUR YEARS.
   5.  A VACANCY ON THE COMMITTEE MUST BE FILLED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
 UNEXPIRED TERM IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT.
   6. THE COMMITTEE SHALL MEET AT LEAST FOUR TIMES PER YEAR AT  THE  CALL
 OF THE CHAIR.
   7.  A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED CONSTITUTES A
 QUORUM FOR THE TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS.
   8. EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE:
   (A) SERVES WITHOUT COMPENSATION, EXCEPT THAT A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE
 WHO IS A STATE OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE MAY RECEIVE HER REGULAR  COMPENSATION
 WHILE ENGAGING IN THE BUSINESS OF THE COMMITTEE; AND
   (B)  WHILE  ENGAGED  IN  THE BUSINESS OF THE COMMITTEE, IS ENTITLED TO
 RECEIVE THE PER DIEM ALLOWANCE AND TRAVEL EXPENSES  PROVIDED  FOR  STATE
 OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES GENERALLY.
   9. THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
   (A) SUPPORT AND ASSIST THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS IN:
   (I)  LOCATING, EDUCATING AND ADVOCATING FOR ALL WOMEN VETERANS IN THIS
 STATE;
   (II) DETERMINING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF WOMEN VETERANS;
   (III) CONDUCTING OUTREACH AND EDUCATION THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS, INCLUD-
 ING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE ORGANIZATION OF  STATEWIDE  WOMEN  VETERANS
 EVENTS,  THE  PROMOTION  OF  BENEFITS AND SUPERIOR HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN
 VETERANS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAMS THAT  INFORM  PUPILS,  BUSINESS
 LEADERS  AND  EDUCATORS ABOUT THE IMPORTANT ROLE WOMEN PLAY IN THE ARMED
 FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES;
   (IV) EDUCATING WOMEN VETERANS AS TO BENEFITS  AND  PROGRAMS  THAT  ARE
 AVAILABLE TO THEM;
   (V)  AT  LEAST  ANNUALLY, MAKING SUCH RECOMMENDATIONS AS MAY BE DEEMED
 NECESSARY OR ADVISABLE TO  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE  STATE  LEGISLATURE,  THE
 OFFICE  OF  THE  DIRECTOR  OF THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND SUCH
 OTHER OFFICES OF THIS STATE AS MAY BE APPROPRIATE; AND
   (VI) ADVOCATING ON  BEHALF  OF  WOMEN  VETERANS  TO  ENSURE  THAT  THE
 PROGRAMS  AND POLICIES OF THIS STATE AND OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT
 OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS REMAIN OPEN TO WOMEN AND MINDFUL OF THE ELEMENTS OF
 THE EXPERIENCE OF A VETERAN THAT ARE UNIQUE TO WOMEN.
   (B) SUBMIT A REPORT ON OR BEFORE  FEBRUARY  FIFTEENTH  OF  EACH  YEAR,
 OUTLINING  THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE DURING THE PRECEDING CALENDAR
 YEAR AND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE GOVERNOR AND LEGIS-
 LATURE.  THE  REPORT  MUST  INCLUDE,  WITHOUT  LIMITATION,   INFORMATION
 PERTAINING TO:
   (I) THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF WOMEN VETERANS;
   (II)  THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WOMEN VETERANS HAVE MADE ON BEHALF OF THE
 UNITED STATES AND THIS STATE;
   (III) THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE POPULATION OF WOMEN VETERANS; AND
   (IV) STEPS TAKEN TO REDUCE  MISINFORMATION  AND  IMPROVE  SUPPORT  FOR
 PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN VETERANS.
   10.  THE  DIVISION  OF  VETERANS' AFFAIRS SHALL PROVIDE THE PERSONNEL,
 FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES REQUIRED BY THE COMMITTEE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.