This bill expands veterans' preference in New York's affordable Mitchell-Lama housing programs to include veterans who did not serve during a time of war. It requires housing agencies to give priority in admission to veterans (as defined by Civil Service Law §85) and their surviving spouses, regardless of wartime service, and to clearly state this preference on applications. The change applies to both open waiting lists and closed lists when they reopen. This policy update directly affects veterans applying for Mitchell-Lama housing units across New York State.
Establishes a veterans' bill of rights; provides sample language for such bill of rights; requires the department of veterans' services to establish and distribute a veterans' bill of rights and to make such bill of rights available on the department's website.
Requires nursing homes, residential health care facilities, and adult care facilities to ask patients if they have a service-connected disability rating from the federal department of veterans affairs; requires such information to be delivered to the department of veterans' services and transmitted to city and county veterans' services agencies and officers.
S 6559 would allow local governments (counties, cities, towns, villages, or school districts) to provide a 100% property tax exemption for veterans who served in combat zones and are 100% permanently disabled due to military service, or their unmarried surviving spouses. This exemption would apply directly to the property tax bill for eligible veterans, bypassing any local limits on standard property tax exemptions. Localities would choose whether to implement this option, and the exemption would apply to properties assessed on or after January 1, 2025. The bill does not require localities to adopt this exemption but provides a new option for those that choose to do so.
Bill A 8061 creates a "women veterans history trail" to recognize and celebrate the history of women in service. The Department of Veterans' Services will develop and designate this trail, consulting with the New York State Military Museum, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the State Historian. The trail will feature various sites like museums, memorials, and historic homes. The department will solicit recommendations from local governments, individuals, and organizations for inclusions in the trail. Public information about the trail will be available through the department's website, a free mobile application, and digital veterans' welcome kiosks.
This bill creates special license plates for veterans who served in the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard during combat. Eligible veterans (or their spouses, but not both) can request plates displaying branch-specific wording like "Navy Combat Veteran" upon providing proof of service. A one-time $10 fee is added to standard registration costs, and plates require 200 pre-orders before production begins to cover costs. The program is funded through these fees, deposited into a dedicated fund for plate design and distribution.
Requires that the state university of New York's board of trustees and the city university of New York's board of trustees shall each adopt a policy requiring all state university of New York, city university of New York, college, and community college campuses that offer membership programs to the general public for the use of fitness and aquatic facilities, to permit disabled veterans to obtain a membership for the use of fitness and aquatic facilities upon the same terms and conditions as apply to the general public, but without payment of any fees or other charges, or at a discounted rate; defines "disabled veteran".
This bill expands property tax exemptions for disabled veterans by removing the requirement that they must have served during a "period of war." It directly affects veterans with a 60% or higher service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, regardless of when they served. The key mechanism amends the legal definition of "veteran" to include these individuals without needing proof of wartime service. This change ensures eligible disabled veterans qualify for the tax break based solely on their disability rating and honorable service, effective for property tax assessments starting August 30, 2008.
This bill creates a program allowing courts to offer veterans and active service members accused of certain non-violent felonies (excluding sex offenses and specific violent crimes) an alternative to standard sentencing. It requires courts to assess whether the individual's military service contributed to their crime through a court-approved evaluation for conditions like PTSD or substance abuse. If eligible, defendants receive treatment instead of jail time, with the court considering if their service-related condition played a role in the offense. The program aims to address gaps in mental health care for veterans within the criminal justice system.
This bill (S 2723) allows veterans to use state-owned cabins and cottages in public recreation areas without paying fees, effective immediately. It directly affects veterans who use these facilities, permitting free access under the same terms as the general public but limiting use to 14 days per year. The key provision amends state parks law to remove fees for veterans (and certain other groups like Gold Star families) at designated public recreation sites. It does not change existing fee structures for non-veteran visitors. The bill was recently referred to the Veterans committee for further consideration.
