STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4827 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 3, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DenDEKKER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a task force on veteran employment opportunities; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new article 17-C 2 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 17-C 4 TASK FORCE ON VETERAN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 5 Section 369-l. Task force on veteran employment opportunities member- 6 ship. 7 369-m. Powers and duties of the task force. 8 § 369-l. Task force on veteran employment opportunities membership. 1. 9 There is hereby created a task force on veteran employment opportu- 10 nities, which shall consist of the following members, who shall be 11 appointed no less than thirty days after the effective date of this 12 article: 13 (a) the state director of veterans' affairs, or his or her designee, 14 who shall serve as the chair of the task force; 15 (b) the commissioner of the office of general services, or his or her 16 designee; 17 (c) the president of the state civil service commission, or his or her 18 designee; 19 (d) the commissioner of labor, or his or her designee; 20 (e) the chancellor of the state university of New York, or his or her 21 designee; 22 (f) the chancellor of the city university of New York, or his or her 23 designee; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01771-01-7A. 4827 2 1 (g) the commissioner of the department of education, or his or her 2 designee; 3 (h) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate, 4 one of which shall be a representative from the private sector. 5 (i) two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly, one of which 6 shall be a representative from the private sector; 7 (j) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and 8 (k) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. 9 2. No member of the task force shall be disqualified from holding any 10 public office or employment, nor shall he or she forfeit any such office 11 of employment by virtue of his or her appointment pursuant to this 12 section. Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for 13 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses 14 incurred in the performance of their functions pursuant to this section. 15 A member of the task force may be removed by the appointing authority, 16 only for good cause, after notice and an opportunity to be heard. 17 Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments. 18 § 369-m. Powers and duties of the task force. 1. On an annual basis, 19 the task force shall hold at least two public hearings. During the 20 public hearings, the task force shall hear the testimony of voluntary 21 witnesses, may compel the testimony of witnesses and may require the 22 production of any documents the task force deems reasonably necessary to 23 carry out its responsibilities. 24 2. After receipt and review of public comment, the task force shall 25 issue an annual report, to the governor and the legislature, on the 26 substance of the public hearings and include recommendations on the 27 development of new methods and programs aimed at assisting the state's 28 veterans in finding and maintaining meaningful employment opportunities, 29 and an analysis of the current methods and programs. The annual report 30 shall be issued no later that December first of each year, but shall not 31 be due in the first year this article shall be deemed to have taken 32 effect. 33 3. The task force shall report on the following topics, as they relate 34 to and impact veteran employment opportunities: 35 (a) higher education, including the ability to award academic course 36 credit for comparable military training and distance learning barriers; 37 (b) professional licensing including any recommendations to ease 38 licensing requirements for veterans and their spouses; 39 (c) state employment opportunities; 40 (d) veteran contractor preferences; 41 (e) purchasing preferences; 42 (f) tax credits and municipal grants for hiring unemployed veterans; 43 (g) private sector initiatives; and 44 (h) paid leave for combat veterans needing health services. 45 4. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the task force from report- 46 ing on any other topics impacting veteran employment opportunities, 47 which they deem relevant. 48 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 49 deemed repealed ten years after such date.