N.Y. Veterans' Services Law § 29: Intake forms for admission and residency

§ 29. Intake forms for admission and residency. 1. 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.