SUBJECT:

PURPOSE:

Long Island State Veterans Home

Wednesday
October 26, 2005
10:00 A.M.

State University of New York at Stony Brook
100 Patriots Road
Stony Brook, New York 11790-3300

There are a large number of women serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. One in every seven military personnel in Iraq is a woman. These veterans are now returning in significant numbers from combat zones and must adjust to civilian life.

Please see below for a list of subjects to which witnesses may direct their testimony.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at the above 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 an emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to 10 minutes’ duration.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

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

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its 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 such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

SELECTED ISSUES TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY:

1. The federal Transition Assistance Program (TAP) was established to meet the needs of separating service members during their period of transition into civilian life by offering job-search assistance and related services. How effective is the process? Is the same program used regardless of gender? Does this program need to be supplemented anyway?

2. After being in a combat zone, does the process of readjustment involve the woman veteran only or the family unit?

3. There are initial signs that veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are at a significant risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems. Are there services available to help women veterans deal with these problems? Are there specific treatment programs for women veterans?

4. Under current law, individuals who have been called away from their civilian jobs to state active duty have a legal right to re-employment when they are released from their military duties. The law also provides protections for service men and women returning to private sector jobs after being called to active duty. Are these laws being followed by employers in New York State? If not, should the law be amended? Are women veterans being recognized as veterans by employers?

5. Historically, when asked by benefit counselors whether they are a veteran, service women have answered no, unless the question is phrased as "have you served in the U.S. Armed Forces?" Since the number of women in the military has increased over the years, how are women answering the question today?

PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on Women Veterans are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail it to:

Joanne Martin
Principal Analyst
Assembly Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Room 513 - Capitol
Albany, New York 12248
Email: martinj@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-4355
Fax: (518) 455-4128

I will address my remarks to the following subjects:

I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required: