In 2019, the Restoration of Honor Act was signed into law in New York State. The Restoration of Honor Act authorizes the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services (NYS DVS) to restore access to State Veterans Benefits to Veterans who have an Other-Than-Honorable Discharge (OTH) or a General Under Honorable Conditions Discharge due to any of the following:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
- Sexual Orientation
- Gender Identity
While this determination does not change a veteran’s official character of discharge on their discharge paperwork, it does affect a veteran’s character of discharge for the purposes of qualifying for specific New York State benefits for Veterans and their families.
NYS DVS will begin receiving applications in June, 2020 and initial decisions will be provided starting November 12, 2020. The application package can be found here.
The VOLS Veterans Initiative strongly supports this Act. In our service to low-income senior veterans, we have met too many veterans that have been unable to access New York State benefits for veterans due to the character of their discharge from the military. Veterans who have suffered from mental or physical illness, or who have experienced sexual trauma during their service, should not be excluded from access to benefits that are necessary to achieve and sustain quality of life. Likewise, veterans who identify as LGBTQIA+ deserve the same access to benefits as those who do not. With the Restoration of Honor Act, New York State has put a welcome end to this kind of discrimination regarding who can and cannot receive benefits.
We welcome this timely development as we celebrate both PRIDE and PTSD Awareness Month during June 2020. Please see the below flyer for more information.
If you have questions or need assistance with your application or know a vet who does, please reach out to VOLS Veterans Initiative Staff Attorney Jess Penkoff at jpenkoff@volsprobono.org or (347) 521-5725.