Establishes voluntary opportunities for veterans, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8485
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. STERN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Veterans' Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to  establishing
   voluntary opportunities for veterans
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 4 of the  veterans'  services  law  is  amended  by
 adding a new subdivision 30-a to read as follows:
   30-A. (A) TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE ON VOLUN-
 TEER  OPPORTUNITIES  AVAILABLE  TO VETERANS AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE OF
 THIS ARTICLE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WORKING AT THE DEPARTMENT, OR
 A VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT OR EMERGENCY SERVICES PROVIDER.
   (B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL POST ON THEIR WEBSITE  UNDER  THE  EMPLOYMENT
 PORTAL  ANY  RELEVANT APPLICATION FORMS THAT A QUALIFIED VETERAN CAN USE
 TO APPLY FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES OR TO REQUEST  ADDITIONAL  INFORMA-
 TION.
   §  2.  Subdivision  1  of section 15 of the veterans' services law, as
 amended by chapter 445 of the laws  of  2024,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1.  A local veterans' service agency shall have power under the direc-
 tion of the state veterans' service agency, and it shall be its duty  to
 inform  military  and  naval authorities of the United States and assist
 members of the uniformed services and veterans,  who  are  residents  of
 this state, and their families, in relation to (1) matters pertaining to
 educational training and retraining services and facilities, (2) health,
 medical  and  rehabilitation  services and facilities, (3) provisions of
 federal, state and local laws and regulations affording  special  rights
 and  privileges  to  members  of the uniformed services and veterans and
 their families, (4) employment and re-employment services, (5) the proc-
 ess of  submitting  an  application  for  a  discharge  upgrade  to  the
 discharge  upgrade  advisory board, [and] (6) VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13169-01-5
 A. 8485                             2
 
 THE DEPARTMENT AND VOLUNTEER  FIRE  DEPARTMENTS  OR  EMERGENCY  SERVICES
 PROVIDERS,  AND  (7)  other  matters  of similar, related or appropriate
 nature.  The local veterans' service agency may also assist families  of
 members  of  the  reserve  components  of the uniformed services and the
 organized militia ordered into active duty to ensure that they are  made
 aware of and are receiving all appropriate support available to them and
 are  placed  in  contact with the agencies responsible for such support,
 including, but not limited  to,  the  division  of  military  and  naval
 affairs and other state agencies responsible for providing such support.
 The  local veterans' service agency also shall perform such other duties
 as may be assigned by the state commissioner.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
 on or before such date.