Bill Text: NY A09356 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires reports to the legislature concerning the number of veterans and families of active duty members who are homeless and the number of veterans who receive food stamps.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-22 - referred to veterans' affairs [A09356 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-A09356-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 9356 I N A S S E M B L Y February 22, 2012 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to providing certain benefits to veterans; and to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring certain reports relating to veterans 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 section 353-a 2 to read as follows: 3 S 353-A. IDENTIFYING HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS. 1. LOCAL SOCIAL 4 SERVICES DISTRICTS AND SHELTERS RUN BY NON-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN 5 EACH COUNTY, SHALL COLLECT INFORMATION IDENTIFYING VETERANS AND SPOUSES 6 OF VETERANS WHO ARE IN A HOMELESS FACILITY. SUCH DATA SHALL BE COLLECTED 7 QUARTERLY AND SUBMITTED TO THE DIVISION. THE DIVISION SHALL TRANSMIT 8 SUCH INFORMATION TO STATE COUNSELORS FOR REVIEW AND POTENTIAL LINKAGE TO 9 APPLICABLE BENEFITS. STATE COUNSELORS SHALL WORK WITH COUNTY AND CITY 10 VETERANS' AGENCIES STAFF OR ANY ACCREDITED SERVICE OFFICERS OF AN ORGAN- 11 IZATION CHARTERED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES AND/OR RECOGNIZED 12 BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR CLAIM REPRESENTATION AS NECES- 13 SARY AND WHERE APPROPRIATE. SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE PROTECTED AS 14 PERSONAL CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION UNDER ARTICLE SIX-A OF THE PUBLIC 15 OFFICERS LAW AGAINST DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL, AND SHALL BE 16 USED ONLY TO ASSIST IN PROVIDING LINKAGE TO APPLICABLE BENEFITS AND 17 ENTITLEMENTS UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW. 18 2. THE DIVISION SHALL INCLUDE WITHIN THE ANNUAL REPORT AS REQUIRED BY 19 SUBDIVISION ELEVEN OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE OF THIS ARTICLE, 20 AN ACCOUNTING OF INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES 21 DISTRICTS AND SHELTERS RUN BY NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE 22 SPECIFIC NUMBER OF VETERANS AND SPOUSES OF VETERANS LINKED TO APPLICABLE 23 BENEFITS. 24 S 2. Section 95 of the social services law is amended by adding a new 25 subdivision 12 to read as follows: 26 12. THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE SHALL COLLECT 27 DATA ON THE NUMBER OF VETERANS, AS DEFINED IN SECTION EIGHTY-FIVE OF THE EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD14611-01-2 A. 9356 2 1 CIVIL SERVICE LAW, NUMBER OF MILITARY PERSONNEL DEPLOYED FOR ACTIVE 2 MILITARY SERVICE AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF THE MILITARY LAW, AND 3 MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILY WHO ARE IN RECEIPT OF FOOD STAMPS OR WHO ARE 4 PARTICIPATING IN A FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UNDER THIS SECTION. SUCH 5 DATA SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE, NO LATER 6 THAN DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST OF EACH YEAR. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE BUT 7 BE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: A BREAKDOWN OF VETERANS AND 8 SERVICEMEMBERS BY BRANCH, THE PERIOD OF SERVICE, AND IF APPLICABLE, THE 9 TYPE OF DISCHARGE. 10 S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 11 it shall have become a law; provided, that any rules and regulations 12 necessary for the timely implementation of this act on its effective 13 date shall be promulgated on or before such date.