S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5155
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 12, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. STERN, PHEFFER AMATO, SANTABARBARA, RAJKUMAR,
   RAGA, EACHUS, SIMPSON, NOVAKHOV, CHANG -- read once  and  referred  to
   the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  veterans' services law, in relation to veterans
   health care
 
   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 18-a to read as follows:
   § 18-A. VETERAN HEALTH CARE REVIEW. 1. THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION
 WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHALL UNDERTAKE A STUDY REGARDING  VETER-
 AN HEALTH   CARE AS PROVIDED  IN  THIS  SECTION.  SUCH  STUDY  SHALL  BE
 COMPLETED  AND REPORTED TO THE LEGISLATURE ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER THIRTY-
 FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN.
   2. THE VETERAN HEALTH CARE REVIEW SHALL COMPREHENSIVELY STUDY  EFFORTS
 THAT  CAN  BE MADE TO IMPROVE VETERANS' HEALTH CARE IN THE STATE INCLUD-
 ING, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A) INCREASING ACCESS BY VETERANS AND   THEIR   FAMILIES   TO   HEALTH
 CARE COVERAGE AND SERVICES;
   (B) LEVERAGING EXISTING RESOURCES AND STRUCTURES IN AREAS WHERE VETER-
 ANS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO EASILY ACCESS SUCH RESOURCES;
   (C)  ENSURING    THE NEEDS OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE INCORPO-
 RATED IN ALL STATE EFFORTS TO EXPAND  ACCESS  TO   AFFORDABLE,   QUALITY
 HEALTH CARE;
   (D)  ENSURING    VETERANS    AND  THEIR FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO MENTAL
 HEALTH  TREATMENT,  INCLUDING  FOR   POST-TRAUMATIC   STRESS   DISORDER,
 DEPRESSION,  ANXIETY,  MILITARY  SEXUAL  TRAUMA, REPRODUCTIVE AND MENTAL
 HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND SUICIDE PREVENTION;
   (E) INCREASING PRIMARY, REPRODUCTIVE AND MENTAL HEALTH  CARE  SERVICES
 AND RESOURCES FOR WOMEN VETERANS;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04144-01-5
 A. 5155                             2
              

 
   (F)  IDENTIFYING  ALL FEDERAL AND OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS, COVERAGE, AND
 SERVICES AVAILABLE TO VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES; AND
   (G) MORE EFFECTIVELY COORDINATING WITH OTHER LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL
 DEPARTMENTS    AND AGENCIES, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND HEALTH INSURANCE
 PROGRAMS TO HELP VETERANS AND THEIR  BENEFICIARIES  APPLY  FOR  COVERAGE
 UNDER SUCH PROGRAMS, INCLUDING HELPING VETERANS OVERCOME BARRIERS WITHIN
 THE  HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, TO ENSURE ENROLLMENT IN HEALTH PLANS AND EFFEC-
 TIVE DELIVERY AND COORDINATION OF HEALTH SERVICES.
   3. AS PART OF THE STUDY, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALSO:
   (A) EVALUATE WHETHER THE NEEDS OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE  MET
 BY EXISTING HEALTH CARE AND VETERANS' PROGRAMS;
   (B) EXAMINE THE EXISTING HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND RESOURCES  AVAILABLE
 TO  WOMEN  VETERANS,  ASSESS  IF THE EXISTING SERVICES AND RESOURCES ARE
 SERVING THE NEEDS OF WOMEN  VETERANS,  AND  PROVIDE  RECOMMENDATIONS  TO
 FURTHER  EXPAND  ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND RESOURCES
 FOR WOMEN VETERANS;
   (C) PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STEPS THAT COULD BE TAKEN TO  INCREASE
 ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, QUALITY HEALTH CARE;
   (D)  CONSIDER  THE  EFFECTS  OF DESIGNATING HEALTH CARE NAVIGATORS WHO
 WOULD ASSIST VETERANS IN NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES OF ACCESSING HEALTH
 CARE BENEFITS AND SERVICES;
   (E) EVALUATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH VETERANS IN THE STATE ARE  EXPERIENC-
 ING  DELAYS  IN  THE RECEIPT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND WAYS TO PROVIDE
 ASSISTANCE TO THOSE  VETERANS  HAVING  DIFFICULTY  RECEIVING  TIMELY  OR
 ADEQUATE CARE; AND
   (F)  EVALUATE  THE  POTENTIAL  EFFECTIVENESS  OF  HEALTH  CARE  CHOICE
 ACCOUNTS, DEPOSITS INTO WHICH SHALL BE  DEDUCTIBLE  FROM  THE  VETERAN'S
 STATE PERSONAL INCOME TAX, FOR VETERAN MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZED MILITIA,
 PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN A COMBAT ZONE DESIGNATED
 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND HAVE A CURRENT DISABILITY THAT
 WAS INCURRED OR AGGRAVATED AS A RESULT OF SUCH SERVICE.  FOR PURPOSES OF
 THIS  SECTION  THE TERM "HEALTH CARE CHOICE ACCOUNT" SHALL MEAN AN INDI-
 VIDUAL SAVINGS ACCOUNT, OWNED BY A VETERAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF  OBTAINING
 HEALTH  CARE FROM THE PROVIDER OF THEIR CHOICE, WHEN AFTER MAKING APPLI-
 CATION TO OR ATTEMPTING TO  SCHEDULE  AN  APPOINTMENT  FOR  HEALTH  CARE
 SERVICES  THROUGH THE FEDERAL VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION THE VETERAN
 HAS BEEN UNABLE TO RECEIVE SUCH SERVICES IN A TIMELY MANNER.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.