S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9258
I N S E N A T E
May 8, 2024
___________
Introduced by Sens. SCARCELLA-SPANTON, ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veter-
ans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law and the vehicle and traffic
law, in relation to veterans receiving information on benefits
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 7 of the veterans' services law is amended to read
as follows:
§ 7. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance. Depart-
ments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies of the state
and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assistance, treatment,
counseling, care, supervision or custody in service areas involving
health, mental health, family services, criminal justice or employment,
including but not limited to the office of addiction services and
supports, office of mental health, office of probation and correctional
alternatives, office of children and family services, office of tempo-
rary and disability assistance, department of health, department of
labor, local workforce investment boards, office for people with devel-
opmental disabilities, and department of corrections and community
supervision, shall request assisted persons to provide information with
regard to their veteran status and military experiences. Individuals
identifying themselves as veterans, INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS REQUESTING AND
OBTAINING A VETERAN NOTATION ON SUCH INDIVIDUAL'S DRIVER'S LICENSE OR
NON-DRIVER IDENTIFICATION CARD PURSUANT TO SECTIONS FOUR HUNDRED NINETY
AND FIVE HUNDRED TWO OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, shall be advised
that the department of veterans' services and local veterans' service
agencies established pursuant to section fourteen of this article
provide assistance to veterans regarding benefits under federal and
state law. Information regarding veterans status and military service
provided by assisted persons solely to implement this section shall be
protected as personal confidential information under article six-A of
the public officers law against disclosure of confidential material, and
used only to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15227-01-4
S. 9258 2
of the veteran's problems within the agency requesting such information
and in referring the veteran to the department of veterans' services for
information and assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements
under federal and state law.
§ 2. Subdivision 6 of section 508 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
added by chapter 602 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
6. The commissioner, in consultation with the [director] COMMISSIONER
of the [division] DEPARTMENT of veterans' services, is directed to
establish a process by which the department shall refer driver's license
and non-driver identification card applicants requesting and obtaining a
notation upon such license or non-driver identification card that [he or
she] SUCH APPLICANT is a veteran of the United States armed forces
pursuant to subdivision three of section four hundred ninety of this
chapter or subdivision one of section five hundred two of this article,
upon [his or her] SUCH APPLICANT'S request, to the [division] DEPARTMENT
of veterans' services, consistent with the provisions of section [three
hundred fifty-four-a] SEVEN of the [executive] VETERANS' SERVICES law.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
