BILL NUMBER: S5006A

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the executive law, in relation to
providing information on where to seek help in regards to military sexu-
al trauma

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To provide information to veterans regarding resources that are avail-
able to assist veterans who experienced military sexual trauma while on
active duty or during military training, by maintaining a military sexu-
al trauma portal on the division of veterans' affairs website.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Section 353 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 24.

Section 2: effective date.

              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In many instances those veterans who have returned home from combat
and/or have completed their tour of duty have had a myriad of experi-
ences that sometimes adversely affect them. The experiences and events
they go through can sometimes lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD).

However, veterans can also go through traumatic experiences that are not
discussed as often as PTSD. One trauma they go through in particular is
Military Sexual Trauma (MST). The definition of MST used by the Depart-
ment of Veteran Affairs is: psychological trauma, which in the judgment
of a VA mental health professional, resulted from a physical assault of
a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment which
occurred while the Veteran was serving on active duty or active duty for
training.

It is imperative that information of where to seek treatment and coun-
seling for Military Sexual Trauma is afforded to veterans and posted on
the Division of Veterans' Affairs website. Providing these veterans with
this information will enable them to know where to go for help and
services.

The Department of Veteran Affairs states that in a screening for mili-
tary personnel seeking VA healthcare 1 in 5 women responded "yes" when
screened for MST. However, according to pentagon statistics nearly 1 in
3 women in the military is at risk for sexual assault, twice as many as
in the general population. In March 2008, the Department of Defense
(DOD) released their fourth annual sexual assault report, which stated
that there were 2,688 reports of sexual assault in 2007. Although this
is down from the 2,947 allegations of sexual assaults reported in 2006,
the DOD changed their reporting requirements from calendar year to
fiscal year, so there is no way to tell if this reflects a decrease in
sexual assaults or not.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:


2015-16: S.2514/A.1945 - Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and
Military Affairs
2013-14: S.909A/A.6227 - Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and
Military Affairs

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Undetermined at this time.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule and regulations necessary for the implementation of
this act on or before its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.