§ 5. Veteran speaker education program. 1. There is hereby established
within the department a veteran speaker education program to be
developed and implemented by the commissioner in consultation with the
commissioner of the New York state military museum and veterans resource
center and in accordance with the provisions of this section. Such
program shall provide school districts within this state with a listing
of available veteran speakers willing to visit classrooms for the
purpose of discussing their military experience.

2. The department, from its available resources, shall develop an
informational pamphlet to be distributed either by mail or
electronically to school districts which provides a general overview of
the program including its purpose and how to participate. The department
shall, in consultation with congressionally chartered veterans
organizations and local veterans services agencies, appoint and create a
listing of veteran speakers coordinators for each county of the state
who shall be listed in the informational pamphlet. The veteran speakers
coordinators' duties shall include but not be limited to contacting
veterans who reside in their county including those who have
participated in the veteran's oral history program at the New York state
military museum or the West Point oral history project or the veterans
history project of the American Folklore Center or any similar oral
history project with information about this program and inquiring as to
whether such persons would be willing to participate as speakers or in
any other capacity. The listing shall include the names and contact
information for such veterans including information describing the type
of military service performed by each such person, the time and length
of service, geographic area or areas where such person served and rank.
The veteran speakers coordinators shall annually update such information
regarding the availability of such veterans.

3. No teacher or veteran shall be required to participate in this
program. Any teacher who wishes to supplement his or her classroom
instruction concerning a particular era in American military history may
contact a participating veteran personally to request that such person
visit a classroom to discuss his or her military experience. A teacher
shall be responsible for ascertaining the appropriateness of any
proposed speaker based upon the age of the children and the intended
subject matter. Nothing in this section shall be intended to supersede
any particular or general school rules or regulations or other laws
relating to curriculum.

4. The department shall require a certified copy of the veteran's
discharge papers to participate in the veteran speaker program. Such
form shall be filed with the department to serve as evidence that such
person is a veteran who served in the United States military honorably.

5. The department shall implement a procedure for evaluations of each
speaker to be completed by teachers and students, and maintain such
evaluations and make them available upon request to other teachers who
plan to participate.

6. The department may consult with other veterans organizations and
any branch of the U.S. military in the development of this program.