Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official source posted by the New York State Senate, fetched 2026-08-11. Nothing is edited or removed. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official source appears here in brackets. The official bill page.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5155
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 12, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. STERN, PHEFFER AMATO, SANTABARBARA, RAJKUMAR,
RAGA, EACHUS, SIMPSON, NOVAKHOV, CHANG -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to veterans
health care
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The veterans' services law is amended by adding a new
section 18-a to read as follows:
§ 18-A. VETERAN HEALTH CARE REVIEW. 1. THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION
WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHALL UNDERTAKE A STUDY REGARDING VETER-
AN HEALTH CARE AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION. SUCH STUDY SHALL BE
COMPLETED AND REPORTED TO THE LEGISLATURE ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER THIRTY-
FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN.
2. THE VETERAN HEALTH CARE REVIEW SHALL COMPREHENSIVELY STUDY EFFORTS
THAT CAN BE MADE TO IMPROVE VETERANS' HEALTH CARE IN THE STATE INCLUD-
ING, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
(A) INCREASING ACCESS BY VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO HEALTH
CARE COVERAGE AND SERVICES;
(B) LEVERAGING EXISTING RESOURCES AND STRUCTURES IN AREAS WHERE VETER-
ANS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO EASILY ACCESS SUCH RESOURCES;
(C) ENSURING THE NEEDS OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE INCORPO-
RATED IN ALL STATE EFFORTS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, QUALITY
HEALTH CARE;
(D) ENSURING VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO MENTAL
HEALTH TREATMENT, INCLUDING FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER,
DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA, REPRODUCTIVE AND MENTAL
HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND SUICIDE PREVENTION;
(E) INCREASING PRIMARY, REPRODUCTIVE AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES
AND RESOURCES FOR WOMEN VETERANS;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04144-01-5
A. 5155 2
(F) IDENTIFYING ALL FEDERAL AND OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS, COVERAGE, AND
SERVICES AVAILABLE TO VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES; AND
(G) MORE EFFECTIVELY COORDINATING WITH OTHER LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND HEALTH INSURANCE
PROGRAMS TO HELP VETERANS AND THEIR BENEFICIARIES APPLY FOR COVERAGE
UNDER SUCH PROGRAMS, INCLUDING HELPING VETERANS OVERCOME BARRIERS WITHIN
THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, TO ENSURE ENROLLMENT IN HEALTH PLANS AND EFFEC-
TIVE DELIVERY AND COORDINATION OF HEALTH SERVICES.
3. AS PART OF THE STUDY, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ALSO:
(A) EVALUATE WHETHER THE NEEDS OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE MET
BY EXISTING HEALTH CARE AND VETERANS' PROGRAMS;
(B) EXAMINE THE EXISTING HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE
TO WOMEN VETERANS, ASSESS IF THE EXISTING SERVICES AND RESOURCES ARE
SERVING THE NEEDS OF WOMEN VETERANS, AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO
FURTHER EXPAND ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND RESOURCES
FOR WOMEN VETERANS;
(C) PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STEPS THAT COULD BE TAKEN TO INCREASE
ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, QUALITY HEALTH CARE;
(D) CONSIDER THE EFFECTS OF DESIGNATING HEALTH CARE NAVIGATORS WHO
WOULD ASSIST VETERANS IN NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES OF ACCESSING HEALTH
CARE BENEFITS AND SERVICES;
(E) EVALUATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH VETERANS IN THE STATE ARE EXPERIENC-
ING DELAYS IN THE RECEIPT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND WAYS TO PROVIDE
ASSISTANCE TO THOSE VETERANS HAVING DIFFICULTY RECEIVING TIMELY OR
ADEQUATE CARE; AND
(F) EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF HEALTH CARE CHOICE
ACCOUNTS, DEPOSITS INTO WHICH SHALL BE DEDUCTIBLE FROM THE VETERAN'S
STATE PERSONAL INCOME TAX, FOR VETERAN MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZED MILITIA,
PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN A COMBAT ZONE DESIGNATED
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND HAVE A CURRENT DISABILITY THAT
WAS INCURRED OR AGGRAVATED AS A RESULT OF SUCH SERVICE. FOR PURPOSES OF
THIS SECTION THE TERM "HEALTH CARE CHOICE ACCOUNT" SHALL MEAN AN INDI-
VIDUAL SAVINGS ACCOUNT, OWNED BY A VETERAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING
HEALTH CARE FROM THE PROVIDER OF THEIR CHOICE, WHEN AFTER MAKING APPLI-
CATION TO OR ATTEMPTING TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR HEALTH CARE
SERVICES THROUGH THE FEDERAL VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION THE VETERAN
HAS BEEN UNABLE TO RECEIVE SUCH SERVICES IN A TIMELY MANNER.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
have become a law.Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.