STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2623--A 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 21, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Home- land Security and Military Affairs -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit- tee AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to the employ- ment of veterans with disabilities The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 13 of section 4 of the veterans' services law 2 is amended to read as follows: 3 13. To provide information regarding resources that are available to 4 assist veterans in obtaining employment by maintaining a veterans' 5 employment portal on the department's internet website. Such portal 6 shall provide virtual links to appropriate governmental programs on the 7 federal and state level, including, but not limited to the United States 8 department of labor [and], the New York state department of labor, and 9 the New York state department of civil service. The department may 10 consult with members of the community devoted to helping veterans obtain 11 employment. The department shall make reference to this information 12 pursuant to subdivisions five, six, and seven of this section and the 13 annual report to the governor and the legislature as provided in subdi- 14 vision seventeen of this section. Such information required under this 15 subdivision shall be maintained and updated annually. The information 16 may also be made available in printed form. 17 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 13 of the veterans' services law, as 18 amended by chapter 445 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as 19 follows: 20 1. A state veterans' service agency established by the department 21 pursuant to this article shall have power and it shall be its duty to 22 inform military and naval authorities of the United States and assist EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06441-03-5
S. 2623--A 2 1 members of the uniformed services and veterans, who are residents of 2 this state, and their families, in relation to (1) matters pertaining to 3 educational training and retraining services and facilities, (2) health, 4 medical and rehabilitation services and facilities, (3) provisions of 5 federal, state and local laws and regulations affording special rights 6 and privileges to members of the uniformed services and veterans and 7 their families, (4) employment and re-employment services, including the 8 employment of veterans with disabilities program under section fifty- 9 five-c of the civil service law, and (5) other matters of similar, 10 related or appropriate nature. The state veterans' service agency also 11 shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the state commis- 12 sioner. 13 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 15 of the veterans' services law, as 14 amended by chapter 445 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as 15 follows: 16 1. A local veterans' service agency shall have power under the direc- 17 tion of the state veterans' service agency, and it shall be its duty to 18 inform military and naval authorities of the United States and assist 19 members of the uniformed services and veterans, who are residents of 20 this state, and their families, in relation to (1) matters pertaining to 21 educational training and retraining services and facilities, (2) health, 22 medical and rehabilitation services and facilities, (3) provisions of 23 federal, state and local laws and regulations affording special rights 24 and privileges to members of the uniformed services and veterans and 25 their families, (4) employment and re-employment services, including the 26 employment of veterans with disabilities program under section fifty- 27 five-c of the civil service law, (5) the process of submitting an appli- 28 cation for a discharge upgrade to the discharge upgrade advisory board, 29 and (6) other matters of similar, related or appropriate nature. The 30 local veterans' service agency may also assist families of members of 31 the reserve components of the uniformed services and the organized mili- 32 tia ordered into active duty to ensure that they are made aware of and 33 are receiving all appropriate support available to them and are placed 34 in contact with the agencies responsible for such support, including, 35 but not limited to, the division of military and naval affairs and other 36 state agencies responsible for providing such support. The local veter- 37 ans' service agency also shall perform such other duties as may be 38 assigned by the state commissioner. 39 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.