For Immediate Release: November 11, 2015

Contact: Gary Ginsburg | ginsburg@nysenate.gov | 518-455-2415

Senate Democrats Announce Strong Veteran Support Package
(Albany, NY) The Senate Democratic Conference today announced a legislative package that
will provide additional services, benefits and legal protections to veterans, their families and
businesses. The Senate Democrats have helped lead the fight to increase state aid and services
for the brave men and women who have served in the armed forces.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the heroic men and women who have defended our freedoms and
served our nation, Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousinssaid. State
government has a responsibility to ensure that when veterans return to civilian life they have
every opportunity to achieve the American Dream. We must ease access to education, to jobs and
to health services that they deserve and need to transition into civilian live and provide for
themselves and their families.
There are approximately over 800,000 veterans in New York State, which is why the Senate
Democrats have been outspoken on the need to provide for more aid for veterans and veterans
support organizations. The Senate Democratic Conference outlined multiple initiatives to serve
veterans in the 2015 Budget priorities letter, including female veterans homelessness prevention
aid and increased funding for regional veterans advocacy and counseling programs. Due to
Senate Democratic support and advocacy, the final State Budget included important funding for
veteran services such as $3.5 million for the Joseph P Dwyer Veteran Peer-to-Peer Pilot program
and $350,000 for Veteran's Entrepreneurship Centers. The budget also restored $550,000 to
veterans programs and provided $1.2 million in new funding for veteran counseling programs,
job training and legal services to ensure that veterans receive the support that they deserve.
While the State Budget provided resources for many important veterans services and programs,
the Senate Democrats have also led the way on proposing common sense solutions to help
veterans transition back into civilian life and succeed in earning a higher education and finding
good jobs. The legislation introduced by members of the Senate Democratic Conference includes
initiatives that will help veterans receive education credits for their service and ease access to
government services and benefits. Legislation has also been introduced to provide greater mental
health, counseling, legal protections and treatment programs for returning veterans.

Senate Democratic bills to improve the lives of veterans in New York will:
Facilitate Course Credits for Veterans: Currently, 26 states have recently passed legislation
directing state universities to award academic credit to veterans based on military training and
education. As New York State should ensure veterans receive credit for the skills they learned
during their service, legislation has been sponsored that would require institutions within the
state university system to award up to 6 credits per semester and 60 credits total to full-time
undergraduate veterans based on military training and education to apply toward a degree
requirement or program of study.
Ranking Member on the Senates Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
Committee and Bill Sponsor, Senator Joseph Addabbo said, Veterans returning to civilian
life bring with them a level of training, experience, and technical skill that should be recognized
by our states higher education facilities. Enabling SUNY and CUNY schools to award
undergraduate transfer credits based on military training and experience is a common sense way
to recognize the skills veterans are learned while serving in the armed forces.
Create a Veterans Jobs Bank Website: Under this bill, the Division of Veterans Affairs and the
Department of Labor would be required to develop an interactive veterans jobs website featuring
job openings of interest to veterans and military families.
Bill Sponsor, Senator Leroy Comrie said, Veterans skills, education and ability to rapidly
adapt make them some of the most qualified and underutilized workers in our state and nation.
Unfortunately, government has not done enough to match veterans to jobs and transition services
that can be vital to their success in civilian life. Thats why I have advanced legislation to
establish a veterans jobs website to increase employment access for veterans and their
families stationed in New York.
Remove Barriers for Veterans Housing Tax Exemptions: Currently, veterans are not allowed
to deduct compensation payments for injuries received in the line of duty from their income
when applying for the senior citizen property tax exemption. To correct this flaw, legislation has
been introduced that will enable veterans to receive this common sense tax exemption.
Bill Sponsor, Senator Tim Kennedy said, Veterans should be treated with dignity, respect and
gratitude, but instead they denied the same benefits as their non-veteran neighbors due to an
obvious oversight in State law. We have a responsibility to the brave men and women who were
wounded while serving our nation to eliminate this de facto discrimination and give them equal
access to property tax relief.
Help LGBT Veterans Access State Benefits: Due to the Dont Ask/Dont Tell policy, many
LGBT veterans received an other than honorable discharge from the armed forces and are
currently denied access to over 50 state benefit, despite an end to the flawed policy. To assist
these veterans, who did nothing wrong, legislation has been introduced that will simplify the
process to correct discharge records for LGBT veterans were discharged under the past Dont
Ask/Dont Tell policy so they can now receive the New York State benefits they have earned.

Bill Sponsor, Senator Brad Hoylman said, The military's Dont Ask Dont Tell policy was
repealed in 2011, but many LGBT service members discharged before and during its 17-year
tenure remain ineligible for a host of state benefits. The existing process to undo this damage at
the federal level is lengthy, burdensome and leaves veterans without benefits in the interim. I am
proud to sponsor the New York Restoration of Honor Act to make it easier for these veterans to
access critical state benefits, programs, and services. We have a responsibility to these LGBT
veterans who served our nation faithfully and were mistreated by a flawed policy that has
thankfully been ended.
Improve Access for Mental Health Support: Due to their unique experiences, many veterans
are in need of mental health services, and often suicide prevention support, as they transition
back into civilian life. To ensure New York State provides the very best possible support and care
for veterans, legislation has been sponsored that will create a task force to examine, evaluate and
determine how to improve mental health and suicide prevention and provide a report and
recommendations by May 1, 2016.
Bill Sponsor, Senator James Sanders said, When our veterans return from active duty many
carry with them a heavy burden of traumatic stresses that can lead to depression, emotional
disturbance and even suicide. No veteran should have to face these challenges alone. To provide
them with the up-to-date services and resources, the Legislature must take action and create a
veterans' mental health and suicide prevention task force to address the evolving needs of the
men and women who protect our way of life every day.
Help Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma (MST): Statistically, women in the military are
twice as likely to be sexually assaulted. To address this troubling fact, Democratic leader
Stewart-Cousins has sponsored legislation that would direct the States Division of Veteran
Affairs, as well as local veterans service agencies, to plan and develop assistance programs and
benefits for veterans who experienced MST.
In addition to Senate Democratic Leader Stewart-Cousins bill, Senator Parker has advanced
legislation that will require the Commissioner of the Office of Mental Health and the Division of
Veterans Affairs to disseminate information to veterans on where they can seek treatment and
counseling for Military Sexual Trauma. This bill will help veterans access vital resources to
overcome MST as they transition back into civilian life.
Bill Sponsor, Senator Kevin Parker said, Far too many veterans experience sexual assault,
harassment and other traumas during their military service. While efforts are underway to change
the culture and combat sexual harassment and trauma, more must be done to help survivors cope
and move forward in a healthy way. State government must allocate resources and personnel to
ensure veterans are aware of the services available to them if they have endured military sexual
trauma.
To find more information about support programs in your community, please
visit: http://www.veterans.ny.gov.
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New York State Senate | DemocraticConferenceNews@nysenate.gov | 518-455-2415