Women veterans coordinator

§ 19. Women veterans coordinator. 1. Definitions. (a) "Veteran" shall have the same meaning as defined in section one of this article. (b) "Department" shall mean the state department of veterans' services. (c) "Women veterans coordinator" shall be a veteran. 2. Such women veterans coordinator shall be appointed by the commissioner. 3. Establishment of women veterans coordinator. There is hereby established within the department, a "women veterans coordinator" who shall work under the direction of the commissioner and whose duties shall include, but not be limited to, the: (a) identification, development, planning, organization and coordination of all statewide programs and services to meet the needs of women veterans; (b) recommendation to the commissioner to ensure compliance with all existing department policies and regulations pertaining to the needs of women veterans on the state and federal level and make recommendations regarding the improvement of benefits and services to women veterans; (c) liaison between the department, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs center for women veterans, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, state veterans nursing homes, state agencies, community groups, advocates and other veterans and military organizations and interested parties and, as it pertains to the veteran maternity care program established pursuant to section twenty-nine-c of this article, the commissioners of health and mental health, hospitals, federal, state, and local health officials, obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, veterans and veterans advocates; (d) advocating for all women veterans in the state; (e) development and maintenance of a clearinghouse for information and resources for women veterans; (f) promote events and activities that recognize, educate and honor women veterans, including but not limited to seminars required under subdivision six of section four of this article, veteran human rights conferences, veterans benefits and resources events, and veterans cultural competence training; (g) inclusion of the contributions women veterans have made on behalf of the United States and this state on the department's official website; (h) preparation of reports on topics including, but not limited to, the demographics of women veterans, the number of women veterans listed by county, and the unique needs of the women veterans population, to the extent such information is available, to the commissioner on the status of women veterans within New York state; (i) development and implementation of a maternity care program, in consultation with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department of health and the office of mental health, to improve the capacity of maternity care providers to address the unique needs of pregnant and postpartum veterans, particularly regarding mental and behavioral health conditions; and (j) conspicuously posting on the department's website a link to the federal women veterans call center number 1-855-VA-WOMEN. 4. Reports. The women veterans coordinator shall submit a report to the commissioner each year after the effective date of this section. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, a description of the women veterans coordinator's activities for the calendar year and the programs developed pursuant to the provisions of this section. The commissioner shall submit the report or a synopsis of the report to the governor in accordance with the provisions of section four of this article.