STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1026 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 10, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sens. RIVERA, KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the executive law, in relation to enabling veterans and reservists to receive benefit infor- mation upon applying for or renewing a driver's license The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 508 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by 2 adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows: 3 6. The commissioner, in consultation with the director of the division 4 of veterans' affairs, is directed to establish a process by which the 5 department shall refer driver's license and non-driver identification 6 card applicants requesting and obtaining a notation upon such license or 7 non-driver identification card that he or she is a veteran of the United 8 States armed forces pursuant to subdivision three of section four 9 hundred ninety of this chapter or subdivision one of section five 10 hundred two of this article, upon his or her request, to the division of 11 veterans' affairs, consistent with the provisions of section three 12 hundred fifty-four-a of the executive law. 13 § 2. Section 354-a of the executive law, as amended by section 95 of 14 subpart B of part C of chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is amended to 15 read as follows: 16 § 354-a. Information on status of veterans receiving assistance. 17 Departments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies of the 18 state and political subdivisions thereof, which provide assistance, 19 treatment, counseling, care, supervision or custody in service areas 20 involving health, mental health, family services, criminal justice or 21 employment, including but not limited to the office of alcoholism and 22 substance abuse services, office of mental health, office of probation 23 and correctional alternatives, office of children and family services, 24 office of temporary and disability assistance, department of health, EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00712-01-9S. 1026 2 1 department of labor, local workforce investment boards, office for 2 people with developmental disabilities, and department of corrections 3 and community supervision, shall request assisted persons to provide 4 information with regard to their veteran status and military experi- 5 ences. Individuals identifying themselves as veterans, including indi- 6 viduals requesting and obtaining a veterans notation on their driver's 7 license or non-driver identification card pursuant to sections four 8 hundred ninety and five hundred two of the vehicle and traffic law, 9 shall be advised that the division of veterans' affairs and local veter- 10 ans' service agencies established pursuant to section three hundred 11 fifty-seven of this article provide assistance to veterans regarding 12 benefits under federal and state law. Information regarding veterans 13 status and military service provided by assisted persons solely to 14 implement this section shall be protected as personal confidential 15 information under article six-A of the public officers law against 16 disclosure of confidential material, and used only to assist in the 17 diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling of the veteran's problems 18 within the agency requesting such information and in referring the 19 veteran to the division of veterans' affairs for information and assist- 20 ance with regard to benefits and entitlements under federal and state 21 law. 22 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 23 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 24 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 25 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 26 completed on or before such effective date.