354-A - Information on status of veterans receiving assistance.

§ 354-a. Information  on  status  of  veterans  receiving  assistance.  Departments, divisions, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies of the  state and political  subdivisions  thereof,  which  provide  assistance,  treatment,  counseling,  care,  supervision  or custody in service areas  involving health, mental health, family services,  criminal  justice  or  employment,  including  but  not limited to the office of alcoholism and  substance abuse services, office of mental health, office  of  probation  and  correctional  alternatives, office of children and family services,  office of temporary and disability  assistance,  department  of  health,  department of labor, local workforce investment boards, office of mental  retardation  and  developmental disabilities, department of correctional  services and division of  parole,  shall  request  assisted  persons  to  provide  information  with  regard  to their veteran status and military  experiences. Individuals identifying themselves  as  veterans  shall  be  advised  that  the  division  of  veterans'  affairs and local veterans'  service  agencies  established  pursuant  to   section   three   hundred  fifty-seven  of  this  article  provide assistance to veterans regarding  benefits under federal and state  law.  Information  regarding  veterans  status  and  military  service  provided  by  assisted persons solely to  implement this section  shall  be  protected  as  personal  confidential  information  under  article  six-A  of  the  public officers law against  disclosure of confidential material, and used  only  to  assist  in  the  diagnosis,  treatment, assessment and handling of the veteran's problems  within the agency requesting  such  information  and  in  referring  the  veteran  to  the  division  of  veterans'  affairs  for  information and  assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements  under  federal  and  state law.