In 1994 New York State passed the Veterans' Bill of Rights (Chapter 553) describing the State's commitment to employment services for veterans and reflecting priority in training opportunities for veterans. The year 2004 marks the tenth anniversary of this legislation. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA), passed by Congress in 1998, identified the Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Services (VETS) as one of sixteen partners to provide specialized services to veterans through a One-Stop delivery system. The New York State Department of Labor's Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) and Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVER) programs will be a good indicator of whether or not the State is upholding veterans' rights in compliance with WIA.

In order to assess the progress of this federal legislation, the Legislative Commission on Skills Development and Career Education, the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Labor, and the Subcommittee on Women Veterans will hear testimony from individuals, community organizations and businesses, Local Workforce Investment Board chairs and veterans' organizations to evaluate the progress and effect of WIA in providing veterans priority and employment training.

Persons wishing to testify at the hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to ten minutes in duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, attempts will be made to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to the Commission staff prior to the hearing date. In the absence of a request, witnesses will be scheduled in the order in which reply forms are postmarked.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. Advanced receipt of prepared statements is appreciated.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Commission's interest in receiving testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with the policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

SELECTED RECENT CONCERNS TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY:

1. Are New York State's veterans provided with better service today than they were ten years ago? What new problems are being addressed since converting to the One-Stop system?
2. How has the Veterans' Bill of Rights aided in making sure that all who are eligible for services are, in fact, provided those services in a timely manner? What populations are most impacted in a positive manner? Are there any populations still not being served adequately?
3. How has the State Workforce Investment Board provided direction to Local Workforce Investment Boards in taking into account the specialized needs of veterans when developing local workforce investment plans?