* § 361-c. Women veterans advisory committee. 1. The women veterans advisory committee is hereby created consisting of eight members, with members appointed as follows: (a) two members by the governor; (b) two members by the temporary president of the senate; (c) two members by the speaker of the assembly; and (d) one member each by the minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of the assembly. All appointed members must be women, and veterans who served in the United States armed forces including members of the reserve component. Each veteran shall have received an honorable discharge or have a qualifying condition as defined in section three hundred fifty of this article. 2. In making appointments pursuant to subdivision one of this section, the following shall be considered:

(a) whether the appointments provide a geographical balance between the urban and rural areas of this state and represent the cultural diversity of this state; and

(b) the level of activity of the woman in the veteran community. 3. The committee shall elect a chair from among its members. 4. Each member of the committee shall serve a term of four years. 5. A vacancy on the committee shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. 6. The committee shall meet at least four times per year at the call of the chair. 7. A majority of the members of the committee appointed constitutes a quorum. 8. Each member of the committee:

(a) serves without compensation, except that a member of the committee who is a state officer or employee may receive her regular compensation while engaging in the business of the committee; and

(b) while engaged in the business of the committee, is entitled to receive the per diem allowance and travel expenses provided for state officers and employees generally. 9. The committee shall:

(a) support and assist the division of veterans' services and the women veterans coordinator pursuant to section three hundred sixty-one-b of this article in:

(i) locating, educating and advocating for all women veterans in this state;

(ii) identifying the unique needs of women veterans;

(iii) conducting outreach and education through various means, including, without limitation, the organization of statewide women veterans events, the promotion of benefits and health care for women veterans and the development of programs that inform students, business leaders and educators about the important role women play in the armed forces of the United States;

(iv) educating women veterans as to benefits and programs that are available to them;

(v) at least annually, making such recommendations as may be deemed necessary or advisable to the governor, the state legislature, the office of the director of the division of veterans' services and such other offices of this state as may be appropriate;

(vi) making information available regarding job and career opportunities;

(vii) providing outreach regarding available resources for veterans with a qualifying condition as defined in section three hundred fifty of this article; and

(viii) advocating on behalf of women veterans to ensure that the programs and policies of this state and of the United States department of veterans' affairs remain open to women and mindful of the elements of the experience of a veteran that are unique to women.

(b) submit a report on or before February fifteenth of each year, outlining the activities of the committee during the preceding calendar year and any recommendations of the committee to the governor and legislature. The report must include, without limitation, information pertaining to:

(i) the demographics of women veterans;

(ii) the current contributions that women veterans have made on behalf of the United States and this state;

(iii) the unique needs of the population of women veterans;

(iv) recommendations regarding what steps should be taken to reduce misinformation and improve support for programs for women veterans; and

(v) outreach activities undertaken by the committee. 10. The division of veterans' services shall help support the committee's activities. * NB Effective March 11, 2022