A 6559: Establishes a veterans' bill of rights; provides sample language for such bill of rights; requires the department of veterans' services to establish and distribute a veterans' bill of rights and to make such bill of rights available on the department's website.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6559 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY March 6, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BENEDETTO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs AN ACT to amend the veterans' services law, in relation to the estab- lishing a veterans' bill of rights The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The veterans' services law is amended by adding a new 2 section 29-c to read as follows: 3 § 29-c. Veterans' bill of rights. 1. The department shall establish, 4 print, publish and distribute a veterans' bill of rights. Such bill of 5 rights shall include the following or substantially similar text: 6 "VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS 7 You as a veteran have a right: 8 1. To apply for veterans' benefits; 9 2. To receive assistance from your local state veterans' service agen- 10 cy and all offices of the New York state department of veterans' 11 services; 12 3. To receive an explanation of the services and benefits available 13 under federal and New York state laws, rules and regulations; 14 4. To receive written notice and an explanation of the approval or 15 denial of your application for benefits available under New York state 16 law; 17 5. To be treated with dignity and respect; 18 6. To appeal any adverse determination or denial of your application 19 for services or benefits available under New York state law; 20 7. To expect confidentiality; 21 8. To receive fair and equal treatment without regard to sex, race, 22 religion, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or national origin; and 23 9. To be informed of assistance provided to veterans in the state of 24 New York including but not limited to: legal services; educational 25 opportunities; tax benefits, including real property and personal taxes; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09703-01-5 
 A. 6559 2 1 and New York state driver's license and non-driver identification 2 cards." 3 2. The department shall make the veterans' bill of rights available on 4 the department's website. 5 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 6 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment, 7 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation 8 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 9 completed on or before such effective date.