Source: https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1739320&GUID=0D5918DB-F678-48A3-8EE5-D6165B32BF62&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=Veterans+Department
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 09:07:42+00:00

Document:
File #: Int 0314-2014 Version: * A Name: Relating to the office of veterans affairs.
Summary: Currently, Section 14 of the New York City Charter establishes an Office of Veterans Affairs within the mayor’s office. This bill would establish a separate Department of Veterans Affairs (the “Department”), headed by a Commissioner of Veterans Affairs. The bill would provide the Department with the responsibility to cooperate with federal, state, and local agencies and to inform and assist members of the armed forces and veterans, and their families in matters relating to: educational training and retraining services and facilities; health, medical, and rehabilitation services and facilities; provisions of federal, state, and local laws and regulations giving special rights and privileges to members of the armed forces, veterans, and their families; employment and re-employment services; and other appropriate matters. The Office of Veterans Affairs is currently advised by a Veterans Advisory Board comprised of nine members (five appointment by the mayor and four appointed by the speaker of the City Council), all of whom are veterans. This bill requires the Veterans Advisory Board to advise the commissioner on all matters concerning veterans, as well as keeping the requirements that they meet quarterly, keep records of meetings, and submit an annual report of their activities to the mayor and the council on or before December 31 of each year. Additionally, this bill amends the New York City Administrative Code to require the Department to publish information on its website concerning resources intended to assist veterans in obtaining employment, and to consult with city agencies to identify job postings for inclusion on the Federal veterans’ job bank. Finally, the bill requires each city agency to designate an employee to act as a liaison with veterans within the agency, and the Department to provide periodic training to the veterans’ liaisons, as well as to post on its website the names of the liaisons at each city agency.
Section 1. Section 14 of the New York city charter is REPEALED.
§ 3102. Powers and duties.
§ 3103. Veterans’ advisory board.
§ 3100. Department; commissioner. There shall be a department of veterans' services, the head of which shall be the commissioner of veterans' services. The commissioner may appoint deputies within available appropriations.
Veteran. The term “veteran” shall mean a person who has served in the active military service of the United States and who has been released from such service other than by dishonorable discharge, or who has been furloughed to the reserve.
§ 3102. Powers and duties. a. Except as otherwise provided by law, the commissioner shall have such powers as provided by the director of the state veterans' service agency and shall have the duty to inform military and naval authorities of the United States and assist members of the armed forces and veterans, who are residents of the city, and their families, in relation to: (1) matters pertaining to educational training and retraining services and facilities, (2) health, medical and rehabilitation service and facilities, (3) provisions of federal, state and local laws and regulations affording special rights and privileges to members of the armed forces and veterans and their families, (4) employment and re-employment services, and (5) other matters of similar, related or appropriate nature. The commissioner shall also assist families of members of the reserve components of the armed forces and the organized militia ordered into active duty to ensure that they are made aware of and are receiving all appropriate support available to them. The department also shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the state director of the division of veterans' affairs.
b. The commissioner shall utilize, so far as possible, the services, commissions, boards, bureaus, institutions and other agencies of the state and of the political subdivisions thereof and all such officers and agencies shall cooperate with and extend such services and facilities to the department as it may require.
§ 3103. Veterans’ advisory board. There shall be a veterans' advisory board consisting of eleven members, all of whom shall be veterans, six of whom shall be appointed by the mayor and five of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the council. Of these eleven appointees, there shall be one representative from each of the five boroughs of the city of New York. The mayor and the speaker shall each consider service in conflicts involving members of the United States armed forces when making such appointments. All members shall serve for a term of three years and may be removed by the appointing official for cause. Members of the advisory board shall elect by majority vote one such member to serve as chairperson and one such member to serve as vice-chairperson, each to serve in that capacity for one-year terms. In the event of a vacancy on the advisory board during the term of office of a member by reason of removal, death, resignation, or otherwise, a successor shall be chosen in the same manner as the original appointment. A member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the balance of the unexpired term. The advisory board shall (i) advise the commissioner on all matters concerning veterans; (ii) hold at least one meeting open to the public in each borough on an annual basis, with notice of each public meeting provided in accordance with the public notice requirements of article 7 of the public officers law except with respect to those requirements provided in section 31-105 of the administrative code, and with each public meeting recorded and broadcast in accordance with subdivision d of section 1063 of the charter; (iii) keep a record of its deliberations; (iv) determine its own rules of procedure; and (v) submit an annual report of its activities to the mayor and the council on or before December 31 of each year. Such annual report should include policy and legislative recommendations for the department of veterans' services and the council.
§ 3. Subchapter 3 of chapter one of title 3 of the administrative code of the city of New York is REPEALED.
§ 31-104 Veterans’ advisory board electronic mail addresses.
§ 31-105 Additional notice of public meetings of the veterans’ advisory board.
Commissioner. The term “commissioner” means the commissioner of veterans’ services.
Department. The term “department” means the New York city department of veterans’ services.
Federal veterans job bank. The term “federal veterans job bank” means the job bank developed by the federal government for veterans or any subsequent online tool that the federal government utilizes to connect veterans with employment opportunities.
City job. The term “city job” means employment with the government of the city of New York.
3. links to any additional resources deemed relevant by the department.
c. The department shall consult with the department of citywide administrative services and other appropriate city agencies to identify city job postings for inclusion in the federal veterans job bank and shall also ensure that such city job postings are included in such job bank and are updated as necessary to maintain accuracy.
d. The department shall consult with the department of small business services to identify job postings that are received or maintained by the department for inclusion in the federal veterans job bank and shall also ensure that such job postings are included in such job bank and are updated as necessary to maintain accuracy.
§ 31-103 Veteran liaisons. The head of each city agency shall designate an employee to act as liaison with veterans within such agency and shall notify the department of the name and contact information of such liaison. Such liaison shall advise veterans within such agency of benefits and services available to veterans at such agency and employee personnel policies applicable to veterans at such agency. At the request of the department, the head of each city agency shall make such liaison available to confer with and receive periodic training from the department. The department shall post on its website the names of persons designated to act as such liaison within each agency.
§ 31-104 Veterans' advisory board electronic mail addresses. Upon appointment to the board, every member of the veterans' advisory board, as constituted pursuant to section 3103 of the charter, shall create an electronic mail address dedicated exclusively to the conduct of the business of the board. The department shall make such electronic mail address available to the public on the department’s website no later than thirty days after the commencement of the member's term of appointment. Such electronic mail address may not be commingled with any other personal or professional electronic mail addresses held or maintained by the members of the board. The department may establish guidelines to promote uniformity in the formatting of any electronic mail address created pursuant to this section.
§ 31-105 Additional notice of public meetings of the veterans' advisory board. The department shall ensure that notice of any public meeting of the veterans' advisory board held pursuant to section 3103 of the charter is posted on the department’s website with the date, time and location of each public meeting, and that such notice is posted not less than one week prior to each public meeting. The department shall also maintain and periodically update the contact information of veterans organizations located within the city and shall notify such organizations by regular or electronic mail of the date, time and location of each public meeting of the veterans' advisory board not less than one week prior to each public meeting.
§ 5. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law.

References: § 3102

§ 3103

§ 3100

§ 3102

§ 3103

§ 3

§ 31

§ 31

§ 31

§ 31

§ 31

§ 5