A 8485: Requires the department of veterans' services to provide information on the department's website on volunteer opportunities available to veterans and to post relevant application forms that a qualified veteran can use to apply for volunteer opportunities.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8485 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY 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: 1 Section 1. Section 4 of the veterans' services law is amended by 2 adding a new subdivision 30-a to read as follows: 3 30-a. (a) To provide information on the department's website on volun- 4 teer opportunities available to veterans as defined in section one of 5 this article, including but not limited to working at the department, or 6 a volunteer fire department or emergency services provider. 7 (b) The department shall post on their website under the employment 8 portal any relevant application forms that a qualified veteran can use 9 to apply for volunteer opportunities or to request additional informa- 10 tion. 11 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 15 of the veterans' services law, as 12 amended by chapter 445 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as 13 follows: 14 1. A local veterans' service agency shall have power under the direc- 15 tion of the state veterans' service agency, and it shall be its duty to 16 inform military and naval authorities of the United States and assist 17 members of the uniformed services and veterans, who are residents of 18 this state, and their families, in relation to (1) matters pertaining to 19 educational training and retraining services and facilities, (2) health, 20 medical and rehabilitation services and facilities, (3) provisions of 21 federal, state and local laws and regulations affording special rights 22 and privileges to members of the uniformed services and veterans and 23 their families, (4) employment and re-employment services, (5) the proc- 24 ess of submitting an application for a discharge upgrade to the 25 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 1 the department and volunteer fire departments or emergency services 2 providers, and (7) other matters of similar, related or appropriate 3 nature. The local veterans' service agency may also assist families of 4 members of the reserve components of the uniformed services and the 5 organized militia ordered into active duty to ensure that they are made 6 aware of and are receiving all appropriate support available to them and 7 are placed in contact with the agencies responsible for such support, 8 including, but not limited to, the division of military and naval 9 affairs and other state agencies responsible for providing such support. 10 The local veterans' service agency also shall perform such other duties 11 as may be assigned by the state commissioner. 12 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 13 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 14 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 15 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 16 on or before such date.