File #: Int 0394-2018    Version: Name: Creating veterans resource centers.
Type: Introduction Status: Enacted
Committee: Committee on Veterans
On agenda: 1/31/2018
Enactment date: 12/15/2018 Law number: 2018/215
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating veterans resource centers
Sponsors: Eric A. Ulrich, Chaim M. Deutsch, Justin L. Brannan, Kalman Yeger , Ben Kallos, Andy L. King, Brad S. Lander, Adrienne E. Adams, Andrew Cohen, Costa G. Constantinides, Robert F. Holden, Paul A. Vallone, Mathieu Eugene, Stephen T. Levin, Mark Gjonaj , I. Daneek Miller
Council Member Sponsors: 16
Summary: This bill would require the Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) to establish at least one Veterans Resource Center in each borough by June 1, 2019. Each center is required to be located in an area easily accessible and in close proximity to public transportation. DVS is also required to provide each borough with a minimum of 20 hours of service per week, including a minimum of 10 hours at each Veterans Resource Center. The Centers would provide veterans with free, current information on the matters described above, as well as housing, public and private social services, and financial assistance and tax exemptions available to veterans. The Centers would also be staffed with a benefits counselor and make available a veterans resource guide. The commissioner of DVS will commence outreach and education efforts to inform veterans about these Centers. Additionally, DVS would be required, beginning January 1, 2020 and every six months thereafter, to submit a report to the Mayor and Council Speaker on the number of veterans utilizing each center, the services offered by each center, those services and/or information most frequently requested by veterans at each center, the number of full and part-time staff working at each center, the amount of funding allocated to each center, and the feedback received by each center with a general description of such feedback.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 394-A, 2. Summary of Int. No. 394, 3. Int. No. 394, 4. January 31, 2018 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 5. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 01-31-2018, 6. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - January 31, 2018, 7. Committee Report 6/19/18, 8. Hearing Testimony 6/19/18, 9. Hearing Transcript 6/19/18, 10. Proposed Int. No. 1137-A - 11/7/18, 11. Committee Report 11/13/18, 12. Hearing Transcript 11/13/18, 13. November 14, 2018 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 14. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 11-14-18, 15. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - November 14, 2018, 16. Int. No. 394-A (FINAL), 17. Fiscal Impact Statement, 18. Legislative Documents - Letter to the Mayor, 19. Local Law 215, 20. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 11-14-2018, 21. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - November 14, 2018
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
12/18/2018AEric A. Ulrich City Council Returned Unsigned by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
12/15/2018AEric A. Ulrich Administration City Charter Rule Adopted  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/14/2018AEric A. Ulrich City Council Sent to Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/14/2018AEric A. Ulrich City Council Approved by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
11/13/2018*Eric A. Ulrich Committee on Veterans Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/13/2018*Eric A. Ulrich Committee on Veterans Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/13/2018*Eric A. Ulrich Committee on Veterans Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
11/13/2018AEric A. Ulrich Committee on Veterans Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
6/19/2018*Eric A. Ulrich Committee on Veterans Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/19/2018*Eric A. Ulrich Committee on Veterans Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/31/2018*Eric A. Ulrich City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/31/2018*Eric A. Ulrich City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Int. No. 394-A

 

By Council Members Ulrich, Deutsch, Brannan, Yeger, Kallos, King, Lander, Adams, Cohen, Constantinides, Holden, Vallone, Eugene, Levin, Gjonaj and Miller

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating veterans resource centers

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1.  Title 31 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 31-106 to read as follows:

§ 31-106 Veterans resource centers.  a. The commissioner shall ensure that at least one veterans resource center is established and operational in each borough by no later than June 1, 2019.  Each borough shall have a minimum of 20 hours of combined field and in-office service per week, including at least 10 consistent office hours, and shall be located in a geographic area that is easily accessible, including for persons with disabilities, and in close proximity to public transportation. Notice of a center’s hours of operation shall be clearly displayed on the premises and on the department’s website.

                     b. Each veterans resource center shall provide veterans with up-to-date information, at no cost regarding, at a minimum, (i) matters within the department’s purview pursuant to this title, chapter 75 of the charter and state executive law section 358; (ii) housing; (iii) social services offered by public agencies and charitable and private organizations, including but not limited to the provision of specific contact information for such agencies and organizations; (iv) financial assistance and tax exemptions available to veterans; (v) discharge upgrade resources; and (vi) federal, state, and local benefits available to veterans.

                     c. Each veterans resource center shall provide benefits counseling services and a hard copy resource guide pursuant to section 31-108, as well as information about relevant referral services.

                     d. The department shall make available on its website information about each of the veterans resource centers, including its address, contact information, hours of operation and services provided.

                     e. The commissioner, in consultation with any agencies identified by the mayor, shall establish and engage in outreach and education efforts to inform veterans about the veterans resource centers, including their locations, contact information, hours of operation and the services they provide.                     

f. The commissioner shall, beginning January 1, 2020 and every six months thereafter, submit a report in machine-readable format to the mayor and the speaker of the council regarding the operation of the veterans resource centers established pursuant to this section.  Such report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information for the prior six-month period, disaggregated by center: (i) the number of veterans utilizing such center; (ii) a summary of the services offered by such center; (iii) a description of the services and information most frequently requested by veterans utilizing such center; (iv) the number of full-time and part-time staff persons working at such center; and (v) the number of complaints received by and against such center from veterans regarding the services offered by such center, including feedback received by the 311 customer service center and a general description of the nature of such feedback.

§ 2.  This local law takes effect 90 days after it becomes law.

 

MWC/ENB/NJC

LS 660

LS 3776/Intro. 0298-2006/Intro. 0111-2010/Int. No. 829-2015

11/5/18, 4:55 PM