S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  1950

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 12, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. CASTELLI, BURLING, MONTESANO, SALADINO -- Multi-
  Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY -- read  once  and  referred  to  the
  Committee on Veterans' Affairs

AN  ACT  to  amend the benevolent orders law, the general municipal law,
  the general city law, the military law and the real property tax  law,
  in  relation  to  declaring  the  Vietnam  Veterans of America to be a
  benevolent order  and  granting  such  organization  various  benefits
  available to specified veterans' organizations

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 2 of the benevolent orders law is amended by adding
a new subdivision 59 to read as follows:
  59.  THE VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, OR ANY SUBORDINATE CHAPTER THER-
EOF, WHICH IS DULY CHARTERED BY AND INSTITUTED ACCORDING TO THE  CONSTI-
TUTION AND LAWS OF THAT ORGANIZATION.
  S 2. Section 7 of the benevolent orders law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 16-i to read as follows:
  16-I.    ANY  NUMBER  OF  CHARTERS OF THE VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA,
CHARTERED AND INSTALLED ACCORDING TO THE REGULATIONS OF  THAT  ORGANIZA-
TION;
  S  3.    Subdivision  1 of section 77 of the general municipal law, as
amended by chapter 1013 of the laws of  1969,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  1. A municipal corporation may lease, for not exceeding five years, to
a  post  or posts of the Grand Army of the Republic, Veterans of Foreign
Wars of the United States, American Legion, Catholic War Veterans, Inc.,
Disabled American Veterans, the Army  and  Navy  Union,  U.S.A.,  Marine
Corps  League,  AMVETS,  American  Veterans  of World War II, Jewish War
Veterans of the United States, Inc., Italian American  War  Veterans  of
the  United  States,  Incorporated, Masonic War Veterans of the State of
New York, Inc., Veterans of World War I of the United States of  America

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD05504-02-1
              

A. 1950                             2

Department  of New York, Inc., Polish-American Veterans of World War II,
Amsterdam, N.Y., Inc., Polish-American Veterans of World War  II,  Sche-
nectady,  N.Y.,  Inc., Polish Legion of American Veterans, Inc., VIETNAM
VETERANS   OF   AMERICA  or  other  veteran  organization  of  honorably
discharged members of the armed forces of the United  States  or  to  an
incorporated  organization  or an association of either active or exempt
volunteer firemen, a public building or part thereof, belonging to  such
municipal  corporation, except schoolhouses in actual use as such, with-
out expense, or at a nominal rent, fixed by the board or council  having
charge  of  such  buildings  and  provide furniture and furnishings, and
heat, light and janitor service therefor, in like manner.
  S 4. Section 13 of the general city  law,  as  separately  amended  by
chapters 14 and 982 of the laws of 1965, is amended to read as follows:
  S 13. Moneys  for Memorial and Veterans days; how expended. The moneys
appropriated by a city for observance  of  Memorial  and  Veterans  days
therein  pursuant  to  section  twelve of this chapter shall be expended
under the direction of a board composed of the mayor and the  commanders
and  quartermasters  of  the  Grand Army posts, the American Legion, the
United Spanish War Veterans camps, the Veterans of Foreign Wars  of  the
United  States, the Army and Navy Union of the United States, the Marine
Corps League, Inc., the Catholic War Veterans, Inc., the Italian  Ameri-
can  War  Veterans  of  the  United States, Incorporated, the Jewish War
Veterans of the United States and commanders and treasurers of  Sons  of
Veterans,  Military  Order  of the Purple Heart, Inc., Disabled American
Veterans camps, AMVETS, American Veterans of World War II,  Masonic  War
Veterans  of the State of New York, Inc., Veterans of World War I of the
United States of America Department of New York,  Inc.,  Polish-American
Veterans of World War II, Amsterdam, N. Y., Inc., Polish-American Veter-
ans of World War II, Schenectady, N. Y., Inc., Polish Legion of American
Veterans,  Inc.,  United Veteran's Association of America, Incorporated,
VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA and the United Veterans Memorial and  Execu-
tive Committee of such city. The whole amount of such money appropriated
or any part thereof may be spent by such board in observance of Memorial
and  Veterans days.  Bills properly verified for all claims and expendi-
tures arising under  section  twelve  of  this  chapter  or  under  this
section,  shall  be  presented to and audited by such board and shall be
paid by the common council of any such  city.  The  moneys  appropriated
shall be raised by tax on the real and personal property liable to taxa-
tion  in  any  such  city in the same manner as the ordinary expenses of
maintaining the city government.
  S 5.  Subdivision 3 of section 24 of the military law, as  amended  by
chapter 141 of the laws of 1988, is amended to read as follows:
  3.  He  is  authorized to request and accept from incorporated associ-
ations of veterans of the different regiments, statements  and  informa-
tion  duly authenticated by them, descriptive of their colors, standards
and battle flags, together with the number and  class  of  arms  of  the
regiment, the date and place of muster into the service of the state and
also  into  the service of the United States, the period of service, and
the date and place of muster-out, the date of departure for the seat  of
war,  and  the  various  battles  and engagements and places of service,
including garrison duty, the time of joining brigades, corps and armies,
with the time and nature of the service, and the names  of  colonels  of
such regiments, the names of those killed in action, including those who
died  of wounds, and the names of those who died of disease during their
period of service. He is further authorized to ask the  cooperation  and
assistance  of  the  adjutant-general  of  the United States, and of the

A. 1950                             3

city, county and town authorities and officials, and of the  Grand  Army
of  the  Republic,  the  Military  Order of the Loyal Legion, the United
Spanish War Veterans, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
the  Jewish  War  Veterans of the United States, Inc. , the Catholic War
Veterans, Inc. , the Italian American War Veterans of the United States,
Incorporated, the Polish Legion  of  American  Veterans,  Inc.,  VIETNAM
VETERANS  OF AMERICA and of other organizations and persons in the state
of New York and elsewhere in the collection of such  other  information,
relics,  memorials  and battle flags as is contemplated by this article,
in order to make as  complete  as  possible  the  records,  history  and
statistics  of the patriotic service of the soldiers of the state during
the wars in which the state participated.
  S 6. Paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 183 of the military  law,
as  amended  by  chapter  141 of the laws of 1988, is amended to read as
follows:
  b. On application of one or more posts or chapters of the United Span-
ish War Veterans, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign  Wars  of
the  United States, the Disabled American Veterans, the AMVETS, American
Veterans of World War II, the Jewish War Veterans of the United  States,
Inc., the Catholic War Veterans, Inc., the Italian American War Veterans
of the United States, Incorporated, the Polish Legion of American Veter-
ans,  Inc.,  the  Army  and  Navy Union of the United States of America,
VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, posts of the Masonic War  Veterans  of  the
state  of  New  York,  Incorporated,  or groups or squadrons of New York
Wing, Civil Air Patrol, or of incorporated associations of  veterans  of
units  of  the  organized  militia,  or one or more posts or chapters of
organizations of sons of veterans of any war of the United States or  of
the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, or those historic
military commands set forth in section two hundred forty-a of [the] this
chapter,  approved  by  the officer in charge and control of the armory,
and by his military superiors as prescribed by regulations issued pursu-
ant to this chapter and under such restrictions as may be prescribed  by
the  adjutant  general,  the  officer in charge and control of an armory
shall provide a proper and convenient room or rooms or other appropriate
space in such armory where such posts or chapters may hold  regular  and
special  meetings  and  organizational social events of a private nature
without the payment of any charge or  expense  therefor,  provided  that
such  use does not interfere with the members and units of the organized
militia stationed in such armory.
  S 7. Subdivision 1 of section 452 of the real  property  tax  law,  as
amended  by  chapter  610  of  the  laws  of 1960, is amended to read as
follows:
  1. Real property owned by a corporation, association or post  composed
of veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Disabled  American Veterans, the United Spanish War Veterans, the Jewish
War Veterans of the United States, Inc., Catholic  War  Veterans,  Inc.,
the  American Legion, AMVETS, American Veterans of World War II, Italian
American War Veterans of the United States,  Incorporated,  Masonic  War
Veterans  of  the  State  of New York, Incorporated, VIETNAM VETERANS OF
AMERICA and any other corporation or  association  of  veterans  of  the
armed  forces  of the United States in any war, actually and exclusively
used and occupied by such corporation,  association  or  post  shall  be
exempt  from  taxation  and  exempt  from  special ad valorem levies and
special assessments to the extent provided in section four hundred nine-
ty of this chapter.
  S 8. This act shall take effect immediately.