Bill Text: NY S06452 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Enables veterans and reservists to receive benefit information upon applying for or renewing a driver's license.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-06-10 - SUBSTITUTED BY A3920 [S06452 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S06452-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6452

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     April 29, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. REICHLIN-MELNICK -- 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'  services, 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'  services,  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  8  of
    14  part  AA  of  chapter  56  of  the  laws  of 2019, is amended to read as
    15  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]  addiction  services and supports, office of
    23  mental health, office of probation and correctional alternatives, office
    24  of children and family services,  office  of  temporary  and  disability

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05234-02-1
        S. 6452                             2

     1  assistance,  department  of health, department of labor, local workforce
     2  investment boards, office for people  with  developmental  disabilities,
     3  and  department  of corrections and community supervision, shall request
     4  assisted  persons  to  provide  information with regard to their veteran
     5  status and military experiences. Individuals identifying  themselves  as
     6  veterans,  including  individuals  requesting  and  obtaining a veterans
     7  notation on their driver's license  or  non-driver  identification  card
     8  pursuant  to  sections  four  hundred ninety and five hundred two of the
     9  vehicle and traffic law, shall be advised that the division of veterans'
    10  services and local veterans' service agencies  established  pursuant  to
    11  section  three hundred fifty-seven of this article provide assistance to
    12  veterans regarding benefits under federal  and  state  law.  Information
    13  regarding  veterans  status  and  military  service provided by assisted
    14  persons solely to implement this section shall be protected as  personal
    15  confidential  information under article six-A of the public officers law
    16  against disclosure of confidential material, and used only to assist  in
    17  the diagnosis, treatment, assessment and handling of the veteran's prob-
    18  lems  within the agency requesting such information and in referring the
    19  veteran to the  division  of  veterans'  services  for  information  and
    20  assistance  with  regard  to benefits and entitlements under federal and
    21  state 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.