NY State Senate Bill 2023-S4717

Senate Bill S4717

2023-2024 Legislative Session

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

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Current 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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Feb 14, 2023	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

co-Sponsors

2023-S4717 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3149
Current Committee:: Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:: Veterans' Service Law
Laws Affected:: Add §29-b, Veterans' Services L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S7568
2017-2018: S20
2019-2020: S7033
2021-2022: S6005, A7852

2023-S4717 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2023-S4717 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4717

SPONSOR: SANDERS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to authorizing
the department of veterans' services 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-trau-
matic 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 11-20k 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:


2021-22 REFERRED TO SENATE VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS

2021-22 referred to assembly veterans' affairs

2020 REFERRED TO SENATE VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

 
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 imple-
ment the provisions of this act immediately.

2023-S4717 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4717
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 14, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- 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  authorizing
   the department of veterans' services 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  veterans'  services  law  is amended by adding a new
 section 29-b to read as follows:
   § 29-B. 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 DEPARTMENT 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 DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE ELIGIBLE VETERANS RECEIV-
 ING 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 DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE ELIGIBLE VETERANS WITH  GRANT  ASSIST-
 ANCE  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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07812-01-3

 S. 4717                             2
 
 LONG AS THE ELIGIBLE VETERAN IS IN POSSESSION OF THE  EMOTIONAL  SUPPORT
 DOG.
   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 THE EXECUTIVE
 LAW;
   (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.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law; provided however, if section 2 of part PP of
 chapter 56 of the laws of 2022 shall not have taken effect on or  before
 such  date,  this act shall take effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as such section of such part of such chapter of the laws of  2022
 takes  effect.  Effective  immediately,  the  addition, amendment and/or
 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
 this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
 on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S4717

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Sponsored By

James Sanders Jr.