S6342C-2011 Actions

• Jun 15, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 6342D
• Jun 15, 2012: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
• Jun 1, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 6342C
• Jun 1, 2012: AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
• May 11, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 6342B
• May 11, 2012: AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
• Feb 29, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 6342A
• Feb 29, 2012: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
• Jan 30, 2012: REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

S6342C-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S6342C

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to developing
plans to adequately address military sexual trauma experienced by female
veterans

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To disseminate information to female
veterans and make available at the Office of Mental Health and
Department of Veteran Affairs websites where they can seek treatment
and counseling for Military Sexual Trauma.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 Amends section 7.09 of the mental hygiene law by adding new
subdivision k: The Commissioner of Mental Health shall promulgate
rules and regulations to disseminate information to female veterans,
when applicable, regarding which veterans affairs centers and other
organizations such female veterans can seek treatment, counseling and
resources for Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Such information shall be
posted on the office/s website with a link to the website of the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs and a link to the State
Division of Veterans' Affairs.

Subdivision 1: The Commissioner shall establish peer counseling and
support services regarding Military Sexual Trauma for female veterans
at one or more veterans affairs facilities if deemed appropriate and
necessary.

JUSTIFICATION:
In many instances those veterans who have returned home
from combat and/or have completed their tour of duty have had a
myriad of experiences that sometimes adversely affect them. The
experiences and events they go through can sometimes lead to Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

However, female veterans can also go through traumatic experiences
that are not discussed as often as PTSD. One trauma they go through
in particular is Military Sexual Trauma (MST). The definition of MST
used by the Department of Veteran Affairs is: psychological trauma,
which in the judgment of a VA mental health professional, resulted
from a physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual
nature, or sexual harassment which occurred while the Veteran was
serving on active duty or active duty for training.

It is imperative that information of where to seek treatment and
counseling for Military Sexual Trauma is afforded to female veterans
and posted on the Department of Veterans Affairs website. Providing

these veterans with this information will enable them to know where
to go for help and services.

The Department of Veteran Affairs states that in a screening for
military personnel seeking VA healthcare 1 in 5 women responded "yes"
when screened for MST. However, according to Pentagon statistics
nearly 1 in 3 women in the military is at risk for sexual assault,
twice as many as in the general population. The Defense Department's
2006 sexual assault report stated that 2,947 incidents were reported
an increase of 73% from 2004.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Unknown.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S6342C-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 6342--C
 I N  SENATE
 January 30, 2012
 
 Introduced by Sens. HUNTLEY, ESPAILLAT, PARKER -- read twice and ordered
 printed,  and  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veter
 ans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs --  committee  discharged,
 bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as amended and recommitted to said
 committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted  as
 amended  and  recommitted  to  said committee -- committee discharged,
 bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended  and  recommitted  to  said
 committee
 AN  ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to developing plans
 to adequately address military sexual  trauma  experienced  by  female
 veterans
 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section 1.  

Section 7.09 of the mental  hygiene  law  is  amended  by
 adding two new subdivisions (k) and (l) to read as follows:

 (K) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO DISSEM
 INATE  INFORMATION  TO FEMALE VETERANS, WHEN APPLICABLE, REGARDING WHICH
 VETERANS' AFFAIRS CENTERS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SUCH  FEMALE  VETERANS
 CAN SEEK TREATMENT, COUNSELING AND RESOURCES FOR MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA.
 SUCH  INFORMATION SHALL BE POSTED ON THE OFFICE'S WEBSITE WITH A LINK TO
 THE WEBSITE OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS  AFFAIRS  AND  A
 LINK TO THE WEBSITE OF THE STATE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS.  FOR THE
 PURPOSES  OF  THIS ARTICLE, MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA SHALL MEAN PSYCHOLOG
 ICAL TRAUMA, WHICH IN THE JUDGMENT  OF  A  MENTAL  HEALTH  PROFESSIONAL,
 RESULTED  FROM A PHYSICAL ATTACK OF A SEXUAL NATURE, BATTERY OF A SEXUAL
 NATURE OR SEXUAL HARASSMENT WHICH OCCURRED WHILE THE VETERAN WAS SERVING
 ON ACTIVE DUTY OR ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR TRAINING.
 (L) THE COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ESTABLISH  PEER  COUNSELING  AND  SUPPORT
 SERVICES  REGARDING MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA FOR FEMALE VETERANS AT ONE OR
 MORE VETERANS' AFFAIRS FACILITIES IF THE COMMISSIONER DEEMS IT APPROPRI
 ATE AND NECESSARY.
 

S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD14203-05-2

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