S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8057
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to  establishing
   a  lesbian,  gay,  bisexual,  and transgender veteran's coordinator in
   order to support the unique needs of and celebrate the service by such
   veterans

   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 19-a to read as follows:
   § 19-A. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERAN'S  COORDINATOR.
 1.  DEFINITIONS.  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS
 SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "VETERAN" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF
 THIS ARTICLE; AND
   (B)  "DEPARTMENT"  SHALL  MEAN  THE  STATE  DEPARTMENT  OF   VETERANS'
 SERVICES.
   2.  ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETER-
 ANS COORDINATOR. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED WITHIN  THE  DEPARTMENT,  A
 "LESBIAN,  GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS COORDINATOR" WHO SHALL
 BE A VETERAN APPOINTED BY AND WORK UNDER THE DIRECTION  OF  THE  COMMIS-
 SIONER. SUCH COORDINATOR'S DUTIES SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A)  IDENTIFICATION,  DEVELOPMENT,  PLANNING, ORGANIZATION AND COORDI-
 NATION OF ALL STATEWIDE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO MEET THE  UNIQUE  NEEDS
 OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS;
   (B)  MAKING  RECOMMENDATIONS  TO THE COMMISSIONER TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE
 WITH ALL EXISTING DEPARTMENT POLICIES AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO  THE
 NEEDS  OF  LESBIAN,  GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS ON THE STATE
 AND FEDERAL LEVEL AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE IMPROVEMENT  OF
 BENEFITS  AND  SERVICES TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETER-
 ANS;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11647-01-5
              

 A. 8057                             2
 
   (C) ACTING AS A LIAISON BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT, STATE VETERANS NURSING
 HOMES, STATE AGENCIES, COMMUNITY GROUPS, ADVOCATES  AND  OTHER  VETERANS
 AND MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS AND INTERESTED PARTIES;
   (D) ADVOCATING FOR ALL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS
 IN THE STATE;
   (E) DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A CLEARINGHOUSE FOR INFORMATION AND
 RESOURCES FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS;
   (F)  PROMOTE  EVENTS  AND ACTIVITIES THAT RECOGNIZE, EDUCATE AND HONOR
 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL  AND  TRANSGENDER  VETERANS,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO  VETERAN  HUMAN  RIGHTS  CONFERENCES,  VETERANS BENEFITS AND
 RESOURCE EVENTS, AND VETERANS CULTURAL COMPETENCE TRAINING;
   (G) INCLUSION OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL  AND  TRANS-
 GENDER  VETERANS HAVE MADE ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES AND THIS STATE
 ON THE DEPARTMENT'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE; AND
   (H) PREPARATION OF REPORTS ON TOPICS INCLUDING, BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,
 THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS, AND
 THE  UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS
 POPULATION, TO THE EXTENT SUCH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, TO THE  COMMIS-
 SIONER  ON THE STATUS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS
 WITHIN NEW YORK STATE.
   3. REPORTS. THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER VETERANS  COOR-
 DINATOR  SHALL  SUBMIT  A REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER EACH YEAR AFTER THE
 EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE
 LIMITED  TO, A DESCRIPTION OF THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER
 VETERANS COORDINATOR'S ACTIVITIES FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR AND THE PROGRAMS
 DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.  THE  COMMISSIONER
 SHALL  SUBMIT  THE REPORT OF A SYNOPSIS OF THE REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR IN
 ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION FOUR OF THIS ARTICLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.