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

                                  5940

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              March 9, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  DenDEKKER  --  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;  and  to  amend  the
  public  buildings law, in relation to setting aside space in the capi-
  tol for use as quarters of the Vietnam Veterans of America

  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

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD07567-02-5
              

A. 5940                             2

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 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

A. 5940                             3

assistance of the adjutant-general of the  United  States,  and  of  the
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.

A. 5940                             4

  S 8. The public buildings law is amended by adding a new  section  5-b
to read as follows:
  S  5-B.  QUARTERS  FOR VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA. THERE SHALL BE SET
ASIDE, WHEN AVAILABLE, SUITABLY FURNISHED SPACE BY THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
GENERAL SERVICES, IN THE CAPITOL, FOR THE USE AS QUARTERS OF THE VIETNAM
VETERANS  OF  AMERICA, NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL, IN THE TRANSACTION OF ITS
BUSINESS AND PRESERVATION OF ITS RECORDS. SUCH QUARTERS SHALL  BE  UNDER
THE CHARGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, NEW YORK
STATE COUNCIL, AND SUCH OFFICERS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF SUCH ORGANIZATION AS
HIS OR HER SUCCESSOR MAY APPOINT.
  S 9. This act shall take effect immediately.