Section 29 - Intake forms for admission and residency1. The department, in cooperation with the office of temporary and disability assistance and any other state department, office, division or agency the department deems necessary, shall require that all intake forms for admission or residency to any temporary shelter that is reimbursed from state or state-administered grants or funds shall ask an applicant: "Have you or anyone in your household ever been in the United States military?". Each social services district or social services district's designee shall in writing advise all individuals applying for temporary housing assistance and identifying themselves as having been in the United States military that the department of veterans' services and local veterans' service agencies established pursuant to section fourteen of this article provide assistance to veterans regarding benefits available under federal and state law. Such written information shall include the name, address and telephone number of the New York state department of veterans' services, the nearest department of veterans' services office, the nearest county or city veterans' service agency and the nearest accredited veterans' service officer. Each social services district or social services district's designee, with the permission of such individual's identifying themself as a veteran, shall transmit such veteran's status information to the department of veterans' services.2. The department, in cooperation with the office of temporary and disability assistance and any other state department, office, division or agency the department deems necessary, shall encourage all other temporary shelter providers to share information to increase veteran access to benefits by: (a) providing information on the department website including: (i) potential questions for inclusion on intake forms including, but not limited to: "Have you or anyone in your household ever been in the United States military?";(ii) advising such providers that all individuals identifying themselves as having been in the United States military that the division and local veterans' service agencies provide assistance to veterans regarding benefits available under federal and state law; and(iii) the address and telephone number of the department, county and city veterans' service agencies and accredited veterans' service officers; and(b) facilitating the transmission of such veteran's status information, with the permission of individuals identifying themselves as a veteran, to the department.N.Y. Veterans Service Law § 29
Added by New York Laws 2022, ch. 56,Sec. PP-2, eff. 4/1/2023.