S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  701--A
     Cal. No. 151
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  KAPLAN, JORDAN, SANDERS -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Veter-
   ans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs -- reported favorably from
   said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third
   reading,  amended  and  ordered  reprinted, retaining its place in the
   order of third reading
 
 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. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 3 of section 361-b of the  executive
 law,  as  amended by chapter 480 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read
 as follows:
   (c) liaison between the division,  the  United  States  department  of
 veterans affairs center for women veterans, the United States department
 of veterans affairs advisory committee on women veterans, state veterans
 nursing homes, state agencies, community groups, WOMEN VETERANS ADVISORY
 COMMITTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE-C OF THIS ARTICLE,
 advocates  and  other veterans and military organizations and interested
 parties;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00707-03-1

 S. 701--A                           2
 
   § 3. 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 EIGHT  MEMBERS,  WITH
 MEMBERS  APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS:  (A) TWO MEMBERS BY THE GOVERNOR; (B) TWO
 MEMBERS BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; (C) TWO MEMBERS BY THE
 SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY; AND (D) ONE MEMBER EACH BY THE MINORITY  LEADER
 OF  THE  SENATE  AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY.  ALL APPOINTED
 MEMBERS MUST BE WOMEN, AND VETERANS WHO  SERVED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES
 ARMED  FORCES  INCLUDING  MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPONENT. EACH VETERAN
 SHALL HAVE RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE OR HAVE A  QUALIFYING  CONDI-
 TION AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THIS ARTICLE.
   2. IN MAKING APPOINTMENTS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION,
 THE FOLLOWING SHALL BE CONSIDERED:
   (A)  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
   (B) THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY OF THE WOMAN IN THE VETERAN COMMUNITY.
   3. THE COMMITTEE SHALL ELECT A CHAIR FROM AMONG ITS MEMBERS.
   4. EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL SERVE A TERM OF FOUR YEARS.
   5. A VACANCY ON THE COMMITTEE SHALL 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.
   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'  SERVICES  AND  THE
 WOMEN VETERANS COORDINATOR PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE-B
 OF THIS ARTICLE IN:
   (I)  LOCATING, EDUCATING AND ADVOCATING FOR ALL WOMEN VETERANS IN THIS
 STATE;
   (II) IDENTIFYING 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 HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN VETERANS AND
 THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF PROGRAMS THAT INFORM STUDENTS, 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' SERVICES AND SUCH
 OTHER OFFICES OF THIS STATE AS MAY BE APPROPRIATE;
   (VI) MAKING INFORMATION AVAILABLE REGARDING JOB  AND  CAREER  OPPORTU-
 NITIES;

 S. 701--A                           3
 
   (VII)  PROVIDING  OUTREACH  REGARDING AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR VETERANS
 WITH A QUALIFYING CONDITION AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF
 THIS ARTICLE; AND
   (VIII)  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 CURRENT 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;
   (IV) RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHAT STEPS SHOULD BE  TAKEN  TO  REDUCE
 MISINFORMATION AND IMPROVE SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN VETERANS; AND
   (V) OUTREACH ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE.
   10.  THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' SERVICES SHALL HELP SUPPORT THE COMMIT-
 TEE'S ACTIVITIES.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.