N.Y. Veterans' Services Law § 1: Definitions

§ 1. Definitions. When used in this article:

1. The term "department" means the department of veterans' services.

2. The term "state commissioner" means the New York state commissioner

of veterans' services.

3. The term "veteran" means a person who served on active duty in the

uniformed services of the United States, or in the army national guard,

air national guard, or service as a commissioned officer in the public

health service, commissioned officer of the national oceanic and

atmospheric administration or environmental sciences services

administration, cadet at a United States armed forces service academy,

and who has been released from such service under other than

dishonorable conditions.

4. The term "uniformed services" means the army, navy, marine corps,

air force, space force, coast guard, public health commissioned corps,

and the national oceanic and atmospheric administration commissioned

officer corps of the United States.

5. The term "local director" means the director of a county or city

veterans' service agency.

6. The term "county director" means a local director of a county

veterans' service agency.

7. The term "city director" means a local director of a city veterans'

service agency.

8. The term "qualifying condition" means a diagnosis of post-traumatic

stress disorder or traumatic brain injury made by, or an experience of

military sexual trauma, as described in 38 USC 1720D, as amended from

time to time, disclosed to, an individual licensed to provide health

care services at a United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility

or an individual licensed to provide health care services within the

state of New York. The department shall develop a standardized form used

to confirm that the veteran has a qualifying condition under this

subdivision.

9. The term "discharged LGBT veteran" means a veteran who was

discharged less than honorably from the uniformed services due to their

sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, as those terms are

defined in section two hundred ninety-two of the executive law, or

statements, consensual sexual conduct, or consensual acts relating to

sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or the disclosure of

such statements, conduct, or acts, that were prohibited by the branch of

the uniformed services at the time of discharge. The department shall

establish a consistent and uniform process to determine whether a

veteran qualifies as a discharged LGBT veteran under this subdivision,

including, at a minimum, standards for verifying a veteran's status as a

discharged LGBT veteran, and a method of demonstrating eligibility as a

discharged LGBT veteran.