S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7627
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               April 1, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. KAY -- read once and referred to the Committee on
   Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN  ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to availability
   of information on home care services
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1. Subdivision 37 of section 4 of the veterans' services law,
 as amended by chapter 447 of the laws of 2024, is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   37.  To  develop collaborative relationships among state, federal, and
 local agencies, veterans' liaisons pursuant to section  [twenty  nine-b]
 TWENTY-NINE-B  of this article, and private organizations, including but
 not limited to the office of mental health, state office for the  aging,
 and office of addiction services and supports, to help facilitate access
 to  services  by  members of the uniformed services and veterans who are
 residents of the state and their families.    THE  DEPARTMENT  MAY  ALSO
 COLLABORATE  WITH  RELEVANT OFFICES OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO
 DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ON THE AVAILABILITY OF  AND  ACCESSIBILITY
 TO  HOME  AND  COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
 SUCH RESOURCES MAY INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF DEDICATED  WEBSITES,  WEBLINKS
 TO  HOME CARE RESOURCES, AND/OR PRINTED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. TO EFFEC-
 TUATE THE PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  THE  DEPARTMENT  MAY  ALSO
 CONSULT  WITH OR SEEK INPUT FROM VARIOUS HOME CARE STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUD-
 ING HOME CARE  PROVIDERS  AND  PROFESSIONAL  ASSOCIATIONS,  PARTICULARLY
 THOSE WITH EXPERTISE OR EXPERIENCE WITH SERVING VETERANS AND THEIR FAMI-
 LIES.
   §  2.  Subdivision  1  of section 15 of the veterans' services law, as
 amended by chapter 445 of the laws  of  2024,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1.  A local veterans' service agency shall have power under the direc-
 tion of the state veterans' service agency, and it shall be its duty  to
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11096-01-5
              

 A. 7627                             2
 
 inform  military  and  naval authorities of the United States and assist
 members of the uniformed services and veterans,  who  are  residents  of
 this state, and their families, in relation to (1) matters pertaining to
 educational training and retraining services and facilities, (2) health,
 medical  and  rehabilitation  services and facilities, (3) provisions of
 federal, state and local laws and regulations affording  special  rights
 and  privileges  to  members  of the uniformed services and veterans and
 their families, (4) employment and re-employment services, (5) the proc-
 ess of  submitting  an  application  for  a  discharge  upgrade  to  the
 discharge  upgrade  advisory  board,  and  (6) other matters of similar,
 related or appropriate nature.  The local veterans' service  agency  may
 also  assist  families  of  members  of  the  reserve  components of the
 uniformed services and the organized militia ordered into active duty to
 ensure that they are made aware of and  are  receiving  all  appropriate
 support  available  to  them and are placed in contact with the agencies
 responsible for such support, including, but not limited to,  the  divi-
 sion  of military and naval affairs and other state agencies responsible
 for providing such support.  THE LOCAL VETERANS' SERVICE AGENCY MAY ALSO
 POST ON ITS WEBSITE AND/OR MAKE AVAILABLE AT ITS OFFICE LOCATION  EDUCA-
 TIONAL  MATERIALS  RELATING  TO THE AVAILABILITY OF AND ACCESSIBILITY TO
 HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED  SERVICES  THAT  HAVE  BEEN  DEVELOPED  BY  THE
 DEPARTMENT  PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THIRTY-SEVEN OF SECTION FOUR OF THIS
 ARTICLE. The local veterans' service  agency  also  shall  perform  such
 other duties as may be assigned by the state commissioner.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.