Senator John E. Brooks, Chairman of the NYS Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, & Military Affairs and Assemblymember Didi Barrett, Chair of the NYS Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, hosted a press conference earlier today to advocate for S.7526-A/A.8294-A, which would elevate the existing NYS Division of Veterans Services (DVS) to a cabinet level department complete with its own commissioner. Currently, DVS exists as a subset division of the Office of General Services and is limited in its scope and purview to directly address issues facing veterans across New York State. This change in status would parallel the federal designation and is similar to the organizational structure of other states.
“The Veterans Committee is unique in that there are no Republicans and no Democrats in the committee chamber; there is no politics in that room. Collectively, we are all doing our best to take care of the women and men who have served our nation in uniform,” said Senator Brooks, “Together we recognize that it is time to elevate this division to a cabinet level department so that we reach the needs of every veteran across the state and create a more centralized and powerful voice for advocacy. By passing this bill we can finally give veterans a seat at the table in the Governor’s Cabinet.”
The DVS was established in 1945 to service veterans returning home from WWII. Although the Division has adapted to the technological changes since it was first created and serves veterans and service members from all eras, it remains relatively unchanged in structure and purpose. Currently, only an estimated 17 percent of the overall veterans’ population is accessing their earned benefits, while oversight, funding and distribution of such benefits and programs span multiple state departments, agencies and offices.
Once adopted, veterans’ service programs would now be located in one centralized section of law helping to make those programs more readily accessible to veterans and their family members. In addition, language has been added to the duties of the Agency to ensure there are coordinated outreach efforts to veterans and their families to facilitate access to benefits – such as housing, employment, mental health care, education and more – that may be available from other state agencies. Examples of other agencies include, but are not limited to, the Office of Mental Health, the State Office of the Aging and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
“New Yorkers owe our Veterans and Military Families a huge debt of gratitude for their service,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “But when it comes to translating that gratitude to access to earned benefits and needed services we fall far short. It is time for New York State to elevate the existing Division of Veterans’ Services – founded 75 years ago to service World War II veterans – to a one-stop Veterans Department with a commissioner and an expanded budget commensurate with the expanded programming and responsibilities.”
With the expanded mission provided under S.7526-A/A.8294-A for the newly formed Department of Veterans Services, New York State will ensure there is a coordinated effort to better facilitate access by veterans and their families to benefits such as housing, employment, mental health care, and education, just to name a few. Over a period of time the newly formed department would oversee a reorganization of the myriad of veterans’ programs that are currently individually administered and managed across many different state agencies. This will provide New York’s veterans’ programs with one core mission, under one roof that will greatly improve the administration of these benefits for our veterans.
Statements of Support
Senator Pattie Ritchie; Ranking Member of the NYS Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairssaid “As the representative of the brave 10thMountain Division soldiers stationed at Fort Drum and a region of our state that has a high population of veterans, I know how critically important it is to support those who have served. By elevating the New York State Division of Veterans Services, we can make it easier for veterans and their family members to get the assistance they need in their post-service lives, as well as better address the unique challenges they face.”
Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Our veterans have sacrificed so much to serve all of us, and we must do better as a state when it comes to providing them with the resources they need to reintegrate back into civilian life. I strongly support the creation of a NYS Department of Veterans’ Services as one centralized office that will elevate the needs of veterans statewide and make critical program offerings more accessible to them and their families. I’m proud to co-sponsor this bill and will continue advocating alongside my colleagues until the Veterans’ Division is upgraded to full Department status so that every veteran receives the quality support they need when they return home to New York.”
Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar said “Elevating the Division of Veterans’ Services to a cabinet-level Department will demonstrate our commitment to helping our state’s 800,000 veterans and act as a huge step forward in delivering to them the benefits they so rightfully earned. They have made extraordinary sacrifices to protect our safety and freedom. And just as they served our country, we must now serve them.”
Assemblymember Monica Wallace said “The courageous veterans of our state have earned every one of their benefits, yet currently only about one in six former service members actually utilize these benefits. By elevating the Division of Veterans’ Services to a cabinet-level department, we can make it easier for veterans and their family members to access these vital benefits and therefore better serve those who have served our nation. Additionally, creating an executive Department of Veterans’ Services signals that providing for our veterans is a top priority for New York State.”
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato said “One of my top priorities is protecting and defending our veterans and thanks to the leadership of Chairwoman Didi Barrett, we are elevating the Division of Veterans’ Affairs to that of a Department. We owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans and making sure they have an official department to get proper services is just one way we can say thank you.”
Assemblymember Chris Burdick said “To the nearly 800,000 veterans and their families in New York, we have an obligation to better recognize their service to this nation by elevating the NYS veterans division to department status, appointing a commissioner directly reporting to the Governor. Consolidating the various agencies providing veterans’ services is urgently needed to eliminate the frustration of being bounced around from one to the other. Most importantly, it makes it clear to our veterans that they are a top priority to us.”
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