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

                                  5255

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 21, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A. TENNEY, MONTESANO, SALADINO, STEVENSON, KATZ,
  HAWLEY, McDONOUGH, GIGLIO, BLANKENBUSH, MALLIOTAKIS, LOSQUADRO,  GRAF,
  BRINDISI,  LALOR  --  Multi-Sponsored  by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, CROUCH,
  McLAUGHLIN, PALMESANO, REILICH  --  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
Department  of New York, Inc., Polish-American Veterans of World War II,

              

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD05934-01-3

A. 5255                             2

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
city,  county  and town authorities and officials, and of the Grand Army

A. 5255                             3

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.